Shredded Barbecue Chicken

Everyone in this house has their likes and dislikes but I know that there is one thing I can make that will make everyone at the table happy - barbecue.  Summer is long behind us and the grill has been covered up and, I am sure, our resident chick-a-munk family has moved back in. 

This is another one that is quick and easy to throw together from my new favorite cookbook.  I actually threw this one in when I got home from work and cooked it the four hours.  I stored the meat and the liquid separate in the refrigerator so the next night I could easy get the fat off the top.  Reheated the whole thing in a saucepan with some extra sauce.  I wouldn't say it was too hot, but the kids did have an extra cup of milk with their supper that night.

                    
Shredded Barbecue Chicken
Slow Cooker Revolution

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together.  Rub over chicken.  Place in slow cooker.  Pour 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce over chicken and toss to coat.  Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours.

Transfer chicken to bowl, let cool slightly and shred into bite-sized peices.  Cover to keep warm.  Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using a large spoon.

Warm remaining barbecue sauce.  Toss shredded chicken with hot barbecue sauce and 1 cup braising liquid.  Add more liquid as needed to keep meat moist.

Per Serving: 144 Calories; 3g Fat (21.3% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

Pork Loin with Cranberries and Orange

Weekends around here have been pretty busy.  There always seems to be someplace to go, something that needs to be cleaned or something that needs to be organized. 

This past weekend I am spent my time dragging out the warmer blankets and down comforters, washing all the summer stuff and putting it away.  I also have a pile of sweaters that whisper "wash me" every time I walk by, but I am trying my best to ignore them.  One thing at a time...

When I was growing up we went to one grandmother or another for Sunday dinner.  Sunday dinner at my mom's mom meant Italian.  Sunday dinner at my babci's house usually meant a roast of some sort.  Didn't matter which house we went to - Sunday dinner was always an all-day affair that someone started cooking early Sunday morning.

Admittedly there are times that I would like to be able to spend a good chunk of my day cooking, but those days are few and far between (although Thanksgiving is right around the corner).  I do like to have a bigger meal on Sunday for dinner like I did growing up, but I can't spend every Sunday in the kitchen.

This pork loin recipe is another one from Slow Cooker Revolution.  I put this in the slow cooker late morning and by dinner it was done.  I just so happen to have an over abundance of cranberries in the freezer, so for the sauce I made the one on the back of the Ocean Spray bag, substitiuting orange juice for the water.  The pork was so tender even the little guy was able to cut it with his fork.  I think I also passed on my love of cranberries to one of my kids - he was putting the sauce from the roast all over his rice and carrots as well.

Pork Loin with Cranberries and Orange
 
4  pounds  pork loin, lean, boneless
1 tablespoon  vegetable oil
14 ounces  cranberry sauce
1/2 cup  dried cranberries
1/2 cup  orange juice
3 strips  orange zest -- trimmed of white pith
1/8 teaspoon  ground cinnamon

Dry pork with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown pork on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir cranberry sauce, dried cranberries, orange juice, orange zest and cinnamon into slow cooker.  Nestle browned pork into slow cooker.  Cover and cook until pork is tender and registers 140-145 degrees on thermometer, about 4 hours on low.

Transfer pork to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes.  Let braising liquid settle for  5 minutes then remove fat from surface using a large spoon.  Discard orange zest.  Transfer braising liquid to saucepan and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, about 12 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice pork into 1/2-inch thick slices and arrange on serving platter.  Spoon 1 cup sauce over meat and serve with remaining sauce.

Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole

There is a lot of football watching going on in our house this weekend.  Yesterday we watched the Steelers win (eh) and at the moment I am waiting for da Bears to hurry up and win so the Patriot's game (the important one) can start.  Although, honestly after the way Seatlle played last week I kind of hoped they would have shown up for the game today.

So the menu focus this weekend was quick and easy.  Last night for supper I threw together the following recipe that I've had floating around in my 'to try' pile for years.  I cooked everything up in the morning and just tossed it in the refrigerator and then put the casserole together right before I baked it.  It took about a 1/2 hour for it to start bubbling.  We had it with steamed broccoli (frozen that you just toss in the microwave) and a salad.

I did change it up a bit.  I used brown rice in the base and regular sour cream as I hate the funky taste of the fat free.  I added a can of black beans to the skillet with the ground beef and called it six servings instead 4.

GO PATRIOTS!!!!!!!

Cheesy Beef-and-Rice Casserole

Yield: 6 servings
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (15.5-ouce) can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Add water and next 6 ingredients (water through beans); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

Combine the rice, sour cream, sliced green onions, and milk in a bowl. Spoon rice mixture into a baking dish. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 438 Calories; 12g Fat (29.5% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 48g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 33mg Cholesterol; 387mg Sodium.

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

I'm working on those New Year's Goals I posted about! 

My subscription to Cooking Light ran out last year and I did not subscribe again because I thought the magazine started to decline.  Issue after issue was making its way into the box for Half Priced Books without even one recipe marked to try.  Last weekend I decided to check out the magazine index online and see what the Jan/Feb issue looked like.

I'll say I was pleasantly surprised.  There were a handful of recipes that looked pretty good and the Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis was one of them.  Meat loaf in any form tends to disappear off of the kids plates although I'll admit to chopping the onions pretty finely in my food processor; Madeleine has decided lately that she doesn't like onions because one of her daycare friends doesn't like them.  I'm sure she'll catch on pretty soon but until then the food processor is my friend.

These were good and we'll go into our meat loaf rotation.  I did make sure that none of the diced cheese was showing so all of it wouldn't ooze out while cooking.  Served this with some potato salad (courtesy of the HyVee deli) and a spinach salad. 

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 meat loaf)


1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (about 1 ounce)
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
3 ounces white cheddar cheese, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently.

While breadcrumbs cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Combine onion mixture, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and remaining ingredients. Shape into 6 (4 x 2-inch) loaves on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; spread 2 teaspoons ketchup over each. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until done.

Nutritional Information
Calories:256
Fat:11.6g (sat 5.7g,mono 3.9g,poly 0.9g)
Protein:28.5g
Carbohydrate:11.2g
Fiber:0.9g
Cholesterol:112mg
Iron:2.6mg
Sodium:620mg
Calcium:159mg

Jerk Shrimp with Grilled Onion, Avocado, and Mango Salsa

Summer is here!  I love the warm weather but I hate heating up the kitchen to cook.  Back in the day, when I was a carefree single person,  I lived on salads in the summer.  A lot of that had to do with living in Phoenix though.  By the time July rolled around and we were in the 110 range you weren't going to catch me turning on an oven OR standing in front of an open flame.  I think if I tried to serve them salads for supper every night they'd start rebelling by the end of the week.

This one was fairly easy to put together but the next time I will be more than happy to fork the extra $2 a pound for the already peeled and deveined shrimp.  I'm not even sure what I was thinking when I bought them with the shells on.  I would also peel them entirely instead of leaving the tails on.  I am not a fan of having to pick them up one by one to eat, especially when you have the salsa to eat them with.  Plus they turn your fingers an orangey red color -  not all that attractive! 

I only use 1/2 of the cayenne pepper so there wouldn't be too much heat for Madeleine.  I'd also double the salsa next time.  The sweetness was great with the spicy shrimp.

Jerk Shrimp with Grilled Onion, Avocado, and Mango Salsa
Coastal Living
Yield: 4 servings

1 mango, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 avocado, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 pounds unpeeled large raw shrimp
1 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons Jamaican Jerk Rub
Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, and set salsa aside.
Peel shrimp, leaving tails on; devein. Toss shrimp and onion with oil in a large bowl, sprinkle with Jamaican Jerk Rub, and toss to coat. Grill shrimp and onion over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 6 minutes, or just until shrimp turn pink, turning once. Chop onion and add to salsa mixture, stirring gently. Serve shrimp with salsa.

Jamaican Jerk Rub
1/3 cup paprika
2 tablespoons ground allspice
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix well. Store in an airtight container.

Sizzling Beef and Scallions

Who doesn't want to get something relatively healthy AND tasty on the table in 30 minutes or less?  While I like to cook and actually enjoy spending time in the kitchen there are days that I just want to get something on the table fast without having to go through a drive-thru.

So I turned to the stack of Rachael Ray magazines I have next to the bed (OK, there are a lot more than just Rachael Ray but she IS the queen of 30 minute meals) and picked out a stir fry recipe I had all the ingredients for.  It took me an hour and 15 minutes.  Rachael Ray must not have a 4 year old holper and a 1 year old trying to climb her leg while she cooks.

I couldn't bring myself to use 6 tablespoons of oil so I sprayed my pan with PAM and only used a little bit of oil when adding the eggs.  My holper decided we needed to use the peas and carrot frozen mix and I added 8 oz of sliced mushrooms.  My rice was cooked at the same time so I skipped the last step altogether.

Once I got everyone either coloring with or eating crayons (kidding - I caught him before he swallowed any) it did come together rather quickly.  It is best to have everything all cut up and ready to go as a stir-fry goes pretty quickly.

Sizzling Beef and Scallions
Everyday with Rachael Ray

8 ounces London broil, sliced into short, thin strips  (I used sirloin)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil   (used less than 1 T total)
10 scallions, green parts thinly sliced, white parts cut into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 cups cooked white rice, chilled

1.  In a medium bowl, toss the beef with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl.

2.  In the skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites, bell pepper and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; stir in the peas. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil and pour in the eggs. Stir the eggs until they begin to set, then stir in the vegetables. Add the egg-vegetable mixture to the beef; stir in the sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

3.  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice, breaking up any clumps, then cook, without stirring, until heated through, 2 minutes. Stir in the beef mixture and scallion greens.

Diner Meat Loaf 'Muffins'

I've had enough cooking bombs in the last week that I decided to stick with an old favorite for supper tonight. Supper can be on the table in under an hour, unless you have to stop every couple of minutes to fish comeone out of a cabinet, drawer or out from underneath a chair when they get stuck. Christopher finally figured out how to go forward yesterday and hasn't stopped exploring.

I served them with oven fries and broccoli. Madeleine has been randomly complaining about onions, so I threw it in the food processor and pulverized it instead of just chopping it up. They are soft enough that even those with no teeth can gum them. Plates and high chair trays were cleared.

Diner Meat Loaf 'Muffins'
Adapted from Cooking Light, 2006

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano (I only use 1/2)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)
1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
2 tablespoons prepared mustard (skipped, never seem to have any)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.

Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.

Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 "muffins")

CALORIES 276 (28% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 131mg; CALCIUM 48mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.7g; SODIUM 759mg; PROTEIN 28.7g; FIBER 1.8g

Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

I have been in a huge cooking slump for, oh, I'd say almost a year. It was hard to cook anything the first 4 months I was pregnant since I spent most of the time nauseous. Never really got back into it once the morning sickness passed.

I am back to work and am now faced with the challenge of making sure Madeleine is bathed and in bed by every night by 7:30 . I need to get back into the habit of planning meals so it is either ready to go into the oven when we get home or we can reheat leftovers.

The recipe below was really quick and easy. The original from allrecipes was pretty rich as written - I eliminated the olive oil and swapped half and half for the heavy cream and figured it as at least 8 servings instead of 6. I also used basil instead of the parsley called for. Both Madeleine and David ate without comment so I assume it was a hit with them.

Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

16 ounces pasta
1 pound Italian sausage -- casings removed and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup diced onion
3 whole garlic cloves -- chopped
28 ounces tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

Spray a large, deep skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook sausage and pepper flakes until sausage is evenly brown. Drain. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, cream, and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir cooked pasta into sauce, and heat through. Sprinkle with basil.

Penne with Chicken, Arugula, Roasted Tomatoes, and Feta

Admittedly for the last few months, if it wasn't for Madeleine, I'd be existing on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and David would be fending for himself. Usually I cook big on the weekends and we have leftovers to choose from as well as some meals from the freezer. My cooking on the weekends was getting to be a rare thing.

I was at Sam's Club on Friday and they had a big display of grape tomatoes. Got me thinking about a recipe I discovered from a friend last summer and have made several times since then - Penne with Chicken, Arugula, Roasted Tomatoes, and Feta, originally from Bon Apetit magazine. I am not a huge fan of arugula so I use spinach instead. Using a chicken from Sam's makes it super simple to put together. I cut back on the oil and often use rosemary when I roast the tomatoes (unless I have fresh basil from the garden - then I mix it in the tomatoes after they roast). I have also used blue cheese crumbles in place of the feta with good results.

Best part - Madeleine always gobbles it up.

Penne with Chicken, Arugula, Roasted Tomatoes, and Feta
Yield: Makes 4 servings

3 12-ounce bags cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 cups shredded roasted chicken breasts without skin (from purchased roast chicken)
8 ounces penne pasta
6 cups arugula leaves
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 475°F. Mix cherry tomatoes, oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until tomatoes are soft and beginning to brown in spots, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer tomato mixture, including any juices, from sheet to large skillet. Add chicken to skillet and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Ladle out 1/4 cup pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain pasta; return to pot.

Add tomato mixture, arugula, and reserved 1/4 cup pasta cooking water to pasta; toss over medium heat just until arugula begins to wilt, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to bowl. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.

Adventures in Cooking

I am slowly but surely getting back into the swing of cooking after the kitchen. Hey, 5 months without a kitchen - I need to ease back into cooking!

I try to make dishes that will provide us with leftovers we can eat over the course of the week since we really get home too late to cook a proper meal before Madeleine needs to get her bath and story before bed. A couple of years ago I bought some cedar planks with the thought of using them on the grill. I wanted to try them this weekend and salmon was on sale at the grocery store ... all I needed was the recipe.

I remember seeing a recipe for cedar plank salmon in an old issue of Cooking Light. I searched the website and found a different one instead - Cedar-Planked Salmon with Barbecue Spice Rub. Seemed easy enough, soak the planks, make a rub, rub the fish and cook. Bonus, it was in an article entitled 'Grill Once, Eat Twice' with the second meal being tacos. Easy yet we technically aren't eating the same thing again.

I was standing at the sink chopping the vegetables for one of our side dishes, Cabbage and Corn Slaw with Cilantro and Orange Dressing, when I noticed it was pretty gray outside. Actually it was very gray out one window. Wait - it isn't gray - that's SMOKE!

I flew downstairs to the grill and smoke was just pouring out of it. Visions of charred salmon were dancing in my head and I was already planning a replacement meal of scrambled eggs and bacon. I opened the grill and there sat my two pieces of salmon, on their respective planks, completely surrounded by fire. If I hadn't panicked at the thought of supper going up in flames I would have taken a picture before trying to rescue the salmon. Literally, they were surround by a ring of fire. Whoops, maybe I didn't soak them long enough.

Eh, regardless of the fact they almost went up in flames it was a very tasty supper. I rounded out the meal with Springtime Pasta Salad since I am a huge fan of dill and Madeleine is an olive fiend. She even polished off the salmon I gave her. Of course, she called it chicken ... but she ate it!