Delectable Dishes

"Cooking can be an act of love and delight, or it can be yet another exercise in racing through life on automatic pilot - never stopping for a moment to notice, feel, or taste. Cooking performed as an act of love brings us renewed energy and vigor." 
- Quoted in 'French Kids Eat Everything' and originally quoted in 'The Simple Living Guide'

Welcome to a page that lists a few of our choicest meals, tried and true! Great recipes ought to be shared, so enjoy.  Certain recipes cause us to purr at dinner time, these will be notated with an asterisk. *

 *Beach Street Lemon Chicken Linguine 

(Compliments of the Domestic Ditto Divas blog)

Ingredients:
1 lb. linguine
2 tablespoons olive oil
Zest from one lemon
Juice from one lemon
3 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Marinade:
½ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed (smashed with the back of a large knife or saucepan)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (cut this down to 1 1/2 teaspoons if you want less heat but don't omit entirely or you will lose great flavor)
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 chicken breasts, sliced

Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk lightly before pouring into a ziploc plastic bag. Pat chicken dry and toss in marinade to coat. Refrigerate 3-12 hours.

When ready to cook, preheat skillet over medium heat and pour contents of plastic bag (both marinade and chicken) into the skillet. Saute over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked.

Combine juice of one lemon, lemon zest, olive oil, green onions and fresh parsley together in a small bowl. Set aside.

While the chicken is sauteing, cook linguine in boiling salted water until done; drain and return to warm pot. Pour lemon juice/olive oil/green onion mixture over pasta and mix lightly. When chicken is finished cooking, add hot pasta mixture to the skillet with the chicken and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and toss in parmesan cheese. Serve warm

-Thursday, January 5th, 2012

*Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

• 1 Bottle BBQ Sauce (We LOVE Sweet Baby Ray's)
• 1/2 C. white vinegar
• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. mesquite seasoning
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 4-6 pieces sliced chicken

Combine all ingredients in your crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Enjoy your day and let your slow cooker do the work for you. :-) We normally eat it over rice (seasoned with a little garlic salt, pepper, and cumin) since Jon grew up in Hawaii and rice is dear to his heart. Or pick up some rolls and try a BBQ sandwich. Enjoy, Friends.

 -Thursday, January 5th, 2012

*Pasta Tonno y Olive (Italian Tuna and Olive Pasta) 

This dish is Jonathan's baby. As in, he learned it from his brother Daniel who served in Italy so whenever we have this delectable meal Jon does the cooking! It's a great tradition. I don't touch this one because I would hate to mess it up (or maybe I just enjoy that tuna pasta means I get a break from cooking!) So honestly there are no measurements because he doesn't measure, he just knows how much of each seasoning he loves loves loves. And he puts in an obscene amount of oregano, basil, and olive oil from what I can recall. 

  ** Note, the exact portions of the ingredients are not usually measured, so just taste it as you go along to make sure it's tasty! (Use 1 can of tuna/1 can of Tomato Sauce)

Ingredients:

* Penne pasta (you can also try it with rotini, bow tie, whatever you prefer)

* 1 Can of Tuna

* 1 Can of Tomato Sauce

* Olive Oil

* 1 tsp. Minced Garlic

* Black Pepper to taste

* 1 tsp. Basil

* 1 tsp. Oregano

* 1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper

* Diced Green Olives (1-2 Tbsp. per portion, cut finely)

1. Boil Pasta noodles

2. Drain tuna, sautee with olive oil and garlic (usually a spoonful for 2 portions)

3. After tuna has cooked/slightly browed then add (1st) Tomato sauce, (2nd) Green Olives, (3rd) four remaining spices (add according to desire, usually more Basil & Oregano, then add lesser amount of black pepper and crushed red pepper).

4. Let simmer together.

5. Put sauce on top of pasta noodles and...

6. ENJOY!

-Thursday, January 5th, 2012


*Barley, Black Bean, and Corn Burritos (Slow Cooker)

This recipe is so easy and so delicious. We are addicted to fresh tortillas. When you buy them raw and cook them on a skillet yourself, it makes all the difference in the world. It also tastes so much more authentic.This recipe is a vegetarian meal but if you want to add sliced chicken (like Jon requests), you can throw that in too.

Ingredients

1 14.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (I like Mexican style)
1 small can green chiles
1 C. uncooked barley
2 C. organic veggie broth
3/4 C. frozen corn (I simplify by using one can, rinsed and drained)
1/4 C. chopped green onion
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Put all of the above ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours (6 if you add chicken) or until barley is tender. Stir in 1/4 C. fresh cilantro

Flour tortillas
Sharp cheddar cheese
Curly leaf lettuce
Sour Cream
Salsa

Make yourself a burrito and enjoy your life. It's like a fiesta in your mouth...

-January 13th, 2012


*Chicken or Beef Satay on Wooden Skewers

Enjoy a little taste of Asia, my friends. You will need either 4 boneless chicken breasts or 1 1/2 lb rump steak, trimmed. You will also need wooden skewers. Traditionally, fine bamboo or wooden sticks are used to cook satays. With whatever you use, soak in cold water for at least 1 hour to prevent scorching during cooking.

Marinade:
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 inch peice of ginger root, peeled & grated (I cheated and used 1 tsp. ground ginger)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. veggie oil

Sauce:
1 1/4 C. coconut milk
4 Tbsp. crunchy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

1) Trim any fat from chicken or beef, cut into thin strips about 3 inches long.
2) For marinade, place all ingredients in a shallow dish and mix well. Add the chicken or beef strips and turn until well coated. Cover and leave to marinade for 2 hours or stand overnight in refrigerator.
3) Remove meat from the marinade and thread the pieces on wooden skewers or bamboo (concertina style).
4) Broil the satays for 8 to 10 minutes, turning and brushing occassionally with marinade until cooked through.
5) Meanwhile, make the sauce by mixing coconut milk, peanut butter, fish sauce, and lime juice in a pan. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Season to taste and serve with cooked satays.

I made this for Jon's birthday last summer and he freaked out. We love this dish over rice flavored with a little cumin, garlic salt, and pepper. Yummmmm

-January 13, 2012

* Stuffed Green Peppers - Rachel Style
I am not exactly sure how much spice and flavoring I put in these, to be honest. I just play around with the flavors until it has the kind of kick we prefer. :-) After experimenting, I discovered that the steak seasoning and bay leaves in particular make these rather tasty.

 Ingredients

4 to 6 green bell peppers
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. Montreal steak seasoning
2 tsp. garlic salt (we prefer Lawry's)
1-2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. crushed bay leaves
1 tomato, chopped  (we prefer romas)
Cheddar cheese (or pepperjack, or parmesan even!)

Turn the oven on 350 degrees. Before boiling the green peppers in water, be sure to cut off the tops and clean out the insides. Boil for about 10 minutes while preparing the meat with onion and seasonings. I let the meat cook with the onions for a bit, drain it, and then add the seasonings before the meat turns brown.Feel free to drain the meat again if needed. Add the tomato to the meat mixture when the meat is close to fully cooked.

After peppers are finished boiling, place them upside down on a paper towel to drip dry. Pat down your peppers with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture, OR just let them drip dry if you want them extra moist (Jon prefers them this way.)

Place peppers in a baking dish and salt the inside and outside. Layer the bottom of the insides with cheddar cheese, the middle with the meat mixture, and the top with more cheddar cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes and enjoy! These are very filling and make tasty leftovers.


Easy Penne Recipes:
These are ideal for the full-time working woman who comes home exhausted but needs to make something quick and tasty.

Roasted Tomato & Pancetta Penne

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss 2 pints cherry tomatoes with 1 thinly sliced large red onion, 1 tbsp olive oil,  and 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes; season, and top with 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta.  Roast at 450 degrees until tomatoes burst, 20 minutes, rotating pan once. Cook 3/4 pound penne, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Toss penne with tomato mixture, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, and pasta water; season. Serves 4


Spinach Pesto Penne

Cook 3/4 pound penne, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. In a food processor, pulse 8 ounces trimmed spinach, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 small garlic clove. Toss pesto with penne and pasta water; season. Serve with Ricotta.  Serves 4

Asian - Style Chicken Wraps

For sauce:

1 small jalapeno chili pepper, minced finely (remove seeds and white membrane for less spice)

1 tbsp garlic, minced (about 2-3 cloves)

3 tbsp brown sugar or honey

1/2 cup water

1/2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp lime juice (or about 2 limes)

For chicken:

1 tbsp peanut oil or vegetable oil

1 tbsp ginger, minced

1 tbsp garlic, minced (about 2-3 cloves)

12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil (optional)

1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

For wrap:

1 head red leaf lettuce, rinsed, dried, and separated into single leaves large enough to create wrap

8 fresh basil leaves, whole, rinsed, and dried

2 cups bok choy or Asian cabbage, rinsed and shredded

To prepare the sauce, add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let sit in hot saucepan for 3 to 5 minutes. Chill in refigerator for about 15 minutes or until cold.

Prepare the chicken by heating oil in a large wok or saute pan. Add ginger and garlic, and stir fry briefly until cooked but not brown, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add chicken and continue to stir fry for 5 to 8 minutes.

Add soy sauce, sesame oil (optional), and sesame seeds (optional), and return to a boil. Remove from the heat, and cover with lid to hold warm in hot saute pan.

Assemble each wrap: Place one red lettuce leaf on a plate, then ann 1/2 cup chicken stir-fry, 1 basil leaf, and 1/4 cup shredded cabbage and fold together. Serve 2 wraps with 1/4 cup sauce.

Calories 242

Total Fat 10 g

Protein 21 g

Carbs 17 g

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken Tenders
My sister-in-law found this recipe and we all fell instantly in love! So healthy and so delicious.

ingredients

• 1small orange
• 
  2/3
  cup cinnamon applesauce
• 
  1/4
  cup balsamic vinegar
• 
  1/2
  teaspoon ground cardamom or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 
  1
  pound chicken tenders
• 
  2
  teaspoons vegetable oil
• Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)
• directions
  
  

  1.Finely shred peel from orange; set aside. Juice orange. In a medium saucepan combine applesauce, vinegar, cardamom, juice from the orange, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Bring to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

  2.Season chicken lightly with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken; cook until golden brown on bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn chicken and add 1/2 cup of the applesauce mixture to skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

  3.To serve, top chicken with some of the applesauce mixture, orange peel and fresh thyme. Pass remaining applesauce mixture. Makes 4 servings.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  nutrition facts (Balsamic-Glazed Chicken Tenders)

• Servings Per Recipe 4,
 
• Calories 208,
 
• Protein (gm) 27,
 
• Carbohydrate (gm) 15,
 
• Fat, total (gm) 4,
 
• Cholesterol (mg) 66,
 
• Saturated fat (gm) 1,
 
• Monosaturated fat (gm) 1,
• Polyunsaturated fat (gm) 2,
 
• Dietary Fiber, total (gm) 1,
 
• Sugar, total (gm) 13,
 
• Vitamin A (IU) 97,
 
• Vitamin C (mg) 35,
 
• Thiamin (mg) 0,
 
• Riboflavin (mg) 0,
 
• Niacin (mg) 10,
 
• Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 1,
 
• Folate (µg) 12,
 
• Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 0,
 
• Sodium (mg) 207,
 
• Potassium (mg) 341,
 
• Calcium (DV %) 30,
 
• Iron (DV %) 1,
 
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

*Lemon-Pesto Cream Pasta with Chicken

                 

  

INGREDIENTS:
2 boneless chicken breast halves sliced thinly
1 whole lemon
Dash of red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth1 (8 ounce) package pasta (I used bow tie noodles)
1 cup heavy cream 
1/2 cup Pesto
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Steamed broccoli

DIRECTIONS:
1. Squeeze lemon on chicken breasts and add, garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Let sit for 1/2 hour.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the remaining garlic and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and add pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Add more water if the noodles are not done and you run out of liquid.
3. In another pan, heat oil and quickly cook chicken. Add cream, pesto, Parmesan, and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Add cooked noodles and steamed broccoli. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly before serving.
•   

• 
  
• 宮保雞丁
  
  
  *Kung Pao Chicken
  
  
  Ingredients:
  2 Chicken Breasts
  1 egg
  1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  2-3 Tbsp. cooking oil
  1 Tbspn Sichuan peppercorns (can substitute Laoganma)
  1 bag of hot red peppers
  1 Tbsp. finely chopped ginger (fresh ginger is best)
  3-4 garlic cloves (1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic)
  Soy sauce
  2 tsp. sugar
  
  
  Directions:
  
  
  Take the chicken breasts and lay out flat. Beat with a meat tenderizer for a minute or two and then chop into bit size pieces. Place chicken in a bowl. Beat the egg in a small bowl and pour the egg onto the bite-size chicken pieces. Add the cornstarch to the chicken and egg mixture then stir. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and mix, and then cover the chicken mixture and place in the fridge for at least 10 minutes (this helps the chicken mixture to become sticky).
  
  
  When done chilling, the chicken should be sticky. Remove from the fridge and add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and mix.
  
  
  In a pan, fry the Sichuan peppercorns in the cooking oil on medium low until fragrant. Move the peppercorns to the side of the pan out of the oil and then remove them from the pan and throw out (the purpose of the peppercorns is to give flavor to the oil). Add the hot red peppers to the oil and turn the heat to low; fry the peppers for a few minutes (the more seeds you add, the spicier the dish will be). Add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic and turn the heat to medium. Fry until fragrant. (For the garlic, you can smash it with the blunt edge of a big knife and then take off the little sack the garlic is in).
  
  
  Add the chicken mixture to the frying pan and stir until the chicken browns. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Stir. Add 1-2 tablespoons of spicy oil (add to taste).
  
  
  Immediately prior to serving, add peanuts and also add cilantro or green onions.

*Jon's Very Favorite Pot Roast

Sometimes simplicity is the key.

• Roast
• 2 envelops (1 box) onion soup mix
• Peeled, Sliced Carrots
• Sliced Yukon potatoes, not peeled
• 2 C beef broth
• 1-2 tsp. garlic salt

Let ingredients simmer in slow cooker for 8 hours. Enjoy!

*Thai-Style Chicken Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large white onion, peeled, halved, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

1/2 to 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 

2 stalks celery trimmed and diced

2 carrots peeled trimmed and diced

1 can 15 oz solid pack pumpkin (I might use a little more next time)

1/2 cup mango nectar

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I use fresh ground, organic)

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro, divided

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp corn starch

2-4 cups hot cooked rice, preferably jasmine or basmatti

3 green onions, minced

1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Lime wedges (optional)

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, about three minutes. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes; cook one or two minutes longer or until mixture is fragrant. Remove from heat. 

2. Place chicken mixture in crock pot slow cooker. Add celery, carrots, pumpkin, mango nectar, lime juice, peanut butter, broth, and two cups water; stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours. 

3. Stir in vinegar and half cilantro. Mix cream and corn starch together in small bowl, stir mixture into soup. If soup was cooked on low setting, turn to high. Simmer uncooked ten minutes, or until soup thickens. To serve, put rice in soup bowls and ladle soup around rice. 

4. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro, green onions, and peanuts. If desired, squeeze lime wedges over soup.

Healthy Homemade Sloppy Joes

One of Rach's Faves, from 100 Days of Real Food

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup diced onion
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey and it was wonderful)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• A couple dashes of pepper
• 1 15 ounce can plain tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1½ teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon (Optional: This was the "secret" ingredient that reminded me of the Sloppy Joes from my childhood, but I realize it's out of the ordinary so decide for yourself if you like this addition!)
• Toasted whole-wheat buns for serving (for sliders use small buns or dinner rolls!)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften but not brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef and garlic, and cook while breaking up the meat with a spatula. Season with the salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the meat has browned all the way through. Drain the excess fat and discard.
3. Add the tomato sauce, honey, chili powder, vinegar, mustard, and cinnamon (if using) to the pan and simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with whole-wheat buns and some yummy vegetables on the side. Enjoy!

Rachel's "Superwoman" Superfood Salad

Want to feel like superwoman today?

• 1-2 Cups spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup cooked chicken, preferably cooked in pesto
• 1 cup peeled, diced, cooked sweet potatoes (bake in olive oil for added moisture)
• sauteed red or other onion slices
• sliced avocado
• Fresh ground pepper

Chicken, Kale, and Sweet Potato Stew

Get your healthy deliciousness on

Throw the following ingredients into your slow cooker:

- 2 lbs chicken breast

-2 large sweet potatoes (I used red yams), peeled, and cut into chunks

- 1 large onion, cut into chunks

- 1/2 small can of tomato paste
-1-2 cups of water, depending on what consistency you like

- 3 Tbsp pesto

- 1 tsp salt

Cook on high 4 hours or low 6 hours. One hour before serving, add in 2-4 cups chopped kale and shred chicken with two forks to continue cooking. Enjoy!



*Salmon Tacos

Jon keeps reminding me to post this quick dinner I made up, because he fell in love all over again...or something. :) 

• Fresh salmon fillet, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 1 tsp. paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Mama Ditto's Homemade Cafe Rio dressing (I'll have to post this one separately)
• Cabbage, cut into thin strips
• Raw tortillas, cook fresh at home

Sautee olive oil, garlic, and ginger until lightly browned, add red onion and salmon, cook for 5 minutes, add paprika, salt and pepper, and lemon juice and cook 10 minutes longer until salmon is finished. Eat with Cafe Rio dressing and cabbage strips on tacos.