2011, Recipe 82: Creamy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Denise's Kitchen (I put my modifications in italics)

1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced

2 cups rotisserie chicken plus drippings

2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste 

1 1/2 – 2 cups chicken broth

1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups cooked white or brown rice
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Shred leftover chicken and set aside in a bowl.
3. Add oil to a hot pan and add the onions. Cook on medium heat for two minutes.
4. Add the shredded chicken along with the pan drippings from the previous night’s baking of said chicken (including about a tablespoon of that glorious chicken fat if you have some).
5. When drippings are incorporated into the chicken and onions, add the butter, flour, thyme, paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until everything is fully incorporated.
6. Add chicken stock and mushrooms and mix thoroughly.
7. Simmer for 5-10 minutes on low heat with the cover on.
8. Incorporate sour cream and then add the rice, mixing fully. If the mixture seems thick, add in another 1/2 cup chicken stock.
9. If baking in a separate dish, this is the time to butter the inside and then set the mixture inside, topping with the breadcrumbs. If baking in the same pan you used to cook the ingredients, (which is my preference) then just top with the bread crumbs and set in the oven.
10. Bake for 20 minutes and then serve with a nice salad or steamed vegetable.


Results:  I loved the idea of using rotisserie chicken and SOUR CREAM! The sour cream really excited me!  It did creamy wonderfully!  My biggest annoyance was that this recipe's ingredients weren't listed in the order they were used.  Me fail: I didn't have mushrooms.  Boooo.  But beyond that, this recipe seemed to be missing something... like one more spice or more of one used would have made this better.  Maybe more of the thyme and more paprika?  Maybe rosemary instead of thyme?  This recipe had good bones.  It just could've used a little boost.

*Also... HAPPY 350TH POST TO US AT THE RECORD DISH!!  It was the brainchild of our friend, Ashli, who promptly stopped blogging.  LOL  Thanks for the idea, anyway!  What started as a music, fashion & food blog has become mostly a food blog with a splash of fashion.  No matter!  Happy, happy!

2011, Recipe 80: Bacon, Mushroom, Carmelized Onion & Garlic Confit Pizza

I based this recipe on one from Epicurious.com.   

• 3 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 6 large garlic cloves, chopped slightly larger than minced
• 8 ounces assorted fresh wild mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

•  1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 ball of pizza dough
• 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup mixed shredded Italian cheeses

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add onion to the pan.  Cook gently until onions are soft and brown.  Remove from pan.  Add oil and garlic to skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until garlic is golden, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and rosemary; cover and cook over high heat until mushrooms are tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 8 hours ahead; chill bacon and vegetables.) 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Sprinkle cornmeal on your rolling surface.  Roll out pizza dough.  Place rolled out pizza crust on baking sheet. Sprinkle cheeses, spread sauce, then top with vegetable mixture and bacon. Bake until cheese melts, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven.  Sprinkle with a little more chopped fresh rosemary. Let stand 2 minutes. Cut and serve. 

Results: YUMMMMYYYYY!!! We loved this!  Ol delicious fancy pizza!  The garlic confit made it!!!  And you know what?  Didn't even really need the bacon.  Next time I'll use barbeque sauce instead of spaghetti sauce to change it up. 

2011, Recipe 81: Nutella & Nanner "Ice Cream"

Recipe based on this one from Claire Robinson

• 2 to 3 ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon Nutella
• 2 crumbled Nilla wafers

Cut the bananas into 1-inch pieces and freeze.  (PEEL, THEN FREEZE.  If you freeze first, they're much harder to peel.)  Put the frozen bananas in a food processor and puree, scraping down sides periodically, until smooth. Add the nutella and puree. Serve immediately or refreeze until ready to enjoy.  When ready to enjoy, top with crumbled wafers.

Results:  The original recipe is banana, peanut butter & honey.  I didn't have peanut butter so I switched it up.  So good!  So creamy!!  I used a blender and added a splash of milk because frozen bananas do not like to blend.  But most reviewers say they'll eventually blend w/o it.  Delightful!

2011, Recipes 78 & 79: Moose Burger with Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Burger recipe courtesy of The Hungry Cyclist

• 1kg freshly minced moose meat
• 1 onion, finely chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 egg 
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (dried will not do!) 
• 1 pinch fresh thyme 
• 1 pinch fresh rosemary leaves, chopped 
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh chilli 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to cook: 
• a rasher of bacon for each burger
• to serve: buns, Canadian cheddar, lettuce, tomato and sweet relish

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl using your hands. Take a good handful of the mixture and shape into a thick patty, then flatten to about an inch thick and set aside while you make the rest of the burgers. 

2. Cook some rashers of bacon in a heavy frying pan until they have released their fat. Remove the bacon and set aside.

3. Place the burgers in the same hot pan and cook on each side for 3–4 minutes. The bacon fat will add a wonderful flavour. 

4. Serve each burger in a bun with a chunky slab of Canadian Cheddar, some sweet relish, tomato and lettuce.

Results: YUMMMMMMMY!!!  OMG these were so good!!!  I got the moose from a friend who knows a hunter.  It was grrrreat!  I will definitely eat moose again if given the opportunity!  I saw someone describe the flavor as similar to bison.  It wasn't super gamy.  It was just tasty.  I think you could take this method and apply it to ground beef or turkey and be quite happy with the results!

Fry recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder 

• Olive Oil, for tossing
• 5 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch long slices, then 1/4-wide inch strips, using a crinkle cut knife
• Oil
• 1 tablespoon House Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a sheet tray with parchment. In a large bowl toss sweet potatoes with just enough oil to coat. Sprinkle with House Seasoning and paprika. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet, being sure not to overcrowd. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Results: I put way too many fries on one sheet pan so not enough of them got crispy.  They could've used more seasoning, too.  But it was a good basic recipe.

2011, Recipe 77: Baked Eggplant with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce

Recipe from Grouprecipes.com

• 1 1/4 lbs eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 zucchini, sliced thinly
• 1 medium red pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, divided
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes, divided
• 1 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated low-fat Parmesan
• 1/4 cup dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs

1. Heat a non-stick grill pan (or broiler).
2. Salt and pepper eggplant slices lightly.
3. Grill or broil the eggplant 3 minutes on each side, until brown.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F.
5. Heat water in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat.
6. Add onion through mushrooms.
7. Cover and cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring mixture occasionally.
8. Increase heat to medium-high. Uncover pan, and cook for 2 - 3 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates.
9. Spread half of pan mixture in bottom of a deep baking dish coated with cooking spray.
10. Arrange half of eggplant slices over mushroom mixture.
11. Top with half the pepper, half the tomatoes and all the mozzarella.
12. Spread remaining mushroom mixture over cheese.
13. Top with remaining eggplant, pepper and tomatoes.
14. Sprinkle with Parmesan and breadcrumbs.
15. Cover dish, and bake 1 hour.
16. Remove cover, and return to oven for 5 minutes.
17. Let stand 10 minutes, then serve

Results: Partway through I was already annoyed with how long this doggone recipe took.  It was unnecessarily labor intensive.  That said, it was very delicious.  I made a similar recipe that was better.  It was the feta and fresh basil that was fantastic in the other recipe.  Also... I would've been happier with this as a side dish.

2011, Recipe 76: Spicy Shrimp Burgers

I'd never had a shrimp burger before... honestly, I don't like shrimp that much.  It is too often overcooked and I just like other seafood much better.  I'll eat shrimp (most often mixed with meat or other seafood) but if there are other choices, I'll go with those first.  The seafood I don't eat?  Scallops.  I haaaaate scallops.  No matter how many times I try them, I just don't like scallops.


Back to burgers!  I decided to make shrimp burgers and they were... well... I'll tell you later.  To the recipe!


Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

• 1 pound raw peeled and deveined small shrimp
• 1 celery stalk with green, leafy tops, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 small to medium yellow skinned onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• A handful parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose seafood seasoning, found near fish department (recommended: Old Bay)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1 lemon, zested
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 4 English muffins, sandwich size plain or sour dough flavor
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chili sauce or salsa or taco sauce
• Butter or Boston lettuce leaves

Divide the shrimp in half. Put half the shrimp into a food processor and grind it up. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl using a rubber spatula. Add the whole shrimp to the bowl. Add celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic and parsley to the processor and pulse-grind it into a fine chop. Add the vegetable mixture to the shrimp. Add half a palm full of crab boil seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, lemon zest, salt and pepper to the bowl, to season. Stir the shrimp mixture to combine. 

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream. Use a large metal scoop to scoop 4 mounds of shrimp burger mixture into the pan. Gently pat down to form patties. Fry patties 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until they firm up and the shrimp turn whitish-pink.


Split and toast the sandwich size English muffins. Mix mayonnaise and chili sauce, salsa or taco sauce. Place burgers on muffin bottoms and top with lettuce. Slather the top of the muffins with sauce and set in place.

Results: Y'all know I don't like mayo.  This is turning into a what Jameil doesn't like post.  Sorry!  Anyway, I used sour cream instead of mayo and it was delightful! You could also use yogurt.  I used regular buns as you see and romaine lettuce.  Now the shrimp are gummy when you bring them out of the processor.  I took the advice of a reviewer and added an egg which I think was unnecessary.  The panko suggestion from another reviewer was helpful.  These were delicious!!  I loved them!!  Great call, Jameil!

Bonus Recipe: Old Bay Seasoning
Recipe courtesy of Food.com

• 1 tablespoon celery seed (I used celery salt)
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorn
• 6 bay leaves (I just used 3)
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cardamom pod
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (I used ground)
• 4 whole cloves (I used ground)
• 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon mace (or allspice)

1) Place ingredients in a spice grinder or small food processor-grind well.

2) Store in a small glass. 

Results: Great!  I used it in my shrimp burger recipe because amazingly I had allll of these spices (and more), but no Old Bay. LOL  And I got to use my coffee grinder as a spice grinder for the first time.  The spices got EVERYWHERE.  Well all over the grinder.  I should definitely use it for coffee... except I don't use coffee.

2011, Recipe 75: Poached Eggs on Creamy Grits with Creole Sauce

Recipe Courtesy of Chow.com

Grits:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
• 1 cup stone-ground grits, not instant or quick-cooking
• 2 cups whole milk, half-and-half, or a combination

Creole Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons bacon drippings, optional
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced celery
• 2 plump garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chicken stock or water
• 1 cup chopped canned tomatoes with juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Pinch or two of cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste

Eggs:

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 4 to 8 large eggs
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste

n a large heavy saucepan, bring 1 quart water, butter, and salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits a few handfuls at a time. (They will bubble up initially.) When you have added all the grits, reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently toward the end. After about 30 minutes, or when the grits begin to seem somewhat stiff and give a bit of resistance at the bottom, stir in half the milk, adding the rest about 10 minutes later. Add more salt if you wish near the end of the cooking time. When done, the grits should be slightly soupy but with enough body that they don’t run all over the plate or bowl. The grits can be held briefly over low heat, with a little water or additional milk added to keep them from getting too stiff. 

While the grits simmer, begin the sauce. Warm the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, adding the bacon drippings if you wish for extra flavor. Sprinkle the flour into the pan drippings, stirring to combine, and cook the mixture until it’s a rich, deep brown, about 5 minutes. Watch it carefully and stir frequently, because it can go quickly from the desired shade to burned. Immediately mix in the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the stock and tomatoes, add the bay leaf, thyme, and cayenne, and simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.

When the grits and sauce are ready, poach the eggs. Fill a broad saucepan with about 2 inches of water, pour in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Break as many eggs as will fit in your pan easily into cups or ramekins. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer, then slip the eggs into the water. We prefer to simmer the eggs gently for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat and cover for 2 to 3 minutes. When done, remove with a slotted spoon. Repeat if needed for additional eggs. Trim any ragged edges off the egg whites. 
Spoon a pool of grits into 4 shallow soup bowls or plates, spoon a few tablespoons of sauce around the edge, and nestle an egg or two over the grits. Serve immediately, with the remaining sauce on the side.

Results: This is definitely a weekend recipe.  I always use quick grits.  ALWAYS.  I have no desire to stand by a stove stirring some grits for 50 minutes.  Please.  So you can cut the time of this recipe down significantly.  The sauce?  EVERYTHING!!  So many delicious layers of flavors!  I loved it!  I had some left over so I can't wait to use it again!

2011, Recipe 74: Tomato Basil & Feta Pasta

From the UK Allrecipes.com (So I put the conversions for you!)

• 1/2 lb. uncooked fusilli or penne pasta
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 12-oz can chopped tomatoes, (about 3 fresh Roma)
• 6 fresh basil leaves, torn
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Combine olive oil, garlic, onion, tomatoes and basil; let sit at room temperature.
Toss warm pasta with Parmesan and feta. Stir in tomato mixture and sprinkle on salt and pepper. You can add more Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.

Results: Super easy and super delicious.  I'm frightened of raw garlic and raw onion.  Left out the onion, decided to give the raw garlic a shot.  It was awesome in this recipe!  I think the sitting to the side made it happy.  I used crushed red pepper because we like things spicy! ;-) I will say room temp cooled everything way down so this wasn't exactly a hot dish.  That was a bit odd but not undelicious.

2011, Recipe 73: Grilled Chicken and Radicchio with Roasted Garlic Herb Dressing

Recipe courtesy of  Tyler Florence

1 head of garlic, cut in half at the equator (suggest using center)

kosher salt

extra-virgin olive oil

2 whole fresh thyme sprigs, plus leaves from 6 sprigs

2 lemons, juiced

2 lemon halves

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 4 - 4 /12 pound chicken, cut into 10 similar sized pieces

freshly ground black pepper

1 medium head of radicchio, preferably Treviso, cut into quarters

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut a piece of aluminum foil about 12 inches long. Cut 1 or 2 heads of garlic in half at the equator (suggest center), and set on one half of the foil. Add 2 teaspoons water on the garlic, drizzle on some olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and add 2 springs of thyme.

Make a tight foil packet by enclosing the garlic and folding in both the top and the sides 2 or 3 times to seal. Roast the packet in the oven for 30 minutes, or until garlic is soft.

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Cut up 1 chicken (around 4 pounds, skin-on) into 10 similarly-sized pieces. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Put the pieces in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss well to coat and refrigerate until you're ready to cook the chicken.

Take one medium head of radicchio (preferably Treviso), and cut into quarters. Place radicchio in a new bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss.

Take out the garlic packet from oven. Open it and let the garlic cool a bit, then squeeze out the cloves into a food processor or blender. Add 1/2 cup olive oil, juice of 2 lemons, 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, and leaves from 6 springs of thyme. Puree everything together to make a thick dressing.

Put the chicken on the grill, skin side down, along with the radicchio and grill them together. Cook the radicchio for about 2 minutes per side until it has a nice char, then take it off the grill and set aside to cool. Grill the chicken for about 20 minutes. Turn once and baste with about half of the garlic-herb dressing.

Keep cooking until the chicken is nice and brown all over, about 15 to 20 more minutes (an instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the thigh should read 160 degrees F.) During the last few minutes, throw 2 lemon halves on the grill, cut sides down, and cook until smoky and just marked.

When chicken is finished cooking, toss the chicken and radicchio with remainder the roasted garlic-herb dressing. Squeeze grilled lemon all over chicken and serve.

Results: The dressing was good though I thought the garlic flavor was a bit too mellow.  The chicken was good.  The radicchio was BITTER!!!  OMG IT WAS BITTER!!  Grilling is supposed to mellow it out.  You needed the dressing and grilled lemon for it to be palatable.

2011, Recipe 72: Chile Relleno Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Elise at Simplyrecipes.com

• 8 poblano chiles
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-ounce can tomatoes
• Salt
• 1 pound Mexican chorizo (or other spicy sausage)
• 1 cup crumbled cotija cheese
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
• 12 eggs
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup Monterey jack or mild cheddar cheese, shredded

1 Preheat broiler. Lay chiles in a single layer on a broiling pan (not a baking sheet that will warp in the heat of the broiler) or on a rack in a roasting pan. Position the the chilies one to two inches from the broiler element. Cook until chiles are blistering and black, a few minutes on all sides. Turn chiles over and broil until blistering and black all over. Put chilies in a paper bag or thick plastic bag. Let sit 15 minutes.

2 While the chilies are cooling, heat olive oil in a large sautée pan, on medium. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the tomatoes (break up any whole tomatoes before adding to the pan). Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat to low. Gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3 Carefully peel and discard the blackened skin off of the chilies. Cut off the stem ends, remove the seeds and discard. Set chiles aside on a layer of paper towels to dry.
4 In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook chorizo, stirring occasionally to break up the meat, until cooked through, about 4 minutes.
5 Preheat oven to 375°. Pour tomato sauce into the bottom of an 8x12 inch baking dish (the tomato sauce should be the consistency of a thin spaghetti sauce. If it is too thick, thin it out with a little water).
6 In a large bowl, mix chorizo, cotija, and oregano. Stuff chiles with sausage mixture and lay them on top of the tomato sauce in the pan.
7 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle chiles with half of the jack or cheddar cheese. Pour egg mixture over chiles and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
8 Bake until top starts to brown and the eggs are set but still soft, about 30 minutes.
Serves 8.

Results:  Good.  Rashan and I liked it enough to eat it after the first day.  It felt a little more like breakfast because of the eggs.  I halved the recipe (1/6 of a cup is 8 teaspoons) and used 5 eggs...  I can't say I really see the point of the eggs.  It was good but the eggs were strange.   And I love eggs so yeah...

Also for some reason, the casing would NOT come off of my chorizo!!  So crazy!  So I just chopped it and browned it and put it in the poblanos.  I'll be making chile rellenos again but probably not this recipe without modifications I can't quite put my finger on.  Maybe I just don't need a casserole.  Not sure.  Oh and I used fresh oregano, but I think dried might have worked even better because it probably would've been incorporated better.