Barbecued Pork Tenderloin, Ayuh!
29 Jun 2011 4 Comments
in Pork Tags: Barbecued Pork, Spicy rub with coffee
Ahhhh, vacation begins! We arrived at Little Tunk Lake in Sullivan, Maine yesterday, immediately tripling the population here (hardy har har). Mark and his sisters used to vacation here as kids, but this is the first time they’ve been back in about 30 years. It is still very much like they remember, save for the newly built cabins and much-appreciated plumbing and WiFi. The lake is warm enough, and the stream that feeds it is still ice-cold. It is remote and beautiful and the most jarring sound you’ll hear is the loons out on the lake. The kids run wild, exploring the dirt roads, racing sticks in the streams, and kayaking on the water. It is quite peaceful. It’s great to be almost unplugged. There is no cell phone coverage here, but a great wireless connection, allowing us city slickers to ease ourselves away from civilization without having to go cold turkey.
We are staying in two beautiful log cabins…
with great views…
and some wacky uber-Maine accents that make me laugh, like this moose (with a dedicated spotlight, no less)…
and a stuffed version of the rare and oft-unseen Northern Jackelope…
Each family provides dinner for the whole crew for one night. Coming up with something that pleases everyone can be challenging, so I knew whatever we chose, it would have to be sure-fire. Barbecued Pork Tenderloin! We found this recipe in a years-old Cooking Light magazine that was hanging around. Flipping through it, I automatically dismissed the recipe with hardly a thought, put off by the long list of ingredients (more than 5) and two-step preparation method. What a wuss, huh? It’s a good thing that Mark came across the same recipe later. He left it open on the kitchen counter and said, with some excitement, ”Jules, we should make this.” It’s a good thing he is more ambitious than me, or we would never have known of this delicious and really-not-complicated way to make pork tenderloin.
So, here you have it. Dunk it, rub it, grill it — eat it!
Barbecued Pork Tenderloin
from Cooking Light
Serves 6-8
2 one-pound pork tenderloins, trimmed
Marinade
1/2 c. strong brewed coffee
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. spicy brown mustard
1 T. dark molasses
Dry Rub
1/4 c. finely ground coffee (we use instant coffee)
2 T. sugar
2 T. paprika
1 T. coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 t. sea or kosher salt
Basting and Finishing Sauce
1/4 c. barbecue sauce
1 T. cider vinegar
1) Add marinade and pork to a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 2 to 12 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove pork from bag, discarding marinade.
2) Prepare grill by heating one side to high heat, the other side to medium heat.
3) While grill is heating, rub the dry rub mixture all over both tenderloins. Let stand for 15 minutes.
4) Place pork on the grill rack coated with cooking spray over high heat; grill 3 minutes, turning pork on all sides. Move pork over to medium heat; grill 15 minutes, turning pork occasionally. Baste with 3 T. of the barbecue sauce mixture, then grill 5 minutes more, or until thermometer reads 160 degrees (slightly pink).
5) Place pork on a platter; brush with reserved 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce mixture. Cover with foil and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Photo by Becky Luigart-Stayner
The Best Pizza Comes From Your Own Kitchen
27 Jun 2011 5 Comments
While many nutrition hobbyists have relegated pizza to junk food jail, most know it can be a quick and healthy meal when done with good sense. Whole grain crust, lower fat cheeses, vegetables, and lean meats make for a balanced plate. There are endless flavor combinations, so it is easy to accommodate different tastes, even on the same pizza. We have done pesto/chicken/Vidalia onion, pineapple and ham, bacon and mushroom, and BBQ sauce/chicken/cheddar. We always serve it along with a plate of raw veggies and dip.
Several years ago, I remember avoiding homemade pizza attempts for good reason. There was the mess, sure, but also the strong potential that I would end up like this poor guy…
But, after receiving a pizza stone as a wedding gift, I discovered that the little bit of mess and fuss is absolutely worth it for the taste of hot pizza right out of the oven. The kids love to help make it, and they are crazy about the results. They even brag to their friends about how their mom’s pizza is the best. It’s embarrassing, really, because I am telling you it has nothing to do with the ingredients: it is simply in the way it is cooked.
What’s the trick? A super-hot oven. I used to cook on the pizza stone at 350-400 degrees and it would take about 20 minutes. It was good, don’t get me wrong. Then, we read an article in the The Boston Globe that recommended cranking the oven to its hottest temperature (500-550 degrees). Once it’s preheated, you slide the pizza onto the stone, and it takes just 6-8 minutes to get hot and bubbly with a beautiful crust. One try, and we were convinced!
You don’t absolutely need a pizza stone in order to get a similar result. Check out this The Smitten Kitchen post, about the many ways to get great pizza at home without all the bells and whistles. But, if you happen to have a stone tucked away in a cabinet, give it a try. I love using the stone and here’s why – it never needs to be cleaned, you can store it in the oven when you’re not using it, and, as I discovered this week, the stone works even after it has spontaneously cracked in half.
Ingredients? The dough is store-bought. Yes, you heard me– I just can’t see the point in making my own when, for a couple of bucks, I can get it fresh from Bertucci’s or even Market Basket and know it’s going to be good. And, it allows you to get to the fun part much more quickly — rolling it out! Georgia loves this part…
And, of course, the dough tossing is fun too (we usually sing a little bit of Figaro or something equally Italian while doing so). Check out this guy’s technique… shoulders relaxed, eye on the dough…
It is helpful to have a wooden paddle, known as a pizza peel, for transferring the dough to the oven. (But, again, check out the above link for an alternate method, where she recommends using parchment paper and the back of a cookie sheet.) It takes a little bit of practice to get the technique of sliding the pizza onto the stone. The trick is to cover the peel (or whatever you’re using) with a light layer of corn meal before laying the prepared dough down. The cornmeal acts like thousands of little wheels, allowing the pizza to slide off with just a little flick of the wrist. I’m not saying I got it completely right early on– the first couple of attempts at pizza ended up as calzones 
.
OK, so now you’ve got the basics down — the equipment, the technique — and you’ve stocked up on cornmeal and vacuum bags (haha). What are you waiting for? Get your toppings ready!
Sauce/base
BBQ sauce
Taco sauce
Salsa
Pesto
Pizza sauce (or even spaghetti sauce)
Or this link for 29 “alternative” sauces
Cheeses
Part-skim mozzarella
Reduced-fat cheddar
Gorgonzola, bleu cheese
Part-skim ricotta
Meat Toppings
Roasted chicken
Bacon
Ham
Pepperoni
Meatballs
Veggie/Bean Toppings
Roasted red peppers
Sautéed Vidalia onions
Fresh mushrooms
Scallions
Black beans
Spinach
Broccoli
If, like me, you prefer someone else to do your thinking for you, here’s how I’d recommend you proceed with pizza-making, step-by-step:
1) Preheat oven to 500 degrees, being sure to place a rack and pizza stone in the vertical center of the oven.
2) Prepare your toppings and set them aside so that they are ready to go as soon as you need them.
3) Prepare the room-temperature dough by turning it out onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten it with a few smacks of the palm of your hand, then roll it out to about 1/4″ thick. Then, lay it across your two fists, slow stretching the dough out until it is the size you’d like. Try tossing it in the air a bit — it’s fun!
4) Lay the dough on a prepared peel or similar surface that has been coated with cornmeal as below
5) Pinch up the sides of the dough it you wish, for a definitive crust.
6) Add your sauce and toppings.
7) Slide dough into the oven and cook until the crust is slightly golden underneath (about 6-8 minutes).
8)Remove using the peel (now free of cornmeal) or by using a spatula or two to transfer it to a cooling rack.
9) Let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!
Chicken Stew with Dumplings
24 Jun 2011 5 Comments
in Chicken, Crock Pot, One-dish meal Tags: Chicken stew, dumplings, sweet potato
I searched for a long time for a stew recipe that featured my favorite fowl. I wanted something creamy, herbalicious, and filling – essentially the chicken version of my favorite beef stew recipe. But, all I found were recipes that relied heavily on Campbell’s soups as the base (everything starts to taste the same after a while) or included tomatoes (which my kids prefer to eat in disguise, as in spaghetti sauce). It was tougher than I thought to find what I wanted!
Finally, I came across a promising recipe somewhere on the Web. Thanks to my spectacular filing techniques, the original printout is lost, so I apologize that I can not give proper credit here. I have since adapted it, and successfully tested it on my family for approval (eight thumbs up).
If you need a second reference, this is also a hit at a friend’s house. She came by one day to pick up her boys as this was simmering in the crockpot. As she entered the house, she said, “What is that incredible smell?” I sent her the recipe and she has made it at least twice. She was even kind enough to photograph it for me. I gotta get me some cool bowls like that!
I’d say this recipe is a good bet for even your pickiest eater. My own quirky and stubborn five-year-old, a girl who hasn’t willingly eaten a cooked vegetable in three years, ate the peas, carrots AND sweet potato last night completely on her own – no cajoling or pleading necessary. Maybe it has nothing to do with this recipe, perhaps we slipped into some alternate reality, but whatever it was I was pretty psyched and am taking all the credit. Just try to stop me
The dumplings make it special, but you can eaily skip that part and save yourself from waiting the 45 minutes they take to cook. Just serve with crusty bread to sop up the leftovers in the bowl.
Chicken Stew with Dumplings
Serves 6
4 c chicken broth
2 c. sliced carrots
1 c. chopped onion
1 lg green pepper, chopped
1/2 c. sliced celery
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-in pieces
1 lg sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 c. frozen peas
1 tsp dried basil
¾ tsp dried rosemary (or sage)
¼ tsp dried tarragon (or thyme)
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2/3 c. flour and 1 c. chicken broth – whisked together
¼ c. whipping cream or half-n-half
1) In crockpot, put first 13 ingredients (chicken broth through black pepper) Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
2) Add flour mixture, stir and cook 30 minutes more.
3) Add whipping cream, stir and cover until heated through again (about 10 minutes)
4) While you wait, mix together dumpling dough:
Combine 1 c. flour, 2 t. baking powder, and 1/2 t. salt;
Separately, combine 1 beaten egg, 2 T. oil, and 1/4 c. lowfat milk
Mix wet ingredients into dry, stirring with a fork must until moistened
5) Drop dough by large spoonfuls onto hot stew (about 6 dumplings). COVER for another 45 minutes. Dumpling are done when toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Father’s Day Fun & Blueberry Muffins
22 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in Muffins Tags: blueberry muffins, Red Sox, Stanley Cup, volleyball
God was certainly smiling down for Father’s Day. Endless sunshine all weekend allowed for some of Mark’s favorite pastimes. Saturday we set off to play in our first volleyball tournament of the summer. That’s when Mark gets to play with his favorite partner — me . We packed up a healthy cooler and the kids and headed into South Boston.
It was a great day, and we were relieved to find out our bodies hadn’t completely forgotten how to move on the court. We lost in the semi-finals to the eventual winners — not bad at our advanced ages!!
We were happy with our play and the kids were happy with the little bit of cash prize we won — that means dinner out!
Friendly’s it is! It’s not gourmet, but the kids love it and we are all crazy about ice cream so it works for everybody. And, it was free sundaes for all dads, totally cool. But even better? Mark won a $100 Visa gift card just for being a dad. Now that’s Friendly
Sunday it was time for more Father’s Day fun. We were up and at ‘em early, to make the blueberry muffins Mark requested for breakfast. As you can see by the dog-eared and stained pages of my cookbook, I have made these oodles of times:
These muffins are the old-fashioned kind — no preservatives or fancy toppings. Eat them right out of the oven, ’cause they won’t last long!
Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
Makes 12 muffins
1 -3/4 c. flour (I use half whole wheat, half white)
1/4 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 c. nonfat milk
1/3 c. cooking oil
3/4 c. blueberries
1 T. sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line or grease standard muffin tin.
1) Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Make a well in the center.
2) Combine egg, milk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.
3) Stir just until moistened — batter should be lumpy
4) Stir in 3/4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries mixed with 1 T. sugar
5) Fill greased or lined muffin tins about 2/3 full.
6) Bake for 20-22 minutes (they should be lightly brown on the edges)
7) Remove from pan and serve warm.
Next, Mark and Casey were off to Fenway Park. The Red Sox bats were hot, scoring 13 runs, and the world-champion Boston Bruins made an appearance as well, showing off their Stanley Cup. It was a great time!
Finally, Father’s Day wrapped up at home with some of Mark’s favorite foods — grilled beef tenderloin and corn on the cob, followed by those world-famous Congo Bars.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well! Summer is officially here
Eggs Three Ways
17 Jun 2011 1 Comment
Simple, quick and versatile, eggs are a great option at any meal. As far as protein sources go, they are inexpensive as well as lowfat, as long as you limit the yolks (for my family of five, I scramble up 4 whole eggs with 2-3 whites). You can poach, scramble or fry ‘em; stack, fold, or pile ‘em. And, they go great with just about anything you want to pair with them, from savory to sweet. Here’s three ways we love eggs in this house, most often at lunch or dinner.
Egg and Cheese Sandwich. Eggs and cheddar are one of my favorite combos. Pile ‘em on a whole wheat muffin with some spinach and tomato, and you’ve got yourself a complete meal in about 8 minutes. This is my go-to meal after a long workday. Looks delish, doesn’t it?
Egg & Cheese Sandwich
Egg, Mushroom and Onion Tostada. I had a package of corn tortillas hanging around the fridge, leftover from my Southwestern Chicken Soup. I simply heated the tortilla in a non-stick pan, laid down some baby spinach, then piled it with scrambled eggs, cheese, and sautéed onions and mushrooms. Shazam! I got the idea for tostadas from For the Love of Cooking. This blogger is both a cooking and photography buff, so her pictures are ridiculously gorgeous and mouth-watering. You should check her out!
Egg, Mushroom and Onion Tostada
Old-fashioned scrambled eggs. It is so easy to turn eggs into a wholesome healthy meal. Just look at that spread! High quality protein, vibrant fruit, whole grain muffins, and a little bit of bacon just to keep things interesting. Yum! This is the meal that saved me Wednesday night. Not bad for a last-minute decision, huh?
Old-fashioned Scrambled Eggs
What is your favorite quick-and-easy egg dish? Send me your recipes at jugglingwithjulia@gmail.com!
Penne with Turkey Sausage and Sun-dried Tomatoes
15 Jun 2011 3 Comments
in One-dish meal, Pasta, Turkey Tags: Lawrys marinade, penne, Sun-dried tomatoes, turkey sausage
Mondays are a lost day around here, thanks to long work days for both me and Mark. The house and its inhabitants are a mess by the evening, Operating in survival mode by 7:00 pm , we take care of only the absolute necessities. A quick supper and then it’s off to bed — often for all of us! It took some doing, but I’ve learned to turn a blind eye to the piles of dirty dishes, the junk counter that spilleth over, and the strange smell coming from the laundry room. There is only so much you can do with 24 hours, and I draw the line at trading sleep for clean counters.
It would be natural, then, for Tuesdays to be my time to clean up and catch up, right? I’ve got three solid hours to myself thanks to preschool. The truth is, though, on Tuesdays mornings all I can think about is getting in a good, sweaty workout. Sure, maybe I’m a little bit torn between working out and the desire (perhaps that is too strong of a word) to tackle the many household tasks in front of me. But just a little. Getting in that workout almost always wins out.
Today was no different, except that it was different. I did both!
Life has been nuts for the past six weeks , and I am determined to reclaim it with some order, for Pete’s sake! So I made a list (always a sign I’m ready to kick some organizational butt), and I moved like a cyclone to get it all done INCLUDING the workout and a plan for dinner as well as a bit of cleaning and several much-needed errands.
A plan. That’s the key and that is where all this is leading…if I don’t have a plan for dinner, it doesn’t matter how many hundreds of dollars worth of food there is in the house. 4:00 rolls around and I start panicking a little. Having a plan for dinner is good, even if at 8:00 am I can’t even imagine what I might like to eat at 6:00 that night. Deciding what I was making for dinner allowed me to plow through everything else and even take some time to relax without that annoying voice in my head saying, “Yeah, do you even know what you’re making tonight?”
This recipe came from my pal, Michelle, who I think came up with it on a whim. I’ve made it three times, including once with chicken instead of sausage, and we all love it. The kids, with their sensitive palates, do say it’s a bit on the spicy side, but that’s cool. It just encourage them to drink more milk! So, if that voice in your head won’t leave you alone, shut it up with this recipe so you can concentrate on other more important things — like how you’re going to watch both the Bruins game AND So You Think You Can Dance tonight.
Pasta with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Penne with Turkey Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Serves 4-6
Penne with Turkey Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 lb. sweet Italian turkey sausage
8 oz. whole wheat penne (like Ronzoni Healthy Harvest)
1 med. green pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 large Vidalia onion, cut into chunks
2 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
6 oz. Lawry’s Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato marinade
Spray oil for pan
1) Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
2) Coat a large skillet with spray oil and heat over medium heat. Cook sausages until they are browned all over. Remove to a cutting board, cut lengthwise and then into chunks, and return them to skillet.
3) Add tomatoes, peppers and onions to skillet at this time. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked through and vegetables begin to soften.
4) Add cooked penne and marinade to skillet, stir to combine, and cook for 2 more minutes so that all are heated through.
5) Serve with a green salad and crusty bread for a filling meal.
Two-Bean Salad with Roasted Potatoes and Bacon
13 Jun 2011 4 Comments
in Potato, salad, Uncategorized Tags: bacon, Potato salad, roasted potatoes, turkey burgers
One of the best things about being a food blogger is that friends keep sending me great recipes to try. This weekend, thanks to Jen, I tried out this Martha Stewart recipe. Ironically, Jen appeared to be unaware of my love affair with meat candy (a.k.a. bacon), almost apologizing for the “unhealthy” ingredient. I chuckled at that, then showed her my bacon tattoo
Two-Bean Salad with Roasted Potatoes and Bacon. I couldn’t wait to try it. Fresh beans, roasted potatoes, AND bacon? That’s all the makings for a new Robarts family favorite! Two of my kids are absolutely nuts over raw beans, and gobbled up half of them before I even got started.
See?
“How did you get your kids to love beans?” you ask. Who really knows for sure, but I think it is because their earliest taste experiences with beans were straight out of my mother-in-law’s vegetable garden. There is nothing that beats the crunch and flavor of her vegetables. Whether it’s the abundant ocean air, the fertile Maine soil, or her patient gardening ways, you just can’t find that same flavor at Market Basket. Don’t even get me started on the delight of her home-grown pickles…
Anyhow, I made it almost exactly as Martha described, because, honestly, would YOU edit Martha Stewart, the most gifted Home Economics professor ever? I did love the combination of ingredients, and the flavor was good, but I think a couple of tweaks would make it really great. It needs more vinegar in the finish, especially if you are going to eliminate the capers as I did (we forgot to buy them at the store as we were concentrating quite hard on forgetting other critical items). Surprisingly, it needs a bit of salt, despite the use of bacon fat in the roasting. Finally, to cut down on prep time, and to decrease the likelihood that you’ll look like a monkey using silverware for the first time while eating it, I recommend cutting the potatoes into chunks rather than the potato-chip like slices Professor Stewart recommends. It just wasn’t fork-friendly.
The plan was to serve this with baked haddock. We discovered at T minus 15, however, that the fish had never made it home. Evidently, we put our order in with the fish guy at the market, but neither of us stuck around to pick up the package. Oops! That what happens when your goal is to get out of the supermarket as fast as possible. So, we served this up with seasoned turkey burgers instead. (1.3 # package of 93% lean ground turkey, sage, rosemary, scallions, salt and pepper; grilled in non-stick skillet a few minutes each side,then simmered with a little chicken broth to keep them moist).
A very filling meal!
This is the link to the original Martha Stewart recipe, for your reference.
Two-Bean Salad with Roasted Potatoes and Bacon
adapted from Martha Stewart.com
Serves 4-6
4 slices bacon
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
6 oz wax beans, trimmed and halved
6 oz green beans, trimmed and halved
1 t. olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 T. red-wine vinegar
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds.
2) Cook bacon in skillet until crisp, then remove to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon. Reserve drippings.
3) In a medium bowl, toss potatoes with bacon drippings (2-3 T.), and season with pepper and a small amount of salt.
4) Spread potatoes evenly on two cookie sheets. Roast until potatoes are browned on bottom, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
5) While potatoes are cooking, toss beans with olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste
6) Remove potatoes from oven and stir well. Add bean mixture to pans, and return to oven for another 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.
7) Transfer potato mixture to a large bowl. Toss with scallions, vinegar, and crumbled bacon.
8) Serve warm or at room temperature.
Shirl’s Swiss Chicken Saves the Day!
10 Jun 2011 4 Comments
in Chicken
- Swiss chicken & roasted broccoli
Finding the motivation to cook dinner on hot, sunny days is tough. In my new reality, finding the motivation when you’ve got a beautiful pool in the backyard is damn near impossible.
Life’s tough, ain’t it? I can just hear ya’ll right now: “Quit yer bitchin! You got a pool!” I know, I know, and believe me, I am grateful this is all I have to complain about. I am also grateful to have a friend like Shirl, my longtime volleyball teammate and doubles partner, with whom I seem to share a brain (the poor girl). Despite the 60 miles between us, she sensed my need and out-of-the-blue sent along a great recipe — and thus motivation to cook! Shirl saved the day
Me & Shirl
Let’s get right to it. Shirl’s Swiss Chicken was great. I fiddled with the original recipe a bit, unsure whether I would like it topped with the stuffing mix that was called for. So, I did half the pan with the stuffing mix/melted butter and the other half with panko breadcrumbs mixed with chicken broth. They both worked well, but hands down the panko breadcrumbs were the favorite.
First layer -- sauce
Second layer -- breadcrumbs
I also made, for the first time, roasted broccoli! This was also yummy, and logistically it worked out great as I just added it to the oven in the last 15 minutes, when it was time to remove the foil from the chicken.
A note about preparing chicken breasts: there are a few ways you can do this. You can buy chicken cutlets and not have to do a thing to them ‘cept throw them in the pan. Or, you can buy boneless/skinless chicken breasts and use them as is (might have to cook them a bit longer). Or, you can take those boneless/skinless breasts, trim the rib meat off, and pound them to about 1/4″ thickness with whatever you have handy.
Most people use a meat tenderizer or kitchen mallet to pound chicken. That’s for sissies. I use a 10-pound dumbbell.
Real women pound chicken with dumbbells
I get a nice flat chicken breast AND some great bicep definition. Fitness while you flatten stuff! Now that’s Juggling with Julia, folks.
Shirl’s Swiss Chicken
adapted from recipe by Cheryl Van Allen
Serves 4
1.5 lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts
4-6 slices reduced fat Swiss cheese (like Finlandia Lacey Swiss)
1-10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup (I used Campbell’s Healthy Request)
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 c. panko bread crumbs
4 T. chicken broth
1 package baby spinach (optional)
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray bottom of 9×13 baking pan with pan spray.
2) Lay prepared chicken breasts evenly in bottom of pan. (If using spinach, spread it in pan first).
3) Lay the slices of cheese across the tops of the chicken so all pieces are covered.
4) Whisk together the soup and white wine. Pour evenly over chicken/ cheese.
5) Mix panko crumbs with chicken broth until evenly moistened. Spread evenly over the top.
6) Cover pan with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 10-15 minutes more. Chicken should reach an internal temp of 165 and/or no longer be pink in the middle.
Roasted Broccoli
Serves 4
1) Rinse 3 cups of broccoli florets. Cut largest ones in half so that they all cook fairly evenly.
2) Toss with about 1 1/2 T. olive oil and 1 T. parmesan cheese
3) Place in small roasting pan (I used a metal pie plate) and cook in oven for 15 minutes. Broccoli will be crunchy-tender.
Jen’s Guacamole with Feta
08 Jun 2011 5 Comments
in Dips Tags: avocado, feta, guacamole, simple recipe
Guacamole with Feta
There has been a string of beautiful weather over the past couple of weeks, and with it a seemingly endless number of celebrations. We’ve had the annual Memorial Day cookout, the end-of-a-tough-soccer-season pool party, and the we-got-knocked out-of-the-baseball-playoffs gathering. Never wanting to go empty-handed, I often bring along chips and salsa. Always a crowd pleaser, sure, but let’s admit it — BORING.
What to do? Recently I whipped up a batch of my sister’s incredible guacamole recipe. I can’t remember where she got it from, but she started bringing it to family events a few years ago and it gets rave reviews. Purists, beware! This is not your everyday guacamole recipe, but it is devilishly delicious!! And with only four ingredients, it couldn’t be any simpler.
If you gave up on avocados long ago ’cause they’re just too dang awkward to cut and peel, please review this, a wonderful explanation on how to quickly and easily handle this ugly little fruit. Trust me, if you’ve bobbled an avocado crazily while attempting to seed it, or sent the golfball-like seed flying across the kitchen, or cursed madly while trying to pull it out with your fingers, check out the link. It will be 45 seconds well spent.
Ready to get started? Grab your potato masher and your chef’s knife and let’s get on with it!
Guacamole with Feta
Serves a bunch
3 ripe avocados
1/2 med. purple onion, chopped
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved (or 2-3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped)
1/2 c. feta cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
1) In a medium bowl, mash the pulp of the three avocados with a potato masher.
2) Stir in the onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.
3) Add salt and pepper to taste
4) Serve immediately with whole grain crackers or tortilla chips
Yes, it really is that easy. You are WELCOME
Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
04 Jun 2011 4 Comments
in Chicken, Crock Pot Tags: BBQ, crock pot, pulled chicken
- Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich
I would love to bear-hug whoever it is that invented the crock pot. Anybody know? Hold on a second, I will Google it…
OK, I’m back. Sigh. It was just some white collar R&D guy named Robert Scott who worked for Rival Corporation circa 1970. I was hoping to find an interesting story here. You know, a harried housewife sick of being chained to her kitchen morning, noon, and night invents a life-changing cooking device, goes on to defy 1970′s gender stereotypes by becoming CEO of a little-known company which she eventually sells to Big Appliance, allowing her to retire in gazillionaire comfort, never having to step foot in a kitchen again.
Not this time, I guess, but sounds like a good made-for-TV movie, doesn’t it?
So, here I was on Friday afternoon with nary an idea in my head as to what to make for dinner on what would be another busy night of baseball and soccer. I hadn’t cooked for the family in a week. We were still living off Memorial Day cookout leftovers, sandwiches, and frozen pancakes. Balanced meals? Sure. Variety? Minimal. Fresh? More questionable by the day. It was time for me to buck up and figure something out. I took a look at my crockpot, and then the bags and bags of soft hamburger rolls left over, and realized I had all the makings for pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches.
Sweet and savory, and so easy it can hardly be called cooking. I threw it all in the crockpot (frozen chicken, even!) and walked away feeling accomplished, like I’d just solved the Rubik’s Cube. If your family likes BBQ, they should love this!
Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Serves 4
1 lb. boneless chicken tenders or chicken breasts
1 c. ketchup
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. cider vinegar
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. smoked paprika (regular paprika is fine, too)
1) Combine all ingredients except chicken in a small bowl, mix well.
2) Put chicken in crockpot. Cover with sauce, and stir to coat.
3) Cook, covered, on ‘high’ setting for 3-4 hours.
4) Shred chicken in the pot using two forks.
5) Serve on soft hamburger buns or in tortillas.
