Chicken en Papillote & Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Here's another new recipe from my Cooking for Two book.  Technically, "en papillote" is a classic French method of baking food in parchment paper to steam it in its own juice, but this recipe substituted aluminum foil.  Although it's a light and healthy dish, it was still flavorful and filling.   The sweet potato fries were good, but I would have liked the outside to be a little crisper.  And I had added extra Cayenne, so they were a bit spicy.

Chicken en Papillote with Zucchini and Tomatoes
(2013 Cookbook Challenge)
Recipe from 2009 Cooking for Two
Serves 2;   290 calories/serving

Ingredients:
2 (6-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/2" thick
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Combine the oil, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl.  Toss half of the oil mixture with the tomatoes, and toss the remaining mixture separately with the zucchini.

Cut two 14x12" rectangles of heavy-duty foil and lay them flat on the counter.  Shingle the zucchini in the center of each foil.  place a chicken breast on top of the zucchini, then top with the tomatoes.  Tightly crimp the foil into a packet (Bring the longer sides of the foil over the meat, crimp the edges, then keep folding over a few more times.  Do the same with the sides until you have a tight little package.) 

Set the packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 450º for about 25 minutes, until the breasts register 160º on an instant-read thermometer.  Carefully open the packets, allowing steam to escape, and let cool briefly.  Using a spatula, transfer the chicken and vegetables to a plate.  Sprinkle with basil if desired.

Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Recipe from Eating Well Serves Two
122 calories/serving


Preheat oven to 450º.  Peel one large sweet potato and cut into wedges or strips.  Toss with 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of Cayenne pepper.  Spread the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until browned and tender, turning once, about 20 minutes total.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Continuing with my 2013 Cookbook Challenge, I decided to make dinner from my Cooking for Two book by America's Test Kitchen.   This recipe was delicious.  It was spicy without overpowering my taste buds, and I couldn't believe how moist and tender the chicken was.  Really yummy.  Despite the long list of ingredients, it was really easy to make.  I will definitely make this again.

Chicken Tikka Masala over Basmati Rice (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
Recipe from 2009 Cooking for Two
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (6-8oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
Yogurt mixture:
1/2 cup plain yogurt (not fat free)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

Sauce:
1 can (14.5oz) whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, minced (~1/2 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 small serrano chile, seeded and minced
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:
For the chicken: Combine the garam masala, cayenne, and salt in a shallow bowl.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then coat the chicken with the spices, pressing to adhere.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.   Whisk the yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger together in a medium bowl.  Cover and refrigerate until needed.

For the sauce: Process the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until pureed, about 15 seconds.    Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, ~5-7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the processed tomatoes, sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the yogurt and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to be 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a wire rack.  Dip the chicken into the yogurt mixture so that it is thickly coated on both sides and arrange on wire rack; discard any remaining yogurt mixture.  Broil the chicken until the exterior is lightly charred in spots and the thickest part of the breast registers 160º on a thermometer, about 15 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking.

Let the chicken rest a few minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks.  Stir the chicken pieces into the warm sauce and add the cilantro.  Serve over basmati rice.

Note: The sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 4 days in advance; gently reheat the sauce before adding the hot chicken.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Jeremy likes having dessert after dinner (okay, so do I!), so I decided to make a pie.  As an added bonus, I got to break in my new stand mixer to make the whipped topping.   I took this recipe from James Beard's American Cookery.  It was just okay.  Something seemed off about the chocolate filling.  It wasn't my favorite pie, but we'll eat the leftovers without complaint.

Chocolate Cream Pie  (2013 Cookbook  Challenge)
from James Beard's American Cookery

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup sugar
7 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 cups whole milk, scalded (or 2 cups skim milk plus 1 cup cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz semisweet chocolate, shaved
9" pie crust, baked according to directions.
***
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt, and eggs. Slowly stir in the scalded milk (or use any milk and cream combination).  Cook mixture, whisking constantly, until it begins to boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and continue to cook a few more minutes until thickened.  Remove from the heat and add vanilla and shaved chocolate.  Stir until all the chocolate is melted and evenly mixed.  Cover with plastic wrap to avoid a film from forming and cool in fridge.  Once cool, spoon into baked and cooled pie crust.

To make gelatinized whipped cream topping, dissolve 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in 1 tablespoon water and heat until thoroughly melted.  Blend with the cream and whip with sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  Spoon or pipe onto the chocolate pie and garnish with shaved chocolate if desired.

BLT Frittata

Hello, 2013!   For my first recipe of the new year, I decided to make something that would utilize my new oven-safe skillet.  A frittata sounded like the perfect answer.  I started with a basic tomato and cheese frittata recipe from the How to Cook Everything cookbook, and then I added an Anne twist by making it a BLT Frittata, adding spinach and bacon to the mixture.  It was quite yummy.  But isn't everything with bacon yummy?!

Anne's BLT Frittata   (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
6 thick bacon slices
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 cup diced tomato
1&1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
8 eggs
salt
pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook the bacon and let dry on paper towels.  Crumble into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Put the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomato and spinach and turn the heat to low, stirring and cooking another few minutes until the pan is almost dry.  Add bacon and stir.

Whisk the eggs with some salt and pepper.  Pour the eggs over the tomato mixture, using a spoon to evenly distribute the vegetables if necessary.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top and cook, undisturbed, until the eggs are barely set, about 5-10  minutes.  Transfer skillet to a preheated 350º oven, and finish cooking eggs for a few minutes (or under the broiler) until set, being careful not to over-cook eggs. 

2012 New Ingredient Challenge

A summary of my 2012 New Ingredient Resolution Progress--my personal challenge to make recipes using ingredients I hadn't cooked with before.   I didn't complete all 52 weeks, but I got to 35, and that's 35 in the right direction.  There's still a lot of ingredients I want to be brave and try... like squid/octopus, caviar, goose, collard greens, lentils, etc. 

New Ingredients used in 2012:

Week 1: Persimmons  - Persimmon Bread and Persimmon Pudding
Week 2: Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) - Hummus and Garbanzo Bean and Zucchini Salad
Week 3: Sea Scallops - Seared Scallops on Farfalle with Tomato-Cream Sauce
Week 4: Swiss Chard -  Rainbow Chard and Gruyère Quiche
Week 5: Liquid Smoke - Anne's BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Week 6: Cherimoya - Cherimoya Chiffon Pie
Week 7: Lobster, Polenta - Surf & Turf with Broccolini over Parmesan Polenta
Week 8: Eggplant - Eggplant and Zucchini Brown Rice Gratin
Week 9: Fresh Coconut - Tahitian Coconut Bread and Coconut-Crusted Tilapia with Mango Salsa
Week 10: Jicama - Pulled Pork Sandwich with Jicama Slaw
Week 11: Parsnips - Irish Parsnip-Apple Soup
Week 12: Bulgar - Tabbouleh
Week 13: Tangerines - Tangerine Beef with Snap Peas
Week 14: Edamame - Roasted Edamame Salad
Week 15: Prosciutto - Apple, Gouda, and Prosciutto Panini and Asparagus-Prosciutto Fettuccine Alfredo
Week 16: Pummelo, Tangelo - Seared Ahi Tuna on a Pummelo and Tangelo Salad
Week 17: Kale - Kale Chips  and Better Kale Chips
Week 18: Agave Nectar - Mango-Chipotle-Agave Chicken and Mexican Churro Balls with Agave Caramel Sauce and Agave Mint Limeade
Week 19: Spam - Pizza Spam Bake
Week 20: Ugli Fruit, Watercress - Ugli Duckling and Rosemary Potatoes
Week 21: Fennel - Shaved Fennel Salad
Week 22: Pluots - Grilled Pluot Salad and Dino Egg Crumble
Week 23: Chai Tea - Chai Tea Cookies
Week 24: Braunschweiger - Braunschweiger Melt
Week 25: Swordfish - Grilled Swordfish
Week 26: Pine nuts - Zeus Burgers
Week 27: Okra - Cajun Gumbo
Week 28: Purple Potatoes - Herbed Purple Potatoes and Roasted Garlic Mashed Purple Potatoes
Week 29: Mascarpone Cheese - Raspberry Tart
Week 30: Beauty Heart Radish - Radish, Cucumber, and Spinach Salad
Week 31: Bison - Grilled Bison Tenderloin with Herb Butter
Week 33: Pomegranate -  Pear and Pomegranate Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Week 34: Crab - Pan-Fried Crab Cakes with Lemon-Herb Sauce
Week 35: Tofu - Tofu Fried Rice and Tofu, Sobe, and Veggie Stir-Fry

Anne's 2013 Cooking Resolutions

 1. THE COOKBOOK CHALLENGE:  
My first resolution is to make at least 50 recipes (5 recipes each) from ten chosen cookbooks.

I have a lot of cookbooks, more than I really have a right to own.  This new interest in cooking led me to imagine that I was going to become some prodigious master home chef (hah!), but many of my poor neglected cookbooks have been collecting dust deep in the archives of my kitchen library.   I've only made one or two recipes from my Julia Child cookbook, and James Beard's American Cookery has never even been opened.  It's a crime!  So I'm determined to use my cookbooks for their recipes rather than their decorative value.

Make 5 recipes from each of the following ten books:

1. Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child

1. Asperges with Béarnaise Sauce
2. Soufflé au Fromage 
3. Coq au Vin 
4. Pommes de Terre Sautées 
5. Clafouti 

2. American Cookery - James Beard

1. Chocolate Cream Pie
2. Sauteed Pork Loin Chops with Whiskey Sauce
3. Stuffed Baked Potatoes
4. Poached Stuffed Chicken Breasts
5. Ratatouille 

3. The Joy of Cooking - Irma Rombauer

1. Homemade Applesauce
2. Panfried Spice-Crusted Fish Fillets
3. Becker Brussels Sprouts  
4. Barbecued Ribs  
5. Snickerdoodles

4. How to Cook Everything - Mark Bittman

1. BLT Frittata 
2. Saffron Orzo, Risotto-Style
3. Broiled Tomatoes with Herbs 
4. Arroz con Pollo 
5. Steak au Poivre 

5. The New Best Recipe - America's Test Kitchen

1. Sausage and Bell Pepper Pizza (with homemade dough and sauce) 
2. Spinach Lasagna 
3. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie 
4. Pad Thai
5. Pumpkin Pie 

6. The New Way to Cook Light - Cooking Light

1. Shrimp Salad
2. Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken 
3. Shaved Summer Squash Salad with Prosciutto Crisps 
4. Blackened Tilapia Baja Tacos
5. Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca 

7. Cooking for Two 2009 - America's Test Kitchen

1. Chicken Tikka Masala 
2. Chicken En Papillote 
3. Roast Rack of Lamb with Whiskey Sauce 
4. Smashed Potatoes
5. Garlicky Green Beans

8. Eating Well Serves Two - Romanoff

1. Sweet Potato Oven Fries
2. Pork Chops with Cumberland Sauce  
3. Thyme & Sesame-Crusted Halibut 
4. Quinoa, Mango, and Black Bean Salad 
5. Cider Vinegar-and-Molasses-Glazed Pork Chops

9. 100 Years and Still Cooking - Dairyland Seed 100th Anniversary

1. Snicker Cookies
2. Baked Walleye  
3. Vegetable Dip 
4. Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
5. Broccoli Casserole 

10. Anne's choice - various cookbooks/magazines in my kitchen library

1. Pear Crisp  (from Cooking For Two) 
2. Feta-Stuffed Lamb Burgers (from Weight Watchers Cook It Quick) 
3. Chicken & Squash Enchiladas (from Weight Watchers Cook It Quick)
4. Perfect Pepper Ribeye Steaks (from Taste of Home Grill It)
5. Grilled Cheesy Potato Pouches (from Taste of Home Grilling Collection)

2. MINIMIZE FOOD WASTE!
My second goal is to reduce waste by planning meals for the entire week, finishing leftovers, and utilizing ingredient excess in future meals.
 
This needs to improve.  I get all excited and buy ingredients to make a new recipe, but only need 1/4 or 1/2 of the purchased item.  Instead of letting it sit in my fridge until it's green (not the good type of green), I need to have a plan in place to use it for another recipe before it goes bad.   Additionally, I need to actually eat the leftovers created by these recipes.  I bought a dry erase board today to aid in my grocery shopping and meal planning.  I am fairly certain my husband will laugh at me.


Wish me luck!   Maybe you'll be inspired to dust off some old cookbooks this year, too.   Post a comment and tell me YOUR 2013 cooking resolutions!

Auntie Pam's Chili Con Carne (Soup #6)

In preparation of what everyone is calling the "snowpocalypse," I decided to make another soup recipe from my Bridal Shower collection.  Jeremy and I felt like we wanted something meaty to warm us up through the foot of snow that is forecasted, so we settled on a chili recipe.  This one was given to me by my Maid-of-Honor, Rachel, and her mom, Pam.

We took a few liberties with the recipe, adding macaroni and more chili powder and hot pepper sauce.  I also sprinkled some Cayenne pepper in there.  I probably could have used even more.  We made corn muffins to accompany it.  I'm posting the adjusted version of Pam's recipe to reflect what I actually made.  It was delicious.

Chili-Mac
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chuck
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
28oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
6oz can tomato paste
1 can condensed tomato soup
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 can pinto beans
Elbow macaroni

Directions:
In a large sauce pot, brown meat with onion and garlic.  Add remaining ingredients except the pinto beans and macaroni; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1&1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.  Add macaroni and pinto beans to pot and cook until heated.    Garnish with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese if desired.

Tofu, Sobe, and Veggie Stir-Fry

 Week 35 Featured Ingredient: Soba Noodles

I still had some tofu left, so I decided to try another recipe.  This one was really delicious.  Marinating the tofu gave it great flavor.  The sobe noodles, which are a Japanese buckwheat noodle, were really tasty.  I liked them a lot.  I used a lot of vegetables in my recipe to keep it healthy. 

Anne's Tofu, Sobe, and Vegetable Stir Fry
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 package (14 oz) firm or extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup sake (rice wine)
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
8 oz soba noodles
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small strips
2 cups snap peas
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
2 cups chopped bok choy

Directions:
Cut tofu into 1/2" cubes.  Combine sake, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a shallow dish just large enough to hold tofu in a single layer.  Add tofu.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, turning once.

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse.  Place in a large bowl.

Put sesame seeds on a plate.  Remove tofu from marinade and toss cubes in the sesame seeds until coated.  Pour the remaining tofu marinade onto the noodles.   Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat.  Cook tofu until golden, about 3-4 minutes, turning once; add to noodles.

Heat remaining sesame oil in the skillet and add the garlic, ginger, and vegetables.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are crisp-tender, about 5-8 minutes.  Add to the noodles and toss to combine.   Serve immediately.

Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing

 

Gingerbread Cookies
From The Best New Recipes Cookbook
Makes ~20-35 people or 30-55 round cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1&1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 12 pieces
3/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
With an electric mixer, mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.  Stop the mixer and add the butter pieces; mix at a medium-low speed until the mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, about 90 seconds.  Reduced the speed to low and, with the mixer running, gradually add the molasses and milk;  mix until the dough is evenly moistened, about 20 seconds.  Increase the speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds.

Scrape the dough onto a work surface; divide in fourths.  Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick between 2 large sheets of parchment paper.  Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment, stack the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove 1 dough sheet from the freezer; place on the work surface.  Peel of the top parchment sheet and gently put it back in place.  Flip the dough over; peel off and discard the second parchment sheet.  Cut the dough into gingerbread people or round cookies, transferring the cutouts to a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Set the scraps aside.  Bake the cookies in a preheated 325º oven ~10 minutes until centers are set.  Cool the cookies on the baking sheet a couple minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.   Gather the scraps and repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking.

Royal Icing
Recipe from Wilton Cake Decorating
Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients:
3 level tablespoons Meringue Powder  (I got it from Hobby Lobby)
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (~1 pound)
6 tablespoons water (use less for stiffer icing)

Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7-10 minutes until icing forms peaks.

Tofu Fried Rice (2012- Week 34)

Week 34 Featured Ingredient: Tofu

Tofu--the ingredient that strikes fear in a Midwestern meat-and-potato sensibility.   It's been on my culinary to-do list all year and now that it's December, I figured I might as well bite the bullet and finally try it.  And guess what?  It wasn't bad at all!  And dare I say it--I actually liked this recipe!   It's not going to make me give up meat, but hey, at least I know I don't have to tear out the tofu pages of my cookbooks or wrinkle my nose in mock disgust.  I might even try it again.  Will wonders never cease.

Tofu Fried Rice
from The New Way to Cook Light Cookbook
378 calories/serving (1&1/2 cups)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 cups rice, cooked
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 package (14 oz) reduced-fat firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup green onion slices
1 cup frozen peas and diced carrots, thawed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sake
3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Directions:
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat.  Add tofu; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Remove from pan to a plate or bowl.  Add eggs to pan; Cook 1 minutes or until done, breaking the egg into small pieces.  Remove from pan and add to tofu.

Add remaining tablespoon of oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add the onions, peas and carrots, garlic, and ginger; saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently.   Add cooked rice to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Mix together the sake, soy sauce, hoisin, and sesame oil.  Add the tofu, egg, and soy sauce mixture to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Serve and garnish with sliced green onions if desired.