JBug's Kitchen Antics

Roasted Tomato Soup

There's something incredibly satisfying about making a pot of soup from scratch and bypassing the canned soup section at your local grocery store. JBug's Kitchen has produced several versions of tomato soup during the past 3 years and they've had their similarities and their differences. 

The one thing they all have in common is roasted tomatoes. Roasting the tomatoes before they go into the soup really intensifies their flavor. Our first effort adapted from Idaho a la Carte required only 20 minutes of roasting time and included garlic, Italian herbs like basil, oregano and an extra flavor boost of tomato paste along with some red wine and chicken stock. The soup was finished with ricotta cheese and heavy cream along with a garnish of garlicky spinach pesto. It's awesome, rich in flavor, silky on the tongue and definitely a perfect red/green first course at a special Holiday dinner party. 

Our second version of roasted tomato soup was adapted from a recipe by the Neely's of Foodnetwork fame. The tomatoes roasted for an entire hour before they were pureed and joined by shallots sauteed in butter along with tomato paste, chicken stock and lots of cayenne pepper as well as dried basil and Italian seasoning.

Finished with a cup of cream, the result is a little more like the canned version we all know and love but with a bit of a kick to it's creamy smooth lusciousness. 

Last night's recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen (sans the broiled cheddar) and is relatively pure and very simple to make with limited ingredients. Garlic is roasted in a foil pouch along with halved tomatoes before they're all pulsed in a processor to a chunky puree. Combined with chicken stock, seasoned with thyme, salt, coarse ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, the simple ingredients are simmered for 30 minutes to reduce the liquid and intensify flavors.

It is simple wholesome goodness that requires perfectly ripe Roma (Plum) tomatoes to be successful so be sure to plan ahead so the 3 pounds you'll need have a chance to ripen on the counter before you make the soup.

Bet you're wondering what we thought about it aren't you? Big Guy enjoyed it very much and liked the chunky texture and spicy heat from the red pepper flakes. I, on the other hand, quite missed the creaminess so garnished our portions with a touch of mascarpone cheese and I even ended up going back for a smidge of sour cream because I might possibly have added a few too many pepper flakes to the mix. Uhh ya' it was spicy. 

All said, I'm not sure which version I prefer but I'll tell ya' one thing...every one of them's incredibly easy to make and well worth the effort so next time you're tempted to open a can of Campbell's think twice and try making your own soup. Believe me, you won't be disappointed. 

Roasted Tomato Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

3 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and black pepper

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

4 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange tomatoes cut side up on a sheet pan and season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with olive oil. Wrap unpeeled garlic cloves into foil and place on pan with tomatoes. Roast for 1 hour until tomatoes are brown.

Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Squeeze roasted garlic into a food processor and add tomatoes and their juices. Pulse to chop until chunky. Do not over-process.

Move to a medium sized pot and add thyme, red pepper flakes and chicken stock. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until soup is the texture you prefer. Ladle into bowls and garnish as you wish. Makes 4 servings. 

A year ago - Roquefort Stuffed Pork Chops with Braised Apples 

Two year's ago - Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

 

Ham and Cheese Quiche

The ham we cooked a few weeks ago is still making the rounds with eggs for breakfast, in sandwiches and even devilled as an appetizer. I love the fact that it freezes so well and recycles beautifully too. We never seem to get tired of it.

Now I don't know about you, but it's my opinion that leftover ham without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze, so I combined the former two while settin' myself up for the latter two in a ham and cheese pie also known as a quiche. Hey Big Guy won't eat quiche so I tell him it's a pie. 

I use the same basic custard recipe I've developed over the years and adjusted it to fit a partially baked 9 inch pie shell. It's just a combination of eggs, plain yogurt or sour cream, and half and half seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne, Dijon mustard and a touch of nutmeg. Poured on top of a little finely minced onion, tiny cubes of ham and cubes of cheese - Emmanthal and Gruyere this time, the result is a light, cheesy creamy addictive excuse for dinner.

I know I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating - cube up the cheese rather than grating it and you'll end up with a much lighter textured pie because the custard surrounds the cheese cubes and as it cooks, the melted cheese ends up dispersed throughout the pie instead of in one gluey globby layer. 

Along with a nice bright and cheerful spinach salad loaded with gorgonzola, toasted almonds, scallions and dried cranberries, it was a totally satisfying light dinner that could be just as fabulous on the menu for brunch or lunch. 

Ham and Swiss Quiche an original from JBug’s Kitchen

Pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

1/4 cup finely minced onion

1 cup ham cut into quarter inch cubes

6 ounces cheese cut into quarter inch cubes (I used a combination of Emmanthal & Gruyere)

4 eggs

1 cup half and half

2/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange pastry in a 9 pie dish, flute edges and prick all over bottom of pie shell with a fork. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375.

Whisk together eggs, half and half, yogurt (or sour cream), salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and Dijon mustard until well combined.

Arrange ham cubes in bottom of cooled crust. Top with onion and cheese cubes, spreading out evenly. Pour custard over top and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and dust with freshly grated nutmeg. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

A year ago - Irish Potato Cakes (Boxty)

Two year's ago -  BBQ Brisket

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Dijon Marmalade Glazed Baked Ham and Potato Apple Gratin

Ham and Bean Soup

Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce

We have Rachael Ray to thank for these little beauties and not only are they absolutely delicious, there's no doubt your dinner will be ready in 30 minutes, including prep time. I can vouch for that!

Homey, spicy, incredibly moist, far from boring and delicious ...did I use enough adjectives???...the bonus other than the fact you can hide a bunch of veggies in the meat, is that all the chopping's done in the food processor. My only glitch in their construction was one of my own making - who knew one needs to check the seals on everything before taking it home from the store. I went to use a brand spanking new bottle of barbecue sauce only to find that some moron had already opened it and removed the seal, obviously to taste test it so I had to garbage the whole bottle. I suppose it serves me right for buying off the front of the shelf, but don't people realize what they're doing is stealing. Sheesh! Anyway, enough of my rant because I doubt very much you want to hear it. I ended up whipping up a cup of my own BBQ sauce using ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, hot sauce and red pepper flakes.

Carrots, parsnip and iddy biddy potatoes shared the same 450 oven allbeit nestled into a nice hot cast iron pan and roasted and got all caramelized in exactly the same amount of time it took to cook the meatloaf muffins (20 minutes). Steamed brussels sprouts took 7 minutes - though I could have roasted them too. A colorful heirloom tomato salad dressed with balsamic, olive oil and sea salt finished the deal and dinner was done. 

Not bad for an amateur, eh? Hit the link and head on over to Food Network for Rachael's meatloaf muffin recipe.  It makes a dozen of the little beauties and boy do I have plans for the leftovers. You'll see!

A year ago - Bacon and Potato Mushroom Soup

Two year's ago - Turkey Mushroom Bread Pudding

Grilled Lemon Chicken Pasta

Last night's dinner was inspired by two recipes, one for lemon chicken from Taste of the Territory a Service League cookbook from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and the second for lemon pasta from The Best of the Best, Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks. Hey, with two great sources like that failure's not likely to be an option.

Our Meyer's lemons (at least that's what they started out to be but they've morphed into a cross between Meyer's and Eureka's) are coming on strong right now and a ton of them are ready for picking which means any recipe with lemon in it is fair game. I made good use of 4 of them in this tasty lemon loaded dish.

The chicken's marinated in a mixture of vinegar, Dijon, black pepper, sliced whole lemons and olive oil for a minimum 6 hours before it hits the grill, resulting in tender moist morsels of lemon flavored bird. I had half a mind to grill the lemon slices too, but was afraid to because of the fear of contamination so I discarded the zip bag of marinade instead. 

As for the pasta, you could use almost anything; in fact, the recipe calls for fettucine, but I used Barilla's Campanelle because of their unique trumpet like shape (Big Guy picked 'em out). Anyway, the boiled pasta's combined with sauteed onion and garlic, then tossed in the zest and juice of a whole lemon, followed by half and half and grated Parmesan. The key to this one is to make sure the pasta's absorbed the lemon juice before the cream hits the pot otherwise you'll end up with a curdled mess. As you'll notice I didn't do that, so in order to disguise the curdled look I threw in a handful of fresh mozzarella. Oh I forgot to mention I added a little dried tarragon along with some fresh from our herb garden too, but it's been planted quite recently and I didn't want to steal too much of it. 

Once I got over lamenting the fact that I'd curdled the darned sauce, I realized we really liked this dish. Of course by then Big Guy was giving me the "look" because he was well into his bowl of lemony goodness and steering towards his salad - all without uttering one word. I guess sometimes it's a good sign when the dinner conversation's a trifle limited, huh?

Incidentally, if snow, rain, wind and/or some other excuse like maybe flying insects or a shortage of propane are keeping you from your grill, you can certainly cook the chicken in a saute pan or shove it under the broiler. Just sayin'. 

Grilled Lemon Chicken Pasta (from JBug’s Kitchen, inspired by Taste of the Territory, Flair and Flavor of Oklahoma and Best of the Best, Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks)

Chicken:

1.25 pounds chicken tenders

2 tablespoons white or tarragon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 whole lemons, sliced (seeds removed)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Combine ingredients in a zip bag, seal and massage to distribute ingredients evenly in chicken. Place into a container to catch drips, if any, and refrigerate for 6 hours (or longer if you can). To cook, remove chicken from zip bag and discard marinade. Heat grill to medium hot, and cook chicken approximately 7 to 9 minutes, turning often. Remove from grill when cooked through and allow to rest to distribute juices. Slice each tender into thirds. Set aside (keep warm or reheat in microwave when needed).

Pasta:

8 ounces pasta of your choice

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 lemon, juice and grated rind

1 cup half and half or heavy cream

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella (optional)

1 lemon, cut into wedges (seeds removed)

Fresh tarragon for garnish

Cook pasta per package directions. Drain well. Meanwhile in a large sauté pan heat butter and olive oil until butter has melted. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until onion is softened. Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta and lemon zest and juice. Toss pasta until lemon juice is absorbed, then add cream. Toss pasta to coat well and allow to absorb cream. Add pine nuts, parmesan cheese and mozzarella if using. Toss in warmed chicken pieces. Garnish with additional grated parmesan, lemon wedges and fresh tarragon. Serves 4.  

A year ago - Turkey and Stuffing Hand Pies

Two year's ago - Pumpkin Charlotte with Bourbon

Panko Crusted Thin Cut Pork Chops with Gratineed Mustard Creamed Onions

You know those little thin cut bone in pork chops that people have no idea what to do with other than slap 'em on a breakfast plate? Well, here's the thing. They're perfect for busy people because they take mere minutes to cook and quite honestly, last night's version was darn near perfection. OK - it was perfection.

Adapted from a post on the blog "The Hungry Mouse", unfortunately Jessie neglected to name her source so I've no idea, but I will say we've done a take on this method before using egg and Dijon mustard with panko to create a fabulous crust on chicken paillards or even Japanese style pork katsu made simply with an egg wash and panko.

This time there's buttermilk, garlic powder and dried parsley in the wash, although I used Herbs de Provence instead. I also couldn't pass up the opporutnity to add a heaping tablespoon of Dijon to the mix for additional flavor. I marinated the chops in the mixture for approximately half an hour in the refrigerator before coating them with panko. They sat for 15 minutes so the coating had a chance to set before they hit a hot cast iron pan.

Fried in a small amount of oil for a scant 4 minutes total, they're golden brown, crisp , incredibly tender and particularly delicious topped with a drizzle of homemade sweet mustard.

To top off our plates, I served the leftovers from our Thanksgiving side dish of Gratineed Mustard Creamed Onions. From Gourmet via epicurious.com, this recipe really is the ultimate, although I'll admit I used Trader Joe's frozen pearl onions instead of going through the agony of peeling a bunch of 'em myself. I also cut the onion quantity in half (used just 1 package), but made the whole recipe of the sauce because we're kinda' saucy people if you know what I mean.

While we enjoyed them on Thanksgiving, they tasted a whole let better last night because I put them back into a buttered casserole dish, shaved big pieces of parmesan on top and baked 'em in a 400 oven for 30 minutes to reheat and get all browned on top. As you can see, it was mighty successful.

Panko Crusted Thin Cut Pork Chops (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from thehungrymouse.com)

6 to 8 thin cut pork chops, bone

2 eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 cup Panko crumbs or more if required

Vegetable oil

Beat eggs with buttermilk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, Herbs de Province, and mustard until well combined. Place pork chops into a zip bag and pour in the egg wash. Allow to sit in refrigerator for a minimum half hour before continuing.

Remove chops from zip bag leaving as much liquid on them as possible. Coat chops on both sides with panko crumbs, patting down so crumbs adhere. Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan and allow to sit for 15 minutes to set coating before continuing.

Place enough oil into a heavy skillet to just cover the bottom and heat over medium high until shimmering. Fry pork chops on both sides for 2 minutes a side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Serves 4. 

 

Gratineed Mustard Creamed Onions (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Gourmet via epicurious.com)

1 pound frozen pearl onions, defrosted & drained of any liquid

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

1-1/2 cups milk

3 tablespoons cream Sherry (I used Harvey’s Bristol Cream)

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Salt & pepper as required

1/2 cup grated or shaved parmesan cheese

Spray a shallow casserole or gratin dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400. In a small pot melt butter and when hot whisk in flour. Cook whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Heat milk in microwave until hot but not boiling. Whisk into flour mixture and cook, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Add pearl onions, sherry, mustards and nutmeg. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required. Return mixture to a boil, and then transfer to prepared gratin dish. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 30 to 40 minutes or until onions are cooked through and top is golden brown and bubbling. Serves 4 to 6.

 A year ago - Double Chocolate Zucchini Spice Muffins

 

Turkey Croquettes on Greens with Cranberry Vinaigrette

There's a host of things to be made with leftover turkey as you'll see if you hit "Turkey" on the index to your right. Soups, salads, sandwiches, pot pies, enchiladas, bread pudding - we've kinda' run the gamut but one thing we'd never tried before was a turkey croquette until last night.

Thanks to Fine Cooking, these beauties are smaller and shaped more like rissole than a larger croquette, but then again the difference is only in the name, right? Afterall, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck it must be a duck right or in this case, a crispy, golden fried hunk of leftover turkey.

Simply minced bird spiced up with rosemary, thyme and poultry seasoning, moistened with leftover mashed potatoes and a thick bechamel sauce loaded with minced onion, shallots and garlic, our version of the recipe is of course slightly different from the original but no less delicious, I'm sure.

The fact that I used leftover mashed potatoes instead of cooking spuds and left out the step of coating the patties in egg wash before they hit the crumbs, panko in this instance meant they were much easier to put together than Fine Cooking's version. Hey the patties were moist enough and panko will stick to darn near anything anyway. Allowed to sit for 40 minutes in the refrigerator before cooking meant the croquettes firmed up nicely and were less delicate to handle. After a quick browning on both sides, I put them into the oven for 10 minutes so they had a chance to heat all the way through.

Served on a bed of mixed greens with a tart cranberry balsamic vinaigrette, it was a rather welcome light and delicious change of pace after so much excess. I don't know about you, but there's only so much stuffing, gravy, mayonnaise loaded turkey sandwiches on white bread I can handle. 

Turkey Croquettes with Mixed Greens and Cranberry Vinaigrette (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Fine Cooking)

Croquettes:

1 pound leftover turkey, cut into pieces

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Small handful fresh parsley, chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary chopped (stems removed)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt and course ground black pepper

12 ounces prepared mashed potatoes (I used leftovers)

1/4 cup butter

1 shallot, minced

1/2 medium onion, minced

3 cloves garlic (small) minced

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup whole milk

1 cup panko crumbs

Vegetable Oil for frying

Place turkey into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Move to a large bowl and add parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add mashed potatoes and combine well.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot, onion and garlic and cook until softened. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in milk, and cook sauce stirring constantly until very thick – about 5 minutes. Cool slightly, then pour sauce over minced turkey mixture and mix well. Using a 4 ounce ice cream scoop, form mixture into balls then flatten into discs about a half inch thick. Coat both sides with panko crumbs and set onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil to a depth of approx. ¼ inch in bottom of large skillet. When hot, fry croquettes on both sides until nicely browned. Move to a sheet pan and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until warmed through. Serve with mixed greens and Cranberry Vinaigrette. (Serves 6. …I froze half the croquettes uncooked for future use).

Cranberry Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup minced onion or shallot

1/4 cup dried cranberries

3 tablespoons balsamic

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and course ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients into a jar with a tight sealing lid and shake until emulsified. Allow to sit at room temperature until serving. 

A year ago - Ginger Creme Brulee

Two year's ago - Clam and Corn Chowder

Pumpkin Gingerbread Tiramisu

While we love pumpkin pie around here, I don't like the way the bottom crust gets all soggy as it sits so usually try to come up with a different and special kind of pumpkin dessert. Some are more successful than others.    

Pumpkin Pie Creme Brulee'

  

Pumpkin Charlotte with Bourbon

  

Pumpkin Caramel Bread Pudding

Take this Pumpkin Gingerbread Tiramisu from Food & Wine for example. It has all the makings for a fabulous Thanksgiving dessert because it has to be made in advance and frozen, then sits at room temperature to thaw before serving. Constructed with the usual tiramisu ingredients and flavored with pumpkin and Apple Brandy, this one makes use of ginger snaps as the cake layer rather than the usual ladyfingers.  Just so you know, I cut the recipe in half and made it in a loaf pan so I could cut the slices all pretty like and we wouldn't be left with a ton of leftovers. 

 

Given the ingredients, it should be pretty special, right? Well, it was OK but not spectacular so I won't be making it again. Ever!

The flavors are all there, but I didn't like the texture overly much. It needed some whipped cream in the filling to lighten it up and the flavor was kind of one note with the gingersnaps overshadowing everything else. To be honest, it would be better served frozen because it weeps into an unappetizing mess as it thaws too, but maybe our room temperature isn't the "room temperature" they meant either. I'm providing you with the link for the recipe, but honestly in my opinion, you can do much better with one of the other pumpkin desserts we've made on this site. This one definitely needs work. 

 

Thanksgiving - The Day After

I would hazard to say there's not many households in the country that won't be enjoying leftovers today, thanks to yesterday's abundance and our house is no exception. In fact, our dinner menus will be well taken care of over the next several days but other than repeated turkey sandwiches, we're unlikely to get bored because there's so many different things to be made from leftover bird.

In case you're curious, we kept our Thanksgiving menu really simple. When it's over 80 degrees outside, sunny and gorgeous it is reason enough not to roast the bird in the oven, so Big Guy cooked it on the Weber Rotisserie and, as you can see, he did a fabulous job.

Stuffed with apples, rosemary and fresh thyme, he shot the beauty up from the inside with pure apple juice. That way the skin remained intact resulting in an extremely moist, tender and flavorful bird. 

Side dishes included:

Sausage Stuffing with Port, Cranberries & Pecans

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Gratineed Mustard Creamed Onions

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Cranberry Kumquat Sauce

Pumpkin Gingersnap Tiramisu

I'll be passing along recipes to you during the next few days in case you'd like to stash them in your memory box for next year's feast. Meanwhile, enjoy your day everyone. I know it's only a touch after 7 AM here, but personally I'm heading to the fridge for some sandwich makings. Who says you can't have lunch for breakfast?

A year ago - Beef Patties on Salad

Two year's ago - Duck with Pomegranate Chile Sauce

 

Coconut Pork Curry

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! While it seems for many of us this day involves a lot of effort, pre-planning and countless hours of kitchen duty, don't forget the true meaning and remember to give thanks ... "For fragrant air and cooling breeze, for beauty of the blooming trees...for this new morning with its light...for rest and shelter of the night... for health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends, Father in heaven, we thank Thee."Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

Making curry for dinner when your house is on the market for sale might not be the best thing in the world, but to those of us curry lovers, it smelled like heaven. Adapted from Food & Wine, their version was meant for a slow cooker, but after my debacle the other night I decided to make use of my favorite cast iron Dutch oven instead. 

I had a pound less pork than called for but seasoned it lightly with salt and pepper and coated it in a little flour before browning it up on all sides. Joined by onion, garlic, lots of fresh ginger, I added cayenne pepper to their mix of curry powder, cumin and tumeric. Necessity had the canned diced tomatoes exchanged for a small can of pureed, I used a whole 15 ounce can of light coconut milk and reduced the chicken stock to a mere 1 cup. 

Relegated to a 325 oven in a covered pot, the stew simmered nicely while I did a little more prep work for today's Thanksgiving feast and 2 hours later we enjoyed the most tender, flavorful, sublime curry you could imagine. 

A final note - now while a purist... Lorraine you know who you are :-)... would use spices they ground with their own two hands for this, I used a Madras curry powder purchased in bulk from our local Sprouts store because as you know, we really like the spicy heat but go with whatever curry you prefer. As you may or may not know, curry isn't just one spice but a blend of many and "In addition to chili peppers, Madras curry can also contain spices like turmeric, coriander,cumin, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, fenugreek, allspice, black pepper, and curry leaves" (so sayeth the Wisegeek).

Coconut Pork Curry (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Food & Wine)

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, in 2 inch cubes

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

All-purpose flour

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1-1/2 tablespoons curry powder (I used Madras)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 ounces tomato puree

1 – 15 ounce can light coconut milk

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

Preheat oven to 325. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven until shimmering over medium high heat. Season pork cubes lightly with salt and pepper and dust with all-purpose flour, shaking off excess. Brown pork on all sides (in batches if necessary). Do not crowd pan. Move pork to one side of pot when browned. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring constantly until onion starts to soften. Stir in curry, cumin, turmeric and cayenne and cook for additional minute, then add tomato puree, coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring pot to a high simmer, cover and place in preheated oven for 1-1/2 hours. Remove lid and continue to cook until sauce is reduced to thickness you prefer and pork is very tender (up to another half hour). Serve over rice. 

A year ago - Pear and Blue Salmon

 

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Pork au Vin

Thai Chicken Curry with Butternut Squash

Seafood Lasagna

I'm about to get right to the point here so this is going to be short and sweet. We can thank Family Circle for this one and believe you me, it's a real keeper.

I make absolutely no excuses for using a ready made alfredo sauce (I used Bertolli) and as luck would have it, I even cut some calories along the way by reducing the cream cheese in the recipe by one half. It made no sense to have a quarter pound of imitation crab left over either, so I threw in a whole pound and only used 1 egg in the filling, leaving out the one that was supposed to go into the alfredo sauce. I cut the veggies in half though but added a few slices of fresh mozzarella during the last 5 minutes of cooking time too, just because I had it and I love the way it melted on top and bathed the dish in creamy glory.

The result was a fabulously flavored lasagna that truly does take between 15 and 20 minutes to get into the oven thanks to the use of "no boil" lasagna noodles.  It's a great way to get some veggies into your diet, never mind budget conscious because crab with a "K" aka imitation stuff aka pollock made to look like crab tastes great and hardly made a dent in the old pocket book; however, saying all of that, I'll make it again using shrimp, scallops and real crab someday when my ship comes in and I'm sure it'll be good but I'm not positive it'll be any better. 

I might even substitute leftover turkey for the seafood and maybe some spinach or kale for the broccoli and spice it all up with a little thyme and rosemary instead of the old bay seasoning and create a whole new and wonderful dish ...(is that sentence long enough, ya think? Can you tell my mind's going 500 mph?) 

Before I go, I have to warn you though. There's absolutely no way one could get 12 servings out of a dish of the stuff but I suppose because it's not as rich or calorie laden as the original, it doesn't matter overly much in the long run anyway...at least that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.  

And with that...I gotta' run. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I'm sure most of you will be doing what I'll be doing most of today and that is preparing for some darn good eats tomorrow! Have fun, stay sane and be safe!

Seafood Lasagna (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Family Circle via familycircle.com)

1 – 8 ounce package reduced fat cream cheese, softened

3 green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1 cup chopped assorted sweet peppers, divided

10 ounces frozen broccoli, defrosted, squeezed dry and chopped (divided)

1 pound imitation crabmeat, shredded

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1 – 1 pound jar alfredo pasta sauce (I used Bertolli)

12 no boil lasagna noodles

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

4 slices fresh mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl whip cream cheese until light and soft. Stir in green onions, milk, Old Bay seasoning, 3/4 cup of peppers, 2/3 of broccoli, crabmeat, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.Place one quarter of alfredo sauce onto bottom of casserole dish and top with 3 noodles. Add one third of seafood filling mixture and drizzle with another fourth of alfredo sauce. Add another layer of noodles and repeat process, ending with noodles and alfredo sauce. Top with remaining peppers and broccoli and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes then top casserole with mozzarella slices. Return to oven for another 5 minutes to melt cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serves 6 to 8. 

A year ago - Apple, Swiss and Squash Soup

Two year's ago - Baked Four Cheese Spaghetti

Beef and Carrot Ragu

Don't fall over backward but I actually cooked this sauce in the crockpot yesterday. What with worrying about having to leave the house for showings at a moment's notice and at the same time trying to get some pre-Thanksgiving grunt work done, it seemed like a good idea to make something in the appliance I have so little use of (for).

I made a couple of not so subtle changes to the recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, the first being I browned the meat really well before adding it to the crockpot. In fact, rather than make a mess of the kitchen I'd just finished cleaning, I took the meat outside to Big Guy's bailiwick and gave the beef a good sear on the little red gas grill. A whole bulb of peeled garlic hit the pot followed by a pound of chopped fresh roma tomatoes, 8 ounces of chopped carrots and a glug of red wine along with a can of tomato paste. I added a chopped onion and spiced up the mixture with some dried Italian herbs and a good dash of red pepper flakes - too good a dash because the ragu ended up being so darned spicy, I had to add heavy cream at the end. 

So what's the verdict? I daresay I'm not the one to ask because as you know, I'm more than a little biased against slow cookers to begin with but let me admit it was convenient. I'm just sorry I didn't use the Dutch oven and pull double duty by cooking the ragu in the oven at the same time I browned off all the goodies for the turkey stock I also whipped up yesterday.

Oh, and should you want to know another truth, head on over to Fig's and Artichokes and take a gander at the ragu Lorraine posted yesterday. I'm absolutely positive I'd have been much happier with a bowl of her glorious flavor filled ragu instead of this one. Just sayin'.  

Beef and Carrot Ragu from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Better Homes (bhg.com)

2 pounds boneless beef short ribs

Salt and ground black pepper

1 bulb garlic, peeled and cloves smashed

1 medium onion, chopped

8 ounces peeled carrots, chopped

1 pound Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

1/2 cup water or beef stock (if needed)

1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Season beef well with salt and pepper and brown in a hot non-stick pan. Cut into cubes and place into slow cooker. Add smashed garlic cloves, onion, carrots and tomatoes. Mix together tomato paste, red wine, Italian herbs, oregano and red pepper flakes. Pour over meat and vegetables, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir well before serving, adding additional water as necessary to create a sauce. Stir in heavy cream. Serve over pasta.  Makes 4 servings.

 

A year ago - Cajun Poached Shrimp Linguini

Two year's ago - Curly Corn Dogs

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Pasta Purses with Meat Sauce

Lamb Ragu on Potato Gnocchi

Cajun BBQ Shrimp

We've enjoyed these Cajun shrimp here before but I'm thinking maybe I should rename them. Other than the fact that we've had 'em so many times I could call them my own, they're not barbecued either at least not the way one would think because there's no gas or charcoal needed for these puppies.

They don't need to marinate and they're actually cooked in a large cast iron skillet in the oven. I supoose the barbecue theory applies to the sauce the shrimp are buried in and believe you me, it is quite the sauce.

Loaded with butter, garlic and worcestershire, the red color is supplied by ketchup and spices include rosemary, thyme and lots of Old Bay seasoning. We absolutely love 'em. The luscious tender shrimp are exceedingly messy to eat so you'll need a ton of napkins, never mind a loaf of good bread to sop up all those fabulous juices and they're a really great excuse to pop the top on a nice cold beer too.

Without a hint of red pepper heat, quick and easy to make, they're a perfect solution for a casual dinner and they'd be the bomb at a tailgating party at the football game too - just be sure to supply lots of hand wipes and paper towels. Bibs might be a good idea too.   

Cajun Shrimp  from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Southern Living Magazine via my recipes.com

2 pounds medium or large shrimp, shell & tail on

1 lemon, cut in wedges

1 bay leaf

½ cup butter

½ cup ketchup

½ cup Worcestershire

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1-1/2 Tablespoons Old Bay

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Remove veins leaving shells on, then rinse and dry shrimp well. Place in pan with lemon wedges and bay leaves on top. Melt butter in small pot. Add ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic, old bay, rosemary and dried thyme. Mix well. Pour over shrimp. Bake in 400 oven 20 to 25 minutes, until shrimp’s just cooked. Stir every 10 minutes.  Serve in bowls with plenty of bread for sopping up all the juices. (Recipe may be doubled or tripled as required.) 

A year ago - Potato Crust Chicken and Green Chile Quiche

Two year's ago - Clam, Corn and Basil Cakes

Jamaican Banana Muffins

Rummy yummy for your tummy about says it all. Honestly, yesterday's Jamaican Banana Muffins are about the best I've ever made no doubt due to a few rather surprising ingredients.

From Cooking Light via myrecipes.com, I took the liberty of changing the recipe and made muffins rather than bread because they're an easier grab and go solution to breakfast. I also used all butter instead of 2 tablespoons each of butter and cream cheese because when we've Big Guy's home smoked salmon in the house we never have any cream cheese. I added extra lime 'cause we've a ton of Mexican limes we harvested from our tree and unsalted toasted cashew nuts instead of pecans because I had 'em on hand and pecans are still worth their weight in gold at the moment. 

In case you're wondering what makes these muffins the best other than the aforementioned along with their light texture, it is the addition of dark rum to the mix for added flavor...oh and coconut for crunchiness. Who'd have thunk it would make such a huge difference! (Ya, who am I kidding. Anything with an eighth of a cup of dark demon rum in it as to be good, right?)

I glazed our muffins with a mixture of icing sugar thinned with more fresh lime juice instead of the brown sugar/lime/rum/pecan/coconut thing Cooking Light had going and I have to say the little gems are absolutely awesome - not too sweet, definitely moist and far from boring. 

Grilled Tri Tip Steak with leftover Mashed Potato Pie

By the way, here's what we had for dinner on Friday night, and just so you know last night we hit our favorite pizza shop for dinner. As you can tell, there hasn't been much action going on in JBug's Kitchen. I would have posted yesterday but my computer hit the skids and needed repair and that was on top of not 1 but 2 flat tires on the Jeep the day before so I'm pretty darned thankful we're at the end of what has been a highly stressful week.  We're getting back to normal now... whatever normal is shaping up to be these days! 

Jamaican Banana Muffins (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com)

9 ounces all-purpose flour (approx. 2 cups)

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup toasted chopped unsalted cashews

1/4 cup coconut

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Zest and juice of 1/2 lime

Rum as needed

Preheat oven to 375. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat well. Add egg and beat until well combined.  Combine zest and juice of lime, banana, milk, rum and vanilla together. Add to butter sugar mixture alternately with dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in nuts and coconut. Spoon into muffin cups, dividing evenly between all. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool briefly on a wire rack.

Combine sugar, lime juice and zest together. Add rum as needed for a thin glaze. Drizzle over warm muffins. When cool, store in an airtight container or freeze. Makes one dozen.

A year ago -  Ina's Roasted Chicken on Croutons

Two year's ago - Taco Salad

 

Chicken and Smoked Andouille Gumbo

A lot of people are turned off making gumbo because of the effort involved in making a roux but I'm here to tell you that a passible roux is possible in about 10 minutes. All you need is a cast iron pot, a wooden spoon and a glass of wine. 

A hot pot with equal parts oil and all-purpose flour and wine to pass the time for the cook will darn near guarantee perfection. Just make sure you've prepped all the other ingredients before you start because the first 5 to 10 minutes of cooking time is crucial. Last night's perfect chocolate brown roux took exactly 6 minutes so quite honestly I barely had time to put a dent in the wine. Darn.

In less than an hour the gumbo was simmering, the rice cooked and the cook relaxing, waiting for Big Guy to come home. We've had this pot of gloriousness before, so I'm sending you to the previous post for more information, but for your convenience I've listed the recipe below.

Incidentally, I can't miss the opportunity to brag now can I - the smoked andouille sausage is Big Guy's handiwork and absolutely delicious. I daresay during his retirement on the Oregon coast there will be a heck of a lot more of that coming our way. Just sayin'. 

Chicken and Smoked Andouille Gumbo (adapted from Bon Appetit)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne depending on taste

1 teaspoon garlic granules

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

2-1/2 cups seafood or chicken stock (low sodium)

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 pound smoked andouille sausage cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 pound chicken, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces (I used chicken tenders)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Flour for dredging

Freshly cooked long grain rice

Prep all ingredients before you start. Heat oil in heavy cast iron Dutch oven over high heat until almost smoking. Add flour, lower heat to medium high and stir being careful not to splash, cook stirring constantly until dark reddish brown in color (takes 4 to 6 minutes stirring constantly). Do not under any circumstances leave the pot unattended.

When the roux is a rich reddish chocolate brown, immediately add chopped celery, onion and bell peppers and stir well to combine. Lower heat to medium and cook until vegetables are softened – about 5 minutes. Add spices and cook for additional minute. Add stock and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile add vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat over high heat until oil is hot. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off the excess. Sauté in hot oil until browned on all sides. Set aside. In same pan, add andouille slices and fry until andouille is browned on the outside. Add sautéed chicken and andouille to Dutch oven and simmer for additional 15 minutes. Serve with rice.  Makes 6 large servings.

A year ago - Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Taters and 'snips

Two year's ago - Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Ham and Bean Soup

First off I must apologize for missing a post yesterday. That old man Murphy with his law and Father Time were having a field day plotting and scheming and the result was "one of those days". Thank you all for your patience.

When your day is filled with impossibilities, one of the best things you can do other than make dinner reservations is to put a pot of soup on the stove and just forget about it. I don't know about you, but I don't necessarily need to follow a recipe when I'm making a pot of soup although in this case because it made use of a package of assorted dried beans along with some barley (Trader Joe's of course), the beans needed a little special treatment before they hit the pot. Since I forgot to soak them overnight, I did the quick soak treatment instead by boiling the lot in a big pot of water for a full 2 minutes, then allowing them to sit for a couple of hours before completing the soup. 

After the beans were plumped up, I sauteed some onion and garlic in a big soup pot, then added a host of veggies like carrot, celery, green and red pepper as well as canned tomatoes and tomato paste along with veggie stock and the ham bone from Sunday's dinner. It all simmered, bubbled and gurgled on the stove for the balance of the afternoon until I hit the pot with a couple of handfuls of dried pasta to beef it up, so to speak.

Next time you're looking for a low maintenance kind of meal, think about putting a pot of soup on the stove ...or heaven forbid, in the slow cooker.  Who just said that? Musta' been that darned old Murphy. 

Ham and Bean Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen, inspired by Purity Cookbook)

1 package dried bean mix (I used Trader Joe’s 17 bean plus barley mix)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

1 -28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 quart veggie or low sodium chicken stock

2 cups water or more as needed to fill pot

3 ounces tomato paste

1 large meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks

1 cup dried pasta (any large pasta will do)

Shredded cheese for garnish

Pre-soak beans according to package directions. Rinse and drain well. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot until shimmering. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions start to soften – about 4 or 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots, celery, red and green pepper and sauté for another 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning, oregano, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Add canned tomatoes and ham bone, and then add stock and water as needed to fill pot within 2 inches of top. Stir in tomato paste, bring pot to a boil, then lower heat, cover pot and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until beans are soft. Fifteen minutes before serving, add dried pasta to the pot. Simmer until pasta is cooked and soup has thickened to desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Remove bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and garnish with shredded cheese.  Makes 8 to 10 servings. (Freezes well)

A year ago - Dairy Free Rich Chocolate Mousse

Two year's ago - Potato Gratin 

Baked Polenta with Bechamel and Spicy Meat Sauce

It's amazing the ideas that present themselves when a woman's enduring sleep deprivation due to the joys of growing older. The early hours of the morning - like from 1 through 4 or until the alarm goes off at 5 are spent contemplating a multitude of things including but not limited to the state of the economy and world peace.

Take last night's dinner for example. We really loved Anne Burrell's Hard Polenta Cakes that we cooked up a while ago and I've been trying to think up a way to have a repeat without it being an identical to what we had before. Since I also happened to have a container of leftover meat sauce hiding in the freezer from a week ago and the kitchen held the makings for a bechamel sauce, I figured I'd just combine them all into one casserole. We've had gnocchi this way, and pasta too so why not polenta? Do ya' follow?

Behold the results - smooth and creamy on the inside and crispy fried on the outside rounds of polenta on a bed of rich, creamy, cheesy bechamel sauce topped with spicy meaty tomato sauce, garnished with sliced hot Italian sausage and circles of fresh mozzarella baked until hot and bubbling. Food for the hungry masses, wouldn't ya say?

Baked Polenta With Bechamel and Spicy Meat Sauce (an original from JBug’s Kitchen, inspired by Anne Burrell and Biba Caggiano)

1 recipe hard polenta cakes (see below)

1 recipe prepared béchamel sauce (see below)

2 cups spicy meat sauce (reheated)

1 link hot Italian sausage, sliced into coins and browned

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a shallow casserole dish well with butter. Place 2/3 of béchamel sauce on bottom of casserole, spreading evenly. Arrange crisp fried polenta cakes on top of béchamel. Top with remaining béchamel sauce followed by spicy meat sauce. Arrange sausage coins on top and add sliced mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until casserole is hot and bubbling.  

Hard Polenta Cakes

1 cup whole milk plus additional 2/3 cup

2 cups water (and more as needed)

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt (more or less depending on taste)

1 cup polenta

1/4 cup cream cheese

4 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish

Olive oil for frying

In a medium saucepan heat 1 cup milk, water, cayenne and salt over medium heat until boiling. Whisk in polenta and lower heat to medium low then using a wooden spoon, stir polenta until thickened. Slowly incorporate additional 2/3 cup milk, stirring constantly and continue to cook until polenta thickens again and is very smooth. If the texture is grainy, add more liquid and continue to cook until smooth and thick. (Takes about 15 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir cream cheese and parmesan. Move to 9 x 13 sheet pan lined with plastic wrap and spread evenly. Cover well and refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours).

To serve, remove from plastic and cut into 2 inch rounds. Heat approximately a quarter inch of oil in a heavy skillet until very hot. Carefully add cut polenta and cook in batches without crowding the pan and without moving for 3-4 minutes or until browned and crisp on one side. Flip over and continue to cook until browned on other side. Move rounds to a paper towel and hold until needed.

Bechamel Sauce:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, heated

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow flour to brown. Slowly whisk in hot milk and add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook, whisking constantly until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. 

A year ago - Coconut Lime Shrimp with Peanut Sauce

Two year's ago -  Bittersweet Chocolate Sour Cherry Bread Pudding

Dijon Marmalade Glazed Baked Ham and Potato Apple Gratin

Every time we buy a ham I ask myself why it's normally reserved for special occasions. Really, there isn't a thing much easier or more satisfying than a good slice of ham, never mind there's no problem coming up with ideas for the leftovers either.

My method for cooking last night's beauty is simplicity itself. I scored the ham into 2 inch diamonds and popped some whole cloves into the diamond points, then poured a half cup of triple sec over the whole thing (Grand Marnier works better) covered the pan with aluminum foil and baked my 9 pound shank end ham for 1-1/2 hours before glazing it in an 8 ounce jar of homemade kumquat/orange marmalade mixed with a quarter cup of prepared Dijon mustard and a couple of tablespoons of horseradish. So far so good, right?

The problem with the menu occurred when I insisted on trying a recipe from Real Simple found on myrecipes.com for an apple and potato gratin. I was intrigued by the addition of egg and buttermilk to the mix and figured swiss cheese and apples would be a natural with a good slice of baked ham. Unfortunately we were very unimpressed with the gratin. Instead of a rich creamy sauce, tender potatoes and tart apples, the casserole separated into an unappetizing looking mess.

I won't be making it again. Sometimes you're just better off going with what you know. I've provided the link in case you're interested in checking it out. Thankfully I reduced the quantities and only made 1/3 of the recipe, which is a good thing. At least I didn't have a ton of leftovers to feed down the disposal. 

A year ago - Holiday Dessert Ideas

Two Year's Ago - Sockeye Salmon Club Sandwich

Pork au Vin

Before I tell you about last night's dinner, it is important to recognize today's significance. November 11th is the day we officially honor the people who have served and continue to serve in the military in order to guarantee our freedom. Kinda' makes you wonder why we need an "official day" when it's something we should be mindful of every day. 

One of my blog readers put the bug in my ear to do a re-make of this pork braised in red wine after I posted it last week as something we enjoyed a year ago. As it happens, the timing was ideal because our temperatures have decreased significantly so a stew in the oven is just about the most perfect seasonal dish imaginable, other than maybe a cinnamon caramel apple pear pie...which reminds me! MMM 

I made a couple of substitutions to the stew recipe from the original posting including regular onions for the shallots and cubed up boneless country style ribs instead of pork butt (shoulder). It really didn't matter though because the outcome was spectacular which goes to prove once again that recipes are simply guidelines. In fact, I almost wish I'd saved the Syrah for the cook and used a bottle of amber ale or a nice dark porter instead of wine in the dish. Course I'd have to give the stew a new name...how 'bout Pork 'N Porter?

Porc au Vin  (inspired by Bon Appetit Magazine) 

4 ounces pancetta (small dice)

2-1/2 pounds pork butt, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes (or cubed boneless country style ribs)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (if needed)

8 ounces large mushrooms, cut into quarters

8 large shallots, peeled and cut in half (or 2 large onions, peeled and cut into wedges)

1 cup carrots peeled and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon herbs de province

2 bay leaves

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 cups dry red wine (I used Syrah)

2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons flour mixed with 1/4 cup water

Parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. In a large Dutch oven over medium low heat, cook pancetta until fat is rendered and pancetta is crisp. Remove from pan leaving drippings. Season pork cubes with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Brown pork cubes in batches, being sure to brown on all sides. Remove from pot and repeat until meat is all browned. If needed, add vegetable oil to pot and when shimmering hot, add mushrooms, shallots, carrots and garlic. Sauté, stirring constantly for 3 or 4 minutes or until shallots start to soften. Add garlic, thyme, herbs de province and bay leaves. Cook, stirring for another minute. Add red wine and chicken stock and return pork and pancetta to pot. Bring to boil, cover pot and place in oven for 1-1/2 hours or until pork is very tender. Remove pot from oven, and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary. Thicken gravy with flour/water slurry and return to oven (uncovered) for 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

A year ago - Braised Turkey in Mole Sauce

Two year's ago -  Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Sundried Tomatoes

Poblano and Sausage Chili

There's nothing better than a pot of chili on a Friday night especially when the temperatures are cooler and there's rain coming down.

Now we've enjoyed a lot of different chili's on this site and one of the many things I've learned during our 10 years is Tucson is there's a huge difference between a Mexican style chile and a chili like this one. In case you want to know the authentic Tex/Mex version, at least the one I make, doesn't have a touch of tomato in it, uses cubed beef instead of ground and there's not a bean in sight either. Not so with last night's pot of glorious stew. 

A Cooking Light Recipe via myrecipes.com, this one starts with the usual sauteed onion and garlic, and makes use of sweet Italian sausage for something a little different. A couple of poblano peppers instead of the usual sweet green bell pepper variety and the pot's completed with canned diced tomatoes as well as a couple of poblano peppers and a can each of red kidney beans (the recipe called for black) and pinto's too. I added a little more tomato flavor in the guise of tomato paste because I thought the pot needed a little extra richness and I nixed the cilantro because mine was looking a little tired. 

This chili has a very mild flavor, at least to our tastebuds,  so we added extra spice to our bowls to make it more to our liking, but for those of you who are less "heat tolerant" the recipe as written is the way to go. Hit the link here and it'll take you right to the source. 

I whipped up some quick cheese quesadillas out of corn tortillas and a mix of cheddar and Velveeta as a "with" but a hunk of cornbread would be a super side too.  Enjoy! We certainly did. 

A year ago - Weenies and Bacon Maple Beans

Two year's ago - Pork Tenderloin with Bacon,Onion,Mushroom Bourbon Sauce

Baked Potato Pie

If you're looking for something new and different to serve with some of that leftover turkey and gravy coming down the pike in the next couple of weeks, then I have got a deal for you.

Think about a crispy tender buttery pie crust courtesy of Trader Joe's freezer. Hey - you know me and pastry are on the outs these days. Add a scooped out baked potato, cottage cheese, sour cream, and eggs to the mix. Top it off with a dusting of cheese, bake for about an hour and what have you got? 

If you guessed a perfect vehicle for sour cream, bacon bits and french fried onions, you'd be right because honestly it's just a glorified gargantuan fabulous new and different baked potato; however, serve that new "thang" along side some leftover turkey smothered in gravy or as was our case last night, a supersized serving of Chicken Fried Steak and creamy rich gravy and I'd say you'll have yourself something darn near food orgasmic. Just sayin'. 

Baked Potato Pie (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Jackie Eddy, Slicing Hooking and Cooking)

1 very large Idaho potato

16 ounces small curd cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Pastry for single crust 9 inch pie

Garnishes: sour cream, crispy bacon bits, French fried onions

Prick potato and microwave on high until done (about 4 to 5 minutes). Wrap potato in a towel and allow to sit for 10 minutes, and then set aside until cool enough to handle. Scoop pulp out of potato and place into a blender or food processor. There should be 2 cups of cooked potato.

Add cottage cheese, sour cream, eggs, salt, and cayenne pepper to blender and puree until smooth.

Preheat oven to 425. Line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry and flute edges. Pour filling into the pie shell and level off with a spatula. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 425, then lower heat to 350 and continue baking for an additional 40 minutes or until top is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish each piece with sour cream, bacon bits and French fried onions. Makes 6 to 8 servings.  

Incidentally, while this recipe calls for basic unadorned potato, I'm here to say that I've made it before using a different method and it's safe to say you could certainly use leftover mashed spuds from your Thanksgiving dinner to come up with a fabulous pie. Hit this link and head on over to the other version and see what I say. 

A year ago - Old Fashioned Swiss Steak

Two year's ago -  Roasted Tomato Soup with Spinach Pesto

Autumn Chicken Salad

We had some chicken left over from Monday night's bird in hard cider sauce that needed to be put to good use one way or another. Since Tucson's still enjoying 80 degree temperatures, I figured a salad would be quite appropriate even though the Northerner in me's craving a good hot bowl of soup and a snow shovel. (I know...call me crazy!)

We love chicken salad around here as you can gather from the many versions on this site and I enjoy experimenting with different flavors and textures because when you put chicken into a salad, there's no reason on earth not to experiement.

For example, when you've chicken that's been roasted with lemon and thyme, take advantage of the flavors by adding  green olives, fresh lemon zest, sundried tomatoes and a fresh basil garnish for a Mediterranean twist. On the other hand if your cooked bird is a smidgen on the bland side, spice it up with a curry mayonnaise, add a little honey, some fresh cantalope balls and a few pecan pieces for added crunch and you've created something memorable.  

In this case because the chicken was cooked in hard cider with onions and garlic, it made sense to take advantage of the autumn flavors. Beginning with sweet onion and celery, I added some diced Granny Smith apple and a handful of dried cranberries to the chunked up chicken and devised a dressing from mayonnaise, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. So far so good, right?

My plan was to enhance the texture by adding a handful of toasted walnuts which as you can see, I forgot, as well as some crispy, salty crunchy bacon but the bacon didn't make it either. I burnt it...yup, I did.  Five slices of beautiful home cured bacon up in smoke quick as you please. Stinkin' up the house and messin' up the microwave. What can I say. When I fail, I fail big. 

Autumn Chicken Salad (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

3 cups leftover roasted chicken, cut into chunks

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 large Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into half inch pieces

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup real maple syrup

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

5 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Toss together chicken, onion, celery, cranberries and apple. Season well with salt and coarse ground black pepper. In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Pour over salad and toss well to coat. Garnish with crumbled bacon and toasted walnuts. Makes 4 servings. 

A year ago - Mango Chicken Curry

Two year's ago -  Pasta Salad with Green Olivada

Pasta Purses with Meat Sauce

I love buying odd shaped pasta which was really just my excuse to pick up more of Trader Joe's Proscuitto filled pasta purses. I had every intention of sneaking them by Big Guy in an almost meatless meal by making a sauce of sundried tomatoes, garlic, white wine and pine nuts but I chickened out at the last minute. I wasn't quite up to hearing "where's da' meat" from you know who.

Instead I fashioned a meat sauce inspired by Biba Caggiano in her book Trattoria Cooking and when I say inspired, I mean just that. It's definitely not Biba's. Made with ground pork instead of veal and Italian sausage, white wine instead of red and tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and a touch of tomato paste instead of the canned imported plum tomatoes she calls for as well as lots and lots of dried herbs and spices, it kinda' left me wondering why on earth I entertained the possibility of making it any other way. 

If you're not blessed with a Trader Joe's near by, by all means substitute another kind of pasta - rigatoni would be great or gnocchi or ravioli or elbow macaroni...whatever you wish. 

It’s Not Biba’s Meat Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Biba Caggiano, Trattoria Cooking)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced

1/2 cup finely diced fennel

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or less depending on how you like heat)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 cup white wine

1 – 14 ounce can tomato sauce

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, fennel and carrot and cook until vegetables are softened, stirring often. Add ground pork and cook, crumbling until meat is no longer pink. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes and season well with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Add white wine and cook for 1 minute until wine is slightly reduced. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until sauce is thickened to consistency you prefer (use a splatter screen to save on clean up time). Stir in half the parmesan cheese. Serve with pasta of your choice. Garnish with remaining parmesan.

A year ago - New England Style Clam Chowder & Pear Upside Down Gingerbread Cake

Two year's ago - Cajun Shrimp

Chicken Quarters Roasted in Hard Cider Sauce

When you're craving a down home old fashioned kinda' meal, then chicken's the one to go to. Last night's version started with a whole bird that was earmarked for Sunday's dinner but the cook(s) ran out of steam. No matter, because it tasted darned fine last night.

I cut the chicken in quarters using my trusty kitchen shears because in my opinion they work much better than a knife for this particular job. I took the back bone right out by cutting down each side which isn't hard to do; however, remember to cut about a half inch away from each side of the spinal column or you'll end up with a bunch of little iddy biddy back bone bones in your chicken pieces. I should know because I didn't listen to my own advice but I will next time because it's pretty good advice (from a fairly reliable source). Ha. 

Anyway, the quarters were seasoned well with lots of salt and pepper, then dredged in flour and browned on all sides then removed from the pot. An onion, garlic cloves and thyme hit the pot until the onions were softened, then I added a bottle of Woodchuck Amber Cider along with a little chicken stock,  and re-introduced the chicken. After an hour uncovered in the oven, I flamed the bird with some warmed Apple Jack brandy and finished the sauce with a touch of instant blending flour to thicken it along with some cream for richness.

Served with a parsnip/potato mash and some broccoli slaw loaded with cranberries, pecans, Granny Smith apple and a maple mayonnaise dressing, it was a hit on the homefront. Don't you love when that happens?

Roasted Chicken Quarters in Hard Cider Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Helen Brody’s New Hampshire: From Farm to Kitchen)

1 2-1/2 to 2 pound chicken, cut into quarters

Kosher Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bottle hard cider (I used Woodchuck Amber)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup apple brandy (I used Apple Jack)

2 tablespoons Wondra instant blending flour (more or less as required)

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Wash and dry chicken quarters and season well with salt and pepper. Place flour into a zip bag and add chicken pieces one at a time, shaking to coat and shaking pieces to remove excess flour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add butter and olive oil and when hot, brown dredged chicken pieces on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion, garlic and thyme to pot and cook, stirring constantly until onion is softened – about 3 to 4 minutes. Add cider and chicken stock and return chicken to pot, arranging it in a single layer. Bring to a simmer then place pot in oven and roast chicken, uncovered for 1 hour or until very tender.

Remove pot from the oven and place on low heat. Microwave brandy for 5 to 6 seconds to warm slightly and carefully pour over chicken, lighting with a match. When flames no longer glow, remove chicken from pot to a platter and keep warm.

Increase heat to medium and whisk flour into sauce to thicken to desired consistency. Whisk in heavy cream. Taste for seasoning adding more salt and pepper as required. Serve sauce with chicken. Makes 4 servings. 

A year ago - Holiday Ideas for Turkey Phobics

Two year's ago - Lemon Chicken Wings

Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon

Big Guy smoked more salmon yesterday - two beautiful big sides of wild Alaskan sockeye cured in a dry rub of salt, brown sugar, pepper and dill seed for 24 hours then smoked in the Big Chief using apple wood chips. Such a beautiful thing!

He did that along with the majority of things on our weekend honey do list and consequently we both kinda' ran out of steam in the dinner department. I had no energy left to give and didn't have the heart to ask him to rotisserie a chicken I had thawing in the refrigerator so we moved on to plan "B" and teamed up to produce a "munchie" dinner. 

There's nothing much better with freshly smoked salmon than a pile of potato latkes, hot from the pan and super crisp. Simply one Idaho potato, peeled and grated into a bowl of cold water then squeezed using my trusty OXO potato ricer so no moisture remained in the lovely snow white shreds. Combined with an egg, a little flour, finely chopped red onion and a touch of salt and pepper, the little cakes took but a couple of minutes to crisp up in a quarter inch of hot canola. 

While I handled the latke cookin', Big Guy arranged all the "withs" on our dinner plates and the resulting feast left two people entirely satisfied. The moral of the story...think outside the box every once in a while and come up with a light, fun dinner instead of the usual.

By the way, seeing as the holiday season's right around the corner, think outside the box when it comes to hors d'oeuvres too and cook up some latkes. They can be made in advance and reheated in the oven just before serving and go exceedingly well with an unlimited number of toppings including but not limited to deviled ham, egg salad, sour cream and caviar and/or smoked salmon of course, never mind the red pepper aioli we had the other night. Awesome! 

A year ago - Pumpkin Scones with Candied Ginger

Two year's ago -  Pork Stew with Cider

 

Steamed Mussels with Red Pepper Aioli

I've had a craving for mussels ever since our trip to Oregon this summer. They're kinda' hard to miss because of the way light catches the color of their shells in various locations along the coast. These little beauties thrive on the Oregon coast but are best harvested during the cooler months of the year so a feast of them wasn't in the cards this summer.

Our local Albertson's has an amazing seafood selection and we purchased a sackful beauties yesterday during our weekly shopping trip. Hat's off to the manager of the seafood department as she very carefully hand picked a couple of pounds of the best she had.

There's absolutely nothing complicated about cooking up a batch of mussels, particularly this recipe from Anne Burrell of Foodnetwork fame. Sauteed onions, lots of garlic, a touch of bay and thyme and a bottle of Soave (which was a perfect choice) minus a glass for the cook, make up the cooking liquid for our mollusks. Five and a half minutes from the second they hit pot and they were in our bowls, along with all that flavorful juice but that's not all people.

The thing that puts these beauties over the top is a roasted red pepper aioli with an incredibly smooth and luscious garlic flavor, spiced up in our case with a couple of good squeezes of Sriracha and drizzled over each glistening bowl.  It's the icing on the cake so to speak and the perfect excuse for devouring a loaf of crusty bread for dipping.

Incredible, mind blowing flavor and so simple too. Incidentally, the aioli recipe makes about two cups of glory so plan to utilize this lovely mayonnaise as a sauce for darn near anything you can think of. It'll make a perfect accompaniment to any vegetables, or shrimp, fish or chicken and will be darned incredible on pasta too.

I didn't change a thing - except to add a little more garlic, used Sriracha instead of Sambal Oelek in the aioli and snuck a glass of wine from the bottle, so hit the link above and head for the recipe.  Believe me, you won't be sorry.

 A year ago - Porc au Vin

Two year's ago - Red and Green Shrimp Enchiladas

Rhubarb Cream Pie

"This pie needs no top crust, no whipping cream, no meringue on top. It is perfect just by itself." So says, Jackie Eddy, author of Slicing, Hooking and Cooking - a book in my collection that was published way back in 1980.

What was true over 30 years ago (yikes, I'm flippin' old) remains true to this day. My Mother made her rhubarb pies this way too although sometimes she'd put a lattice crust on top. Hey, her pastry was incredible so why not use it. 

Unfortunately the pastry gene wasn't passed along to her youngest daughter. Heaven knows I've made enough of it over the years but lately I can't seem to get it right so this pie makes use of a single dough boy crust (Pillsbury) all tucked up pretty in a new pie dish with a removable bottom my twin sister sent me recently. I love it and it made this pie look extra special, didn't it.

Simply 3 cups of rhubarb right out of the freezer, folded into a butter, sugar, flour, egg custard with a touch of vanilla added because I like the stuff, I upped the flour in the custard to account for the added moisture in the rhubarb so if you're lucky enough to have some of the last of the season's bounty fresh from your garden, be sure to adjust the flour accordingly. The pie hits the oven for about an hour and comes out looking picture perfect with a golden tender crust, creamy sweet/tart filling and a crunchy top. Delicious!

Rhubarb Cream Pie (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Slicing, Hooking & Cooking, Jackie Eddy)

1- 9 inch unbaked pie shell

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 heaping tablespoons all purpose flour (see note)

2 eggs, beaten

Pinch salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups sliced rhubarb

Preheat oven to 400. Combine butter sugar together and cream until light and fluffy. Add flour and mix to incorporate. Whisk in beaten eggs, salt and vanilla. Fold in rhubarb then pile into pie unbaked pie shell. Place pie onto a sheet pan to catch any drips, and bake in preheated oven for 10  minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and continue baking for 45 to 50 minutes or until filling has formed a golden colored top crust. Remove to a wire rack and cool before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Note – if using frozen rhubarb, increase flour to 3 heaping tablespoons and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

A year ago - Cedar Plank Steelhead with Potlatch Seasoning

Two year's ago - Tuscan White Bean Salad with Spinach

Risotto Carbonara

We took a page out of Lorraine's book at Figs and Artichokes and made our version of Risotto Carbonara for dinner last night. We loved the idea when she first gave it a try way back in early September and have been talking about it ever since. Don't ask me why the procrastination because it was just plum stupid to wait so long. 

If you like the flavor of Fettucini Carbonara, then no doubt this'll make your skirt fly up and your socks go up and down. A J'Bug's Kitchen team effort, we used bacon... a lot of bacon rather than pancetta, and onion and garlic rather than shallots even though I had shallots in the cupboard. Oh well. Guess I wasn't thinking when I did the prepping. The rest of the ingredients are standard risotto fare - arborio rice, butter, a little wine, warm chicken stock, parmesan cheese, a touch of heavy cream and lots of coarse ground black pepper. 

Tradition rules that Big Guy's the risotto cooker in this house, so all I had left to do was sit back and throw in my two cents every once in a while. As usual, he did an amazing job including but not limited to tuning me out.  How do guys do that? 

Anyway even without a parsley garnish or a pretty plate it is simply divine. Rich, creamy and full of bacony and eggy goodness, the key is to make sure the risotto is very hot so the golden yolk cooks as you mix it in. Soul satisfyingly delicious, there's no doubt we'll be making it again.  

Risotto Carbonara (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Lorraine at figsandartichokes.blogspot.com)

1 cup diced bacon

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth

4 cups low sodium chicken stock, warmed

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Coarse ground black pepper

4 egg yolks * See Note

Parsley as garnish

In a large sauté pan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper lined plate and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Add butter to the pan and return to medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion has softened – about 3 to 4 minutes. Add Arborio rice and cook, stirring constantly until rice is coated and slightly translucent – another 3 or 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium low, add white wine and cook stirring until rice has absorbed the wine. Add chicken stock a half cup at a time, stirring constantly and continue until rice is creamy and al dente – about 17 minutes total. Stir in cream, parmesan cheese and reserved bacon. Cook, stirring for another minute or two until risotto is very hot and cheese has melted. Season with coarse ground black pepper and salt if necessary. Ladle onto warmed bowls. Top with an egg yolk. Garnish with parsley and additional parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

Note - It is important to use the freshest possible eggs you can find. The heat of the risotto should cook the egg when stirred into the rice before eating; however if you have concerns about serving raw egg yolk, add the yolks at the same time you add the cream and cheese to the risotto in the pan and heat slowly, stirring constantly, to prevent curdling.  

A year ago - Cuban Pork Picadillo

Two year's ago - Chicken and Mushroom Casserole with a Biscuit Top

Nonna's Chicken Scallopini

During what I call my informative years as a teenager, I worked in the kitchen at a local resort on the shores of Lake Nipissing in Northern Ontario Canada. At the time, the resort was owned by an Italian couple whose matriarch cooked magnificent specialties for the weekly Sunday night buffet and Chicken Scallopini was my favorite of all the fabulous mouth watering things she made. Although her command of the English language was limited, I like to think I learned a lot from her simply by osmosis. 

Loaded with garlic, shallots, golden browned mushrooms, marsala wine and kissed with sage and a touch of nutmeg, this version also known as chicken marsala is made from skinless, boneless chicken thighs instead of the usual chicken breast. Cut into pieces and pounded to a quarter inch thickness, seasoned and dredged in flour before browning in a combination of olive oil and butter, the thighs simmer in marsala and chicken stock until cooked through before they're finished with a touch of cream and a little lemon zest (which I forgot last night). They're moist, tender and oh so delicious. 

Served on a bed of noodles, pasta, or polenta, chicken scallopini is a downright decadent week night meal ...or any night for that matter as it takes almost no time to put together, can hold practically indefinitely on low heat and reheats beautifully too. 

I have no doubt Nonna is happily spending hours over simmering pots of gloriousness feeding the angels in heaven at this very moment.  Hopefully she'd be pleased with this tribute. 

Chicken Scallopini with Mushrooms and Marsala (an original from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Nonna)

1/4 cup butter, divided

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1-1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut in pieces & pounded to a 1/4 “ thick

Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 cup dry Marsala wine

3/4 cup extra strength chicken stock (I used 2 envelopes of Swanson’s Chicken Flavor Boost)

1/2 cup heavy cream

Zest of 1 lemon

Chopped parsley as garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are browned. Add garlic and shallots and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining butter and olive oil to pan and heat until butter is melted. Meanwhile, season pounded chicken thigh pieces on both sides with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Add sage and nutmeg and return mushrooms to the pan. Season with coarse ground black pepper. Add marsala wine and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove lid from pan and stir in heavy cream. Bring back to a boil, sprinkle with lemon zest.  Serve immediately over noodles. Garnish with parsley. Makes 4 servings. 

 A year ago - Israeli Couscous Salad with Apples, Cranberries & Herbs

Two year's ago - Chorizo Potato Tacos