Sunday, January 24, 2016

In heaven, after antipasti, the first course will be pasta

Skillet Taco Pasta


1 pound ground turkey
8 ounces uncooked pasta, such as rotini or elbow macaroni
1 can (8 3/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups water
1 package Taco Spices
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Directions

Brown turkey in large skillet on medium-high heat. Drain fat.

Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese.

Bring to boil on high heat.

Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle top with cheese.

Cover. Cook 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

In Congress, it's all pork, all the time

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 large pork chops
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lemon, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Take out pork chops 20 minutes prior to cooking.

Once room temperature, salt and pepper both sides.

Roll each pork chop in the Parmesan.

Next, dip pork chops in the egg.

Place pork chops in bread crumbs and cover thoroughly.

In a large skillet, on medium heat, heat olive oil.

Once hot, place pork chops in skillet for 5 minutes.

Flip and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

Garnish with lemon wedge.

Enjoy your chops!

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Our motto is we respect and honour the pigness of the pig and the chickenness of the chicken. That means not confining them in a house with hundreds of others.

Mongolian Ramen Chicken

1½ lb boneless chicken breast
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
8 oz dry ramen noodles
3 green onions, chopped

For Sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
¾ cup soy sauce, low sodium
⅔ cup brown sugar
1¼ cup chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

Slice the chicken into small thin pieces against the grain. In a large zip-lock bag add the starch and the chicken to it. Close the zip-lock bag and shake really well until each piece is coated with cornstarch.

In a non stick skillet heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add chicken and cook until browned. It will take 2 or 3 batches because you don't want the chicken pieces to stick to each other. Also if you need more oil after the batch feel free to add more.

Remove chicken from skillet to a plate and empty the oil from the skillet.

Add the bell pepper to the skillet and sauté it for a couple minutes just until it gets soft. Remove the pepper from the skillet to a plate and set aside.

In that same skillet add sauce ingredients, the sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chicken broth and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook over medium heat until sauce thickens a bit and reduces by about a quarter. It took me about 10 minutes until the sauce thickened and reduced. You don't want to reduce it too much because you need more sauce for the noodles.

In the meantime cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions.

Return the chicken and bell pepper to the skillet and toss in the sauce. Add the cooked ramen noodles to the skillet and toss everything together. Top with green onions and serve.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

I'm glad I am a woman who once danced naked in the Mediterranean Sea at midnight.

Mediterranean Yogurt Cake

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for greasing the loaf pan
1 cup sugar
2 clementines
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup plain, low-fat or nonfat Greek-style yogurt
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure orange oil or extract (optional)
1/2 cup mild-flavored olive oil
2 tablespoons honey, for glazing (optional)

Steps
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease an 81/2-by-41/2-inch loaf pan with the butter.

Put the sugar in a mixing bowl. Use a Microplane zester to grate the zest from the clementines directly over the sugar, then use your clean fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is aromatic and moist.

Use a sharp knife to peel the fruit, removing all the white pith. Cut between the membranes to release the fruit segments; place them between sheets of paper towels to blot-dry while you make the batter.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.

Whisk the yogurt into the zest and sugar, then energetically beat in the eggs one at a time to form a smooth mixture. Whisk in the vanilla extract and the orange oil or extract, if using.

Add the flour mixture to the yogurt mixture, whisking less vigorously than before.

Once there’s no trace of dry ingredients, switch to a flexible spatula and stir in the oil; do that in a few additions. You should have a smooth, shiny batter; pour it into the loaf pan, making sure to get it into the corners, and smooth the top. Scatter the clementine segments over the surface.

Bake (middle rack) for 50 to 60 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a tester inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then invert it to dislodge it from the pan. Turn the cake right side up on the rack; cool to room temperature.

If you’d like to glaze the cake, warm the honey very briefly in a microwave on LOW, just to liquefy it, then brush it over the top of the cake. Let it sit at room temperature.

Sunday, January 3, 2016

The bee collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or destruction to them, and he leaves them whole, undamaged and fresh, just as he found them.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, basil, paprika, and parsley. Mix well.

Pour 1/2 of this mixture over the chicken, and brush to cover.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Turn chicken pieces over and brush with the remaining 1/2 of the honey mustard mixture.

Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Let cool 10 minutes before serving.