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Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salad

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Kaitlin

I am in a grilling mood so there is going to be an influx of barbecue recipes on here, I think very few people will complain. We finally have a grill, but haven’t set it up yet (oops) so I am still making this recipe on my grill pan. This is a recipe from Cooking Light in the latest issue. I made a few changes just based on what I could find but the recipe is primarily in tact. Ingredients: 1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk 3 tablespoons 0% Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon minced shallots 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1 large garlic clove, minced 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves Cooking spray 1 teaspoon onion powder 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 2 ears yellow corn, shucked 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 sliced peeled ripe avocado

Matzo Ball Soup

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Kaitlin

One of my favorite parts of learning to cook is having the chance to learn about cultures through different foods. I love paging through cookbooks that contain recipes I’ve never tried and learning something about the history and tradition behind these recipes. In preparation for Passover, I was sent a copy of The New Jewish Table, written by Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray of Washington D.C.’s Equinox Restaurant. The cookbook takes traditional Jewish recipes and turns them into beautiful modern dishes. The cookbook is filled with a ton of re-imagined comfort foods, and is broken into seasons to make the most of seasonally available product. The last few pages of the book also has suggested menus for Jewish holidays. I hope to cook through the Passover menu over the coming days because it all sounds so delicious (besides the gefilte fish, sorry haha.) The Grays’ have filled the cookbook with personal stories and notes throughout that give a family feel and a background to their traditions which is a really nice touch. Each recipe is also labeled by type of recipe to make it easy to keep kosher: dairy, meat, parve, or mixed. Todd Gray’s childhood traditions are … Continue reading →

Wild Mushroom Farro Risotto

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Kaitlin

I’ve made a couple of farro recipes on this blog before and I just love it. If you haven’t tried it yet, I strongly suggest it. I really like it as a substitute for Arborio rice in risotto dishes; farro adds a nice bite to the creamy risotto that I just love. So I was super excited when Tuscan Fields, a delicious brand of organic farro, gave me and 49 other bloggers the opportunity to not only try their farro, but to create a recipe using the farro in the hopes of winning a scholarship to the Eat Write Retreat conference this year which is being held in my hometown of Philadelphia! The nutty flavor of farro would be perfect with the earthiness of mushrooms so I decided to make a wild mushroom farro risotto with Tuscan Fields’ Farro Perlato. I added a bit of bacon to really heighten the flavor of the risotto as well. Ingredients: 1 package Tuscan Fields Farro Perlato 2 cups beef broth 4 slices bacon 2 tablespoons butter, divided 2 large shallots, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced ½ teaspoon dried sage ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon olive oil … Continue reading →

Chicken Fricassee With Tarragon

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Kaitlin

Cold weather always makes me crave comfort food. I tend to really want pasta (and would be perfectly happy eating it every day that drops below 40 degrees) but am always open to healthier comfort food options. BetterEats.com had a lighter recipe for Chicken Fricassee, which is a French stew with chicken, vegetables, white wine, and cream that when paired with some day old bread makes a fantastic comfort food option. Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks) – bone-in, skin removed (I used 1 chicken breast, 1 thigh, 1 leg, and 1 drumstick) 1/4 teaspoon salt pepper, black – to taste 2 tablespoons flour, all-purpose 1 tablespoon oil, olive, extra virgin 1 cup shallots (about 4 large ones) 1 cup wine, dry white 1 1/2 cups broth, chicken, less sodium 1 medium carrot – peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup) 1 pound mushrooms, I used 1/2 lb baby bellas, 1/2 lb button – wiped clean and halved or quartered 4 sprig(s) tarragon, fresh 4 teaspoons tarragon, fresh – chopped 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon water 1/4 cup sour cream, reduced-fat 2 teaspoons mustard, Dijon

Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Kaitlin

I realized I have never posted a recipe for crab cakes. That is ridiculous! So today’s the day. I found this recipe in one of my Cooking Light recipes and altered it a bit for what I happened to have in my pantry. Crab cakes: 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed 2 tablespoons finely chopped green bell pepper 1 1/2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 green onions, finely chopped 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 cup bread crumbs, divided 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided Remoulade: 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise 2 teaspoons minced shallots 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 3/4 teaspoon capers, chopped 3/4 teaspoon champagne vinegar 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Horseradish Cheddar Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Apples

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Kaitlin

I love a good mashed potato recipe. They are definitely my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. Classic mashed potatoes will always be a favorite of mine, but this recipe from Nigella Lawson that I found on The Chew sounded really fantastic. My aunt and uncle always use horseradish cheddar in their mashed potatoes and I love the tanginess that the horseradish brings. I thought it would be the perfect complement to the sweetness of the apples. Ingredients: 4 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes 1 cup whole milk 1 – 1 1/2 cup horseradish cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shallots, chopped 2 fuji apples 4 strips of bacon Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons butter You need a red apple that can stand up to being sauteed and maintain its shape. Look for Liberty, Fuji, Jonagold, or Pink Lady apples. Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Peel your potatoes. Cut into smaller pieces and add to the pot. Boil the potatoes for 30 minutes or until fork tender. While waiting for the potatoes to cook, add the bacon to a saute pan over medium heat. Heat until cooked through, turning once, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from … Continue reading →

Champagne-Browned Butter Chicken

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Kaitlin

My CSA share this week came with the most beautiful carrots. I am not the biggest fan of carrots but I don’t mind them mixed into a dish. These were too pretty to not use! Cooking Light had a recipe in its latest issue that sounded really intriguing: Champagne-Browned Butter Chicken. The dish is pretty simple to make, although it takes a good hour and a half so this is not a weeknight meal. But the presentation is definitely snazzy enough for company! Ingredients (serves 2 heartily, or up to 4): 2 slices center-cut bacon 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 bone-in chicken thighs 2 bone-in chicken drumsticks 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided 1/3 pound potatoes, cut into equal pieces 1/2 poundbaby bella mushrooms, halved 1/4 cup brandy 2 shallots, halved 3/4 cup no-salt-added chicken broth 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 3 thyme sprigs 1 bay leaf 1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley 6 baby carrots with tops 1 cup Champagne 3 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Cook the bacon in a … Continue reading →

Summer Lemon-Vegetable Risotto

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Kaitlin

As I hear rumblings of all things pumpkin just around the corner (yay!), I realized that my days of beautiful, fresh vegetables are numbered (boo). Which means I needed a recipe that used some of summer’s best. This risotto recipe from Cooking Light fit the bill: Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, Zucchini, Yellow Squash.. mmm. Ingredients: 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half 5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 (8-ounce) zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 1 (8-ounce) yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 4 3/4 cups organic vegetable broth 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice 1/4 cup beer (I used a pilsner) 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon unsalted butter Prepare your veggies while waiting for a large pot of water to come to a boil. Add the asparagus and peas and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan and … Continue reading →

Open-Faced Sandwiches with Mushrooms and Fried Eggs

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Kaitlin

Brunch appeals to my indecisive side: I love not having to choose between breakfast or lunch. Philadelphia is a huge brunch town so almost every weekend I have the opportunity to have an awesome brunch at a local coffee shop or restaurant. This weekend, I decided to stay home for brunch and try out this delicious sounding recipe from Cooking Light. The recipe includes mushrooms, a fried egg, tomatoes, and pesto … did they make this recipe especially for me?! Ingredients (this makes 4 servings): 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided (I used basil olive oil) 1 cup thinly sliced shallots, divided 3 portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons dry white wine 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 8 teaspoons refrigerated pesto (or fresh, check out my recipe here) 4 (1 1/2-ounce) slices Italian bread 2 ounces grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1/2 cup) 4 large eggs 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices beefsteak tomato 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil The wonderful people at Nudo sent me a new product on their site: the Squadra Italiana Set which includes cold press olive oil, olive oil with Sicilian chillies, and a free tin of extra virgin olive oil stone ground … Continue reading →

Grilled Striped Bass with Bacon Vinaigrette, Red Smashed Potatoes & Sautéed Butter-Thyme Mushrooms

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Kaitlin

Whew. By the time you say the title of this post you could have cooked most of this meal. Fish is a perfect weekday choice because it is so darn quick to cook up. I managed to make all parts of this meal in 40 minutes which was awesome! If you wanted to cut the time for this meal even more, you could doctor up some of those refrigerator mashed potatoes from the supermarket, but I really like home made mashed potatoes so I went for it. No one is surprised to hear that this menu comes from my trusty Cooking Light. Ingredients: 2 (8-ounce) striped bass fillets salt, divided freshly ground black pepper, divided 4 slices center-cut bacon 2 large shallots, finely chopped and divided 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/8 teaspoon sugar 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 pound red potatoes 2 garlic cloves, halved 1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 2 tablespoons butter, divided 2 (8-ounce) packages presliced baby bella mushrooms 1/3 cup dry white wine 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme Begin with making the mashed potatoes. The original recipe has you peel and cube the potatoes. I really like the skins of potatoes … Continue reading →