Recipe adapted from Everyday Food and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Serves 4
Jim and I decided to stay at home and have a quiet dinner for Valentines Day. It was pretty dreary outside so I was craving some comfort food. I found a recipe in Everyday Food magazine, but didn't have all of the right ingredients in my pantry, so I adapted the recipe. It turned out to be quite delicious. It would be perfect for an impromptu casual dinner party for four. Serve it with a crisp salad and there you go! Here's the recipe using ingredients found at my favorite grocery store, Lost River Market & Deli.
8 oz. package frozen ravioli (I used Rising Moon Organic Basil, Asiago & Pine Nut Pesto Ravioli found in the frozen food case at Lost River Market & Deli.)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size chunks)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms (button mushrooms would work too) sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. (Keep frozen until ready to use.) Drain the cooked pasta, but reserve about 1/8 cup of the pasta water for later.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Salt and pepper the chicken chunks. Cook the chicken, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add the mushrooms to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat until mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until liquid has evaporated, 3-5 minutes more. Add wine; cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 2-3 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. Add the cream, cheese and chicken. Stir until the cheese has melted and the chicken is coated. Transfer to a large serving bowl and add the pasta. Add the parsley and the pasta water, if desired. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Spiced Rice with Almonds or Pine Nuts
Serves 4
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
This rice smells and tastes so good! It makes a great side dish for chicken or fish. Try it with Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna with a Cilantro, Garlic and Lime Sauce (recipe on this blog) When I make this rice dish, I double or triple the spice mixture and keep it in an airtight container for another time. All of the spices can be found in the bulk spice section at the Lost River Market & Deli.
3 Tablespoons slivered almonds or pine nuts
2 Tablespoons cooking oil (I use olive oil or sunflower oil)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup long grain white rice
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable broth
In a medium saucepan, cook and stir almonds in hot oil until light brown. Remove the almonds with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Set aside. In the same oil, add onion and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion is tender but not brown. Stir in uncooked rice and the spices. Cook and stir about 3 minutes to toast the rice. (You can prepare this up to this point and then place all the ingredients in your rice cooker, if you have one, to finish or...) Add the broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not lift cover! Remove the pan from the heat. Let the rice stand, covered for 10 minutes. Stir in the almonds and serve.
Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna with a Cilantro, Garlic and Lime Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
When I discovered that Lost River Market & Deli had tuna steaks in their freezer section, I did a happy dance in the aisle. I immediately bought a package (there are 3 steaks per package) and called my friend, Debbie to tell her. She told me that she just discovered them too and had already purchased a package. So, we decided to get together with our husbands last night and test a recipe. We gave this recipe a try last night and we all loved it. With the tuna, I served Alice’s A+ Salad plus Spiced Rice with Almonds (recipes on this blog) Tuna is truly an amazing food with a number of benefits that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Tuna is rich in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and has been known to reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also low in fat and cholesterol making it a great alternative to beef. Not only is tuna a powerhouse of nutrition, it is also one of the most delicious sources of lean protein that you will ever sink your teeth into. Chefs say the only way to eat tuna is rare, and I agree. It doesn’t take much time or effort to make this dish. Just put the tuna in a quick-to-make marinade then sear the tuna for 30-40 seconds per side and voila, it’s ready to serve and dip in the delicious marinade/sauce. We still have 2 steaks plus some salad left over. I know what I’m having for lunch today!
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Black Sesame Seeds (If you can’t find these, just use all white sesame seeds)
1/4 Cup White Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
6 Ahi (Also known as Yellow Fin) Tuna Steaks (from two packages)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
MARINADE/ DIPPING SAUCE
1/ 2 Cup of Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Zest and juice from 2 Limes
1- 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons of Honey
2 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
¼ cup of fresh Cilantro, chopped
1) Place all marinade ingredients to a large measuring cup with a spout and mix well. Pour half of this marinade into a separate container to use for the dipping sauce.
2) Pour the marinade into a large zip lock bag, add the tuna, and then squeeze out the air. Marinade for 30 minutes. (You could also use a glass dish and then cover it with plastic wrap.)
3) Remove tuna from marinade, shaking off any excess marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
4) Pour the sesame seeds into a shallow dish. Roll the tuna around in the seeds pressing down as you roll ensuring the seeds are packed into the tuna nicely.
5) Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoon of sesame oil. The oil should be hot but not smoking.
6) Add the tuna to the hot sauté pan and shake it a bit to make sure the tuna does not stick. Sear for 30 to 40 seconds on each side. The outsides should be toasted and the centers should be rare (a bit pink.)8) Serve with the reserved dipping sauce.
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
When I discovered that Lost River Market & Deli had tuna steaks in their freezer section, I did a happy dance in the aisle. I immediately bought a package (there are 3 steaks per package) and called my friend, Debbie to tell her. She told me that she just discovered them too and had already purchased a package. So, we decided to get together with our husbands last night and test a recipe. We gave this recipe a try last night and we all loved it. With the tuna, I served Alice’s A+ Salad plus Spiced Rice with Almonds (recipes on this blog) Tuna is truly an amazing food with a number of benefits that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Tuna is rich in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and has been known to reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also low in fat and cholesterol making it a great alternative to beef. Not only is tuna a powerhouse of nutrition, it is also one of the most delicious sources of lean protein that you will ever sink your teeth into. Chefs say the only way to eat tuna is rare, and I agree. It doesn’t take much time or effort to make this dish. Just put the tuna in a quick-to-make marinade then sear the tuna for 30-40 seconds per side and voila, it’s ready to serve and dip in the delicious marinade/sauce. We still have 2 steaks plus some salad left over. I know what I’m having for lunch today!
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Black Sesame Seeds (If you can’t find these, just use all white sesame seeds)
1/4 Cup White Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
6 Ahi (Also known as Yellow Fin) Tuna Steaks (from two packages)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
MARINADE/ DIPPING SAUCE
1/ 2 Cup of Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Zest and juice from 2 Limes
1- 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons of Honey
2 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
¼ cup of fresh Cilantro, chopped
1) Place all marinade ingredients to a large measuring cup with a spout and mix well. Pour half of this marinade into a separate container to use for the dipping sauce.
2) Pour the marinade into a large zip lock bag, add the tuna, and then squeeze out the air. Marinade for 30 minutes. (You could also use a glass dish and then cover it with plastic wrap.)
3) Remove tuna from marinade, shaking off any excess marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
4) Pour the sesame seeds into a shallow dish. Roll the tuna around in the seeds pressing down as you roll ensuring the seeds are packed into the tuna nicely.
5) Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoon of sesame oil. The oil should be hot but not smoking.
6) Add the tuna to the hot sauté pan and shake it a bit to make sure the tuna does not stick. Sear for 30 to 40 seconds on each side. The outsides should be toasted and the centers should be rare (a bit pink.)8) Serve with the reserved dipping sauce.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Medallions of Venison with Cranberry-Port Sauce
Recipe from William Sonoma Essentials of Healthy Cooking and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Serves 4
Our friend, Nathan, hunted his woods this past season and got a deer. I told him that if he’d bring over some tenderloins of venison, I’d cook them up for him. Last night, he made good on his promise and along with his wife, Janet, my hubby, Jim and another friend, Jason, we feasted on Nathan’s generous gift. All of the men loved this and there wasn’t a morsel left, so this definitely passes the man/husband test. This is an easy dish to make, but you’ll have to plan ahead because it calls for the venison to be marinated for 48 hours. I served this up with Apricot Pine Nut Pilaf (recipe on this blog) and some broccoli. It turned out to be a great combo. You’ll find cardamom pods in the bulk spice section of Lost River Market & Deli.
Marinade:
2 teaspoons sunflower or canola oil
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes (Since these weren’t in season, I used two tomatoes from a can.)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large shallot, minced
1 can (15 oz.) beef broth (I used homemade beef stock-recipe on this blog-because I had some in the freezer that I made around the holidays using Fischer Beef Bones that I had purchased at Lost River Mkt. & Deli.)
½ cup cranberry juice
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 cardamom pods, crushed
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 ¼ pounds venison tenderloins, sliced crosswise into 1 inch thick slices.
* You’ll also need some sunflower or canola oil for browning the venison
Sauce:
Reserved marinade
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup ruby Port
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 6 small pieces
Directions:
Sauté the garlic, shallot and carrot in a saucepan over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add the rest of the marinade ingredients (not the venison!) Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Place the venison in a shallow bowl or in a plastic Ziploc bag along with the marinade. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and place the venison in the fridge for 48 hours.
When you are ready to cook the venison, place the Port in a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat for 30 seconds. Add the cranberries to the warm Port and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
Set a large sieve over a bowl. Pour the venison and the marinade into the sieve. With tongs, remove the venison to a plate. Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids, but keep the liquid. Heat a couple of teaspoons of oil in a large skillet. Add the venison and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10-12 minutes total. (If you don’t have a large enough pan, cook the meat in 2 batches.) There should be dark brown bits on the bottom of the pan. That’s a good sign! Transfer the meat to a platter and tent with foil to keep it warm. Pour the reserved marinade into the pan and bring to a boil. Scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil until the liquid is reduced by about one third, about 5-10 minutes. Add the cranberries and the Port and cook another 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the butter pieces one at a time, whisking after each addition until each piece is melted and blended into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the meat.
Serves 4
Our friend, Nathan, hunted his woods this past season and got a deer. I told him that if he’d bring over some tenderloins of venison, I’d cook them up for him. Last night, he made good on his promise and along with his wife, Janet, my hubby, Jim and another friend, Jason, we feasted on Nathan’s generous gift. All of the men loved this and there wasn’t a morsel left, so this definitely passes the man/husband test. This is an easy dish to make, but you’ll have to plan ahead because it calls for the venison to be marinated for 48 hours. I served this up with Apricot Pine Nut Pilaf (recipe on this blog) and some broccoli. It turned out to be a great combo. You’ll find cardamom pods in the bulk spice section of Lost River Market & Deli.
Marinade:
2 teaspoons sunflower or canola oil
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes (Since these weren’t in season, I used two tomatoes from a can.)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large shallot, minced
1 can (15 oz.) beef broth (I used homemade beef stock-recipe on this blog-because I had some in the freezer that I made around the holidays using Fischer Beef Bones that I had purchased at Lost River Mkt. & Deli.)
½ cup cranberry juice
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 cardamom pods, crushed
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 ¼ pounds venison tenderloins, sliced crosswise into 1 inch thick slices.
* You’ll also need some sunflower or canola oil for browning the venison
Sauce:
Reserved marinade
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup ruby Port
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 6 small pieces
Directions:
Sauté the garlic, shallot and carrot in a saucepan over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add the rest of the marinade ingredients (not the venison!) Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Place the venison in a shallow bowl or in a plastic Ziploc bag along with the marinade. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and place the venison in the fridge for 48 hours.
When you are ready to cook the venison, place the Port in a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat for 30 seconds. Add the cranberries to the warm Port and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
Set a large sieve over a bowl. Pour the venison and the marinade into the sieve. With tongs, remove the venison to a plate. Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids, but keep the liquid. Heat a couple of teaspoons of oil in a large skillet. Add the venison and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10-12 minutes total. (If you don’t have a large enough pan, cook the meat in 2 batches.) There should be dark brown bits on the bottom of the pan. That’s a good sign! Transfer the meat to a platter and tent with foil to keep it warm. Pour the reserved marinade into the pan and bring to a boil. Scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil until the liquid is reduced by about one third, about 5-10 minutes. Add the cranberries and the Port and cook another 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the butter pieces one at a time, whisking after each addition until each piece is melted and blended into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the meat.
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