Campanelle with Proscuitto, Peas and Asparagus

About 1/2 of a box of campanelle pasta or other small pasta like shells
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. minced shallots
1/4 c. sliced green onions, white and light green parts only
1/4 c. white wine
1/4 c. chicken broth
About 10 stalks of asparagus, briefly blanched and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 c. frozen peas, thawed
4 oz. proscuitto, cut into strips
1/4 c. of grana padano cheese or parmesan
Olive oil, pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Heat butter in skillet over medium heat until melted. Add shallots and onion and cook until soft. Add wine to deglaze the pan. Add chicken broth, bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat a bit of oil in a skillet. Add proscuitto and saute until just a little crispy.

Combine pasta, proscuitto, peas, asparagus and sauce and toss well. Stir in cheese. Add a few grinds of black pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Chilean Ribs

Yum yum yum. It's no secret that Mr. Foodie and I like it hot. Get your minds out of the gutter. We love spicy stuff - and I love how different cultures have different kinds of spicy.

***DISCLOSURE!!!THE MEAT NEEDS TO MARINATE OVERNIGHT***

There. I hate when I read a recipe, realize I have everything on hand to make it, get super jazzed up about how great it sounds...and then I get to the end of the recipe and find out I can't make it that night because it requires sitting overnight. You're welcome.

These ribs were phenomenal. The marinade would be fantastic on chops, bone-in chicken breasts, flank steak, or as here - country style ribs. The recipe is based loosely on a recipe I found on epicurious.com.

Marinade
1 3.5 oz can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 jalapeno, seeded
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
Generous pinch of dried oregano, or one tablespoon fresh
3/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil

Combine chipotles and sauce, jalapeno, onion, garlic and oregano in food processor and pulse to chop.

With food processor running, drizzle in vinegar, then oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Reserve about 1/2-3/4 cup marinade for basting during grilling. Pour remaining marinade over your meat and refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Grill as usual, basting frequently. For country ribs, grill for a total of 20 minutes, flipping every 2-3 minutes and basting at each flip. Watch the grill - the marinade has a tendency to catch fire!

I served this with black beans and a mixed salad with avocado and red wine vinaigrette. We had white wine open, but I think a zinfandel or other juicy red would have been much better.

Seared Tuna with Avocado and Cilantro-Orange Broccoli Slaw

The tuna recipe is from Tyler Florence, one of my faves. The slaw is loosely adapted from a number of recipes I looked at.

Seared Tuna with Avocado and Cilantro Sauce
1 piece of sushi grade tuna (large enough for 2 people)
Leaves from about 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1/3 c. soy sauce
Juice of two limes
3 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

Whisk together cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, lime juice and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Set aside.

Generously season the fish with salt and pepper.

Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Place the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side. Pour half of the cilantro sauce over the fish.

Fan half of the avocado slices on each of two plates. Slice fish and lay slices on top of the avocado. Pour the remaining sauce over the top.

Cilantro-Orange Broccoli Slaw
1 package broccoli slaw mix
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 orange, peeled, segmented and cut into bite sized chunks
4 tbsp. cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. sesame oil.

Toss ingredients together and serve.

London Broil

Momma Foodie used to make this quite often growing up. It's a great way to make a cheaper cut of beef tender, juicy and taste like a special dinner. It is also great for a weeknight dinner because you whisk together a few simple ingredients, marinate overnight, and when you get home from work it cooks so quickly. I served this with asparagus and a green salad. It's also good with couscous or a rice pilaf.

1 top round steak
1/3-1/2 c. soy sauce (I use the reduced sodium)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. ginger paste or fresh grated ginger

Whisk together the soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Pour the mixture into a gallon size zip-top bag.

Season the steak with lots of fresh ground pepper (NO SALT). Add to the bag, zip it up and place in the fridge overnight (or for at least 6 hours).

Remove the steak from the bag and discard the marinade. Preheat the grill or broiler and cook the steak 3-4 minutes on each side, or to your desired done-ness.

Cornmeal Crusted Catfish

Let me preface this by saying that I despise catfish. I never know what to do with it, and I don't much care for the texture. I *thought* I was buying tilapia at CostCo, but I didn't read, just grabbed and we ended up with yucky catfish.

I figured Emeril would be a good authority for what to do with the fish. I read and combined a few of his recipes and came up with this. I think next time (if there is a next time that I mistakenly buy catfish) I will try searing and baking rather than pan-frying.

Cornmeal Crusted Catfish
2 catfish or other fish fillets
Cayenne pepper
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Paprika
Sea salt
Juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
3/4 c. cornmeal
1/4 c. flour
Oil

Sprinkle the fish fillets on both sides with the cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika and sea salt. Place the fillets in a baking dish.

Add the lemon juice, garlic and parsley to the dish. Turn the fish several times to coat well. Set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.

Mix cornmeal and flour together on a plate. Dredge the fish in the cornmeal mixture, pressing it so it adheres to the fish.

Heat enough oil in a skillet to cover the bottom. Fry the fish for 3-4 minutes per side, turning once.

I served this with Zatarain's red beans and rice mix (I use the low sodium doctored with half an onion, chopped and a good amount of Tabasco) and a green salad with red wine vinaigrette.

Tuna Tacos with Avocado and Orange

This was supposed to be tuna tacos with a tomato-orange salsa. However, I managed the purchase the single most disgusting tomato ever (it looked ok, but was all mealy and nasty inside). The tomato went into the trash, and cucumber and avocado went into the bowl instead.

This was really, really yummy and was a little glimpse of summer in the dead of a terrible Chicago winter. Mr. Foodie really liked it, which was very surprising given his distaste for fruit. Next time I make this, I hope to be out on my deck with a Summer Shandy or Pacifico in hand!

Tuna Tacos with Avocado and Orange
2 tuna fillets
Salt and pepper
1 medium Haas avocado, diced
1 large navel orange (see prep instructions below)
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, finely minced (remove the seeds if you don't like heat)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp. orange zest
Juice of two limes

Preheat a broiler or grill.
Season the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper.
Broil or grill approximately 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.

Cut off both ends of the orange. Use a knife to cut away the peel and pith.
Follow the membranes and segment the orange, discarding the pith and tough membranes.
Cut the orange segments into bite sized pieces and put in a medium bowl.

Add diced avocado, diced cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, green onion and orange zest to the bowl.
Flake the tuna into the bowl.
Pour lime juice over the fish and toss all ingredients well to coat. Adjust salt if needed.

Serve with corn or flour tortillas.

Spinach-stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

This is really, really tasty. It's also low-fat. I didn't have ground turkey, so I used the ground chicken I had on hand. Make sure to let the meat sit in the fridge for at least an hour after you press it into the pan so you can roll it easily.

Meat mixture:
3 slices bread, crust removed
1/2 c. milk
1 lb. ground chicken
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 egg white
1 tsp. oregano
Fresh ground pepper

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
Tear bread into 1 inch pieces. Put in a bowl, pour in the milk and mash the bread with a fork until all the milk is absorbed.
In another bowl, mix the chicken, mustard, egg white, oregano and pepper.
Add in the bread mixture and mix well, until creamy.
Press the meat mixture onto the baking sheet so that it covers 1/2 the baking sheet
Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour (up to three hours)

Filling:
1 10 oz. package of frozen spinach
3 green onions, chopped (green part only)
1 egg white
Fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1/3 cup

Thaw and drain spinach. Press out all the water.
Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add the spinach and onion and cook until mixture is somewhat dry and the onions begin to wilt, about 5-6 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Mix in egg white and season with lots of pepper.

Preheat oven to 350.
Remove baking sheet from fridge.
Spread the spinach mixture over the meat, leaving 1 inch border all the way around.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Place baking sheet horizontally.
Starting at the end closest to you, use the foil to lift the meat and roll jelly roll style, pushing forward a little bit at a time.

Bake at 350 for about an hour, until a thermometer registers 160. Serve with tomato sauce.

Fusilli with Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

This was really good and fast. I grilled two chicken breasts seasoned with lemon pepper, oregano and garlic powder and sliced them over the top.

3/4 box of fusilli, cavatappi or rotini pasta (good with whole wheat pasta)
2 c. arugula
1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 4 oz. log of goat cheese with herbs
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Reserve about a cup of the cooking liquid in case the sauce needs thinning later.

Put the drained pasta back in the pot and mix in the arugula.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet. When it is hot, add the tomatoes. Saute the tomatoes until the skins start to crack. Season with salt and pepper and mix into pasta.

Crumble goat cheese into the pasta and mix well until the cheese melts. Thin the sauce with a bit of the cooking liquid if it is too thick.

Angie's Crock Pot Country Ribs

Angie is a good friend of mine - we met under somewhat unusual circumstances, but bonded over our mutual love of cooking and distaste for newbie wedding planners. Angie's blog can be found at right - Adventures in Home Cooking. I took her country ribs recipe and adapted it based on her comments and our penchant for all things spicy.

Crock Pot Country Ribs

3-4 lbs. of country style ribs
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. BBQ sauce (we LOVE Robinson's hot recipe)
1/2 c. beef broth
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. dry mustard
1 tbsp. Penzey's black and red pepper blend (or 1/2 tbsp. each black and cayenne peppers)

Whisk all ingredients together (except ribs) in the bottom of a crock pot. Add ribs and immerse so that they are covered with the liquid. Cook on high for 4 hours or so, or on low for 6 hours. You can definitely cook them for longer, but they do start to fall apart.

Angie's recipe calls for serving the ribs with the pan juices; however, we found the resulting juice to be far too greasy for our tastes. I fished the rib meat out of the crock pot and put it into a saucepan and ladled just a bit of the pan juices over the meat to keep it moist. I served the rib meat with additional BBQ sauce at the table. Yummmmmmm.

This went fabulously with the Yukon Gold and Sweet Potato Gratin below and a green salad.

Ziti with Chicken, Cherry Tomatoes, Arugula Pesto and Feta

If you make the pesto and chicken ahead of time, you have dinner during the week in no time at all! This is good with the shredded meat from one large breast of Brined, Roasted Chicken .

The pesto is a slight twist on the classic basil pesto. Too many times I will buy a large tub of arugula, only to end up working late, ordering in, meeting friends for dinner, etc. This is a great way to use up arugula that is gasping for its last breath!

For the pesto (this makes about 1 c. pesto, you'll have leftovers):
1 container baby arugula (about 5 cups)
1/2 c. pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c. parmesan cheese or more to taste
Olive oil, about 3/4 c.

Pulse arugula, pine nuts, cheese and garlic in a food processor. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Reserve about 1/2 c. pesto for this recipe and refrigerate or freeze the rest. Pesto freezes EXTREMELY well.

Ziti with Chicken, Cherry Tomatoes, Arugula Pesto and Feta
(makes enough for 2 hungry people plus a lunch the next day)
2 c. shredded, cooked chicken (the meat from one large bone-in chicken breast)
1 c. cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 c. arugula pesto
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. feta cheese
1/2 ziti, penne or other short pasta

Boil water for pasta. Add pasta and cook per package directions. Drain and reserve 1/2 c. pasta water.

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add shredded chicken and cook over medium heat until warmed, about 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and pesto and mix well.

Add pasta and stir well to coat with sauce. If necessary, use the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce to coat the pasta.

Sprinkle in the parmesan, crumble the feta and mix well. Enjoy!

Brined, Roasted Bone-In Chicken Breasts

My college friends will have their yearly Thanksgiving get-together next weekend, and due to people getting married, coupling up, etc. "Mangsgiving" has now reached a guest count of over 30. Last year, the hosts did a baked turkey and a deep fried turkey, and it wasn't quite enough.

So, this year I offered to do an extra turkey breast to supplement. I planned to brine the breast and cook it on the grill. However, I had never brined anything before, so I tested the process on some massive bone-in split chicken breasts. Brining locks in the moisture and keeps the meat tender and juicy. These are fabulous, either with a simple pan gravy or shredded for salads or pastas. Note that this is an overnight process, so start the day before you want to eat!

Brined and Roasted Bone-In Chicken Breasts
For the brine:
4 cups water + more to cover
1/4 c. kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, smashed
12 whole black peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp. honey

4 large bone-in, skin on split chicken breasts

Bring 4 c. water just to a boil.
Stir in salt until it dissolves. Stir in honey until it dissolves. Add the remaining spices and remove from heat. Allow to cool.

Place chicken breasts in a large, sturdy Ziploc bag. Pour the brine mixture in. Add enough water to cover the chicken completely and shift the bag to mix everything together.

Set the Ziploc bag in a shallow pot in case you buy the cheap brand like me and it leaks. Put the pot in the fridge for at least 12 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400. Remove chicken from bag, discard brine.
Pat chicken dry with a paper towel.
Season generously with pepper, just a little salt (or none).
Roast chicken for 45 minutes.

Allow to cool and shred for salads or pastas. OR make a quick pan sauce by placing the roasting pan over high heat, deglazing with a can of chicken broth, whisking to scrape up the brown bits, and stirring in a tablespoon of butter and a handful of chopped fresh herbs.

This deposition is making me HONGRY!

All of my cases seem to hit the same point in litigation at the same time. For a solid 8 months, all I did was serve and answer discovery requests. Now, thankfully that is over, and I've moved into the deposition phase. I had two deps last week, one today and I leave tomorrow for South Carolina for yet another. Later this month, it's off to Santa Barbara, L.A., Beantown and NYC for more depositional fun.

At any rate, all this question-asking and cross-examinationing really works up an appetite. I decided to try a hearty chicken parmesan recipe from Mario Batali. Normally, I am not a fan of anything that pairs chicken and cheese. However, this was really delicious, even if it took awhile. I skipped his sauce recipe and made my own Quick Chunky Veggie Pasta Sauce!

Chicken Parmesan
Serves 4 (we heart leftovers!)

4 chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
Italian-style breadcrumbs
Olive oil

1 recipe Chunky Veggie Pasta Sauce (see blog entry)

1/4 c. Parmesan, grated
1/4 c. Pecorino Romano, grated
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated (bonus points for fresh mozz, sliced)

Preheat oven to 350.

Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap
Pound to 1/3- 1/2 inch thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin (beat that meat!)
Season chicken breasts LIGHTLY with salt and pepper

Heat small amount of oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet
Dip each chicken breast in egg, then coat in breadcrumbs
Cook 2 chicken breasts in the oil for 2 minutes on each side
Repeat with the remaining two breasts
**NOTE** Chicken will NOT be cooked through. This is OK. I swear I wouldn't give you salmonella, at least not on purpose.

Spread 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of a glass 9x13 baking dish. If you're lazy, you could use jarred marinara, but this won't be as good.
Place chicken breasts on top of the sauce
Top with the remaining sauce
Top with the cheeses - mozz first, then pecorino/parm combo

Bake for 20 minutes, make a nice little green salad (pasta would be too much), open that vino, and prepare yourself for the cheesy goodness.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

I made these up last week when I got home late, we were both STARVING and I was trying to figure out how to use up a ton of veggies from the farmers' market that were on their last legs. They turned out VERY tasty. This recipe can be adapted to be entirely vegetarian by doubling the veggies and omitting the meat, or you can sub any diced veggies you like or need to use up.

Makes 3 stuffed peppers
3 green bell peppers, tops cut off, seeded and wrapped in foil
2 servings cooked brown rice (I use Minute Rice - 1 c. rice to 1 c. water)
1/2 lb. ground turkey breast
Pinch cumin
Pinch onion powder
Large pinch chili powder
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, very finely minced*
One big spoonful of the adobo sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese

* They sell tiny cans of chipotles in adobo sauce in nearly every supermarket near the Mexican/Hispanic foods. The smallest cans (about two inches high) contain about 4 peppers and 2 tbsp. sauce. Reserve the remaining two peppers and sauce and make my chipotle lime vinaigrette (recipe to follow).

Prep green peppers and cook rice. Put rice in a large bowl.

Spray skillet with Pam and brown ground turkey. When browned, add spices.
Add turkey to rice and mix.

Spray skillet again and saute veggies until just soft.
Add cooked veggies to the turkey and rice.

Drain tomatoes and simmer with the minced chipotles and adobo sauce for 5-10 minutes.
Pour tomato sauce over rice mixture.
Add a small handful of cheese to the rice mixture and mix well.

Stuff into green peppers.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.
Top each pepper with a bit of cheese and bake for 5 minutes longer.