Tuesday, May 8, 2012
And puppy makes 3...
Yes, we got a dog. Welcome to the Lilley family my sweet pup pup Costigan. I am totally in love with my new pup though I must admit we are struggling with some things, mainly accidents and nipping. Jon really dislikes the ankle biting an I'm certainly not a fan either. But seeing as how our sweet pup is only 9 weeks old and has only been with us for a week and a half, we're a work in progress!
Hopefully as we get accustomed to our new routine and Costigan gets used to his home, I'll be able to start cooking dinner again! (and get back to the gym, deadly combo)
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Easter Feast
I miss spending Easter in Siesta Key, preferably in the midst of a two week vacation. But seeing as how that won't be happening anytime soon, we did the next best thing...a nice feast. It was a quiet group for dinner, just Michelle, myself, and the Daley's. Because of that, we decided let's go all out. The plan was to have dinner at the Daley's and Kate cook but due to some home repairs dinner moved to my house and I took point on cooking. To begin....
Cape cod chopped salad
To include bacon, arugula, diced granny smith apple, toasted walnut halves, dried cranberries, & crumbled blue cheese
For the dressing: 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp grated orange zest, 2 Tbsp fresh squeeze orange juice, 2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2/3 c. Olive oil
Sides included twice baked potatoes and....
Pan-roasted root vegetables
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 white turnip, unpeeled & 1 inch diced
2 carrots, 1 inch diced
2 small parsnips, peeled & 1 inch diced
1/2 celery root, peeled & 1 inch diced
8 Brussels sprouts, halved
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 celery ribs, 1 inch diced
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan with tight fitting lid. When melted, add turnip, carrots, parsnips, celery root, Brussels sprouts, thyme, salt, pepper and toss with butter. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the celery and stir. Cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until tender.
And for the peace de resistance...Rack of Lamb with Mustard-bread Crumb Crust, a recipe from William Sonoma Steak & Chop
2 racks of lamb (serves 4-6)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c dried bread crumbs
2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Season lamb w/salt & pepper & let sit at room temperature for 15-60 minutes. Preheat 450
In large oven proof pan over med-high heat, heat olive oil. Add racks fat side down. Sear until golden brown on all sides, about 2 min each. When browned, transfer to platter and set to cool reserving pan.
To make crust, in bowl, combine the bread crumbs, rosemary, & garlic powder and mix well. Add olive oil until bread crumbs have feel of wet sand. Using spatula, spread mustard over meat excluding bones. Then pack the bread crumb mixture over the mustard.
Return racks to pan and roast in oven until 130 degrees, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to carving board, rest with loosely tented foil for 5-10 minutes before serving.
And for dessert, this had me sweating....French Apple Tart from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. I am not a baker and though it was pretty all the time, the end product looked great and tasted pretty good too!
For pastry:
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced
1/2 c ice water
Place flour, salt, & sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds, add butter and pulse 10-12 times until butter is in small bits. With motor running, pour water down feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto floured board and knead quickly into ball. Wrap in plastic & refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat over to 400, line sheet pan with parchment paper
Roll dough slightly larger than 10x14 inches, trim edges. Place on pan.
For Apples
3-4 granny smith apples
1/2 c sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, small diced
1/2 c apricot jelly
2 Tbsp Calvados, rum, or water
Peel the apples & cut them in half through stem. Remove the stems and cores. Slice apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides until pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with sugar and dot with butter.
Bake for 45 min to hour until pastry browned. Rotate pan once while baking.
When tarts done, heat jelly and water together and brush the apples and pastry completely with mixture
Cape cod chopped salad
To include bacon, arugula, diced granny smith apple, toasted walnut halves, dried cranberries, & crumbled blue cheese
For the dressing: 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp grated orange zest, 2 Tbsp fresh squeeze orange juice, 2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2/3 c. Olive oil
Sides included twice baked potatoes and....
Pan-roasted root vegetables
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 white turnip, unpeeled & 1 inch diced
2 carrots, 1 inch diced
2 small parsnips, peeled & 1 inch diced
1/2 celery root, peeled & 1 inch diced
8 Brussels sprouts, halved
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 celery ribs, 1 inch diced
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan with tight fitting lid. When melted, add turnip, carrots, parsnips, celery root, Brussels sprouts, thyme, salt, pepper and toss with butter. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the celery and stir. Cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until tender.
And for the peace de resistance...Rack of Lamb with Mustard-bread Crumb Crust, a recipe from William Sonoma Steak & Chop
2 racks of lamb (serves 4-6)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c dried bread crumbs
2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Season lamb w/salt & pepper & let sit at room temperature for 15-60 minutes. Preheat 450
In large oven proof pan over med-high heat, heat olive oil. Add racks fat side down. Sear until golden brown on all sides, about 2 min each. When browned, transfer to platter and set to cool reserving pan.
To make crust, in bowl, combine the bread crumbs, rosemary, & garlic powder and mix well. Add olive oil until bread crumbs have feel of wet sand. Using spatula, spread mustard over meat excluding bones. Then pack the bread crumb mixture over the mustard.
Return racks to pan and roast in oven until 130 degrees, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to carving board, rest with loosely tented foil for 5-10 minutes before serving.
And for dessert, this had me sweating....French Apple Tart from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. I am not a baker and though it was pretty all the time, the end product looked great and tasted pretty good too!
For pastry:
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced
1/2 c ice water
Place flour, salt, & sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds, add butter and pulse 10-12 times until butter is in small bits. With motor running, pour water down feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto floured board and knead quickly into ball. Wrap in plastic & refrigerate for at least an hour.
Preheat over to 400, line sheet pan with parchment paper
Roll dough slightly larger than 10x14 inches, trim edges. Place on pan.
For Apples
3-4 granny smith apples
1/2 c sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, small diced
1/2 c apricot jelly
2 Tbsp Calvados, rum, or water
Peel the apples & cut them in half through stem. Remove the stems and cores. Slice apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides until pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with sugar and dot with butter.
Bake for 45 min to hour until pastry browned. Rotate pan once while baking.
When tarts done, heat jelly and water together and brush the apples and pastry completely with mixture
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Excited Again
So I was just going through some cookbooks trying to plan Easter dinner and I must say, I'm excited about cooking again. I really do love to cook and love trying new recipes out but it's hard working nights. But I'm inspired again so hopefully good meals to come! Only problem, Jon is headed out of town tomorrow for 10 days...so who wants to come over and let me cook for them?
Ive been meaning to share a recipe I recently cooked which I got from Better Homes and Gardens. With summer approaching it's a good time to eat healthy. This is great over some brown rice, even left Jon saying he now favors tilapia over salmon, a realization I wish he had years ago to save me some cash!
Thai-Style Fish and Vegetables
4 6 oz fresh or frozen skinless cod, tilapia, or other fish fillet
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 c. 2-inch pieces trimmed fresh asparagus or green beans
1 medium carrot, cut into thin strips
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
3/4 c. Light coconut milk
2 tsp. Fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tsp. Grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp. Ground ginger
1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp chopped peanuts
1 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
Thaw fish if frozen. Rinse, pat dry
Fill a 12-inch skillet with 1 inch of water. Bring water to boil, reduce heat. Arrange pepper, asparagus/beans, and carrot on steamer basket. Place fish on top of vegetables. Sprinkle fish and vegetables with salt and pepper. Place steamer over simmering water. Cover and simmer 6-8 minutes or until fish begins to flake
For sauce: in small saucepan combine coconut milk, lime juice, soy/fish sauce, ginger, and crushed pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Boil gently uncovered for 2-4 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Remove fish and vegetables to serving plates, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.
Ive been meaning to share a recipe I recently cooked which I got from Better Homes and Gardens. With summer approaching it's a good time to eat healthy. This is great over some brown rice, even left Jon saying he now favors tilapia over salmon, a realization I wish he had years ago to save me some cash!
Thai-Style Fish and Vegetables
4 6 oz fresh or frozen skinless cod, tilapia, or other fish fillet
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 c. 2-inch pieces trimmed fresh asparagus or green beans
1 medium carrot, cut into thin strips
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
3/4 c. Light coconut milk
2 tsp. Fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tsp. Grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp. Ground ginger
1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp chopped peanuts
1 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
Thaw fish if frozen. Rinse, pat dry
Fill a 12-inch skillet with 1 inch of water. Bring water to boil, reduce heat. Arrange pepper, asparagus/beans, and carrot on steamer basket. Place fish on top of vegetables. Sprinkle fish and vegetables with salt and pepper. Place steamer over simmering water. Cover and simmer 6-8 minutes or until fish begins to flake
For sauce: in small saucepan combine coconut milk, lime juice, soy/fish sauce, ginger, and crushed pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Boil gently uncovered for 2-4 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Remove fish and vegetables to serving plates, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Happy dos quinceanera y dos
We had a birthday this past week...Jon turned 32. So in celebration of the upcoming festivity I decided a Sunday dinner would be appropriate. One of jon's favorite meals happens to be chicken enchiladas so sticking with the Mexican theme I entitled the evening Jon's dos quinceanera y dos!
Despite the super creative name, the evening was low key. Joining us to celebrate was Michelle, Kate, Ryan, Maeve, Brian, Jeanne, Kane, & Brady. So happy they could all make it, made it a great time, escpecilly Kane who indulged me with an impromptu dance party!
So to keep things easy I made traditional chicken enchiladas as well as beef ones. I'd never done the beef before but they were really easy and got great reviews so I insist on sharing...
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
1 diced fresh jalapeño pepper, or to taste
1/4 c. Water
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 c. Plain yogurt
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 c. Shredded mozzarella cheese
Corn tortillas
Preheat oven to 350
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef, onion, and jalapeño until beef is evenly browned. Stir in water & taco seasoning. Simmer until water has evaporated.
In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt, soup & cheese.
Divide meat mixture evenly between tortillas. Place a couple Tbsp of cheese mixture over meat and roll up. Place in baking dish, repeat for each tortilla. Spoon remIning cheese mixture over top of tortillas.
Bake for 20-30 minutes
Buen apetito!
Despite the super creative name, the evening was low key. Joining us to celebrate was Michelle, Kate, Ryan, Maeve, Brian, Jeanne, Kane, & Brady. So happy they could all make it, made it a great time, escpecilly Kane who indulged me with an impromptu dance party!
So to keep things easy I made traditional chicken enchiladas as well as beef ones. I'd never done the beef before but they were really easy and got great reviews so I insist on sharing...
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
1 diced fresh jalapeño pepper, or to taste
1/4 c. Water
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 c. Plain yogurt
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 c. Shredded mozzarella cheese
Corn tortillas
Preheat oven to 350
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef, onion, and jalapeño until beef is evenly browned. Stir in water & taco seasoning. Simmer until water has evaporated.
In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt, soup & cheese.
Divide meat mixture evenly between tortillas. Place a couple Tbsp of cheese mixture over meat and roll up. Place in baking dish, repeat for each tortilla. Spoon remIning cheese mixture over top of tortillas.
Bake for 20-30 minutes
Buen apetito!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Cilantro Shrimp
So the other night I found myself home alone in need of a quick meal. So I threw together this quick meal that I found in Cooking Light. Pretty tasty...unfortunately for Jon I hadn't eaten much that day so I ate his portion as well....oops!
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
3 c. 1-inch slices green onions
2 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger (which I left out)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined
3 1/2 tbsp lower sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground fresh chile paste or hot sauce
2 c chopped fresh cilantro
3 c hot cooked brown rice
Heat wok or large stir fry pan over high heat; add oil to pan. Add onions, ginger, & garlic, stir fry 1 minute.
Add shrimp; stir fry 2 minutes
Stir in soy sauce & chile paste; stir fry 1 minute or until shrimp are done.
Remove pan from heat; add cilantro, stirring constantly until it wilts.
Serve over rice
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
3 c. 1-inch slices green onions
2 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger (which I left out)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined
3 1/2 tbsp lower sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground fresh chile paste or hot sauce
2 c chopped fresh cilantro
3 c hot cooked brown rice
Heat wok or large stir fry pan over high heat; add oil to pan. Add onions, ginger, & garlic, stir fry 1 minute.
Add shrimp; stir fry 2 minutes
Stir in soy sauce & chile paste; stir fry 1 minute or until shrimp are done.
Remove pan from heat; add cilantro, stirring constantly until it wilts.
Serve over rice
Sunday, February 12, 2012
I'm back...
Finally, I've cooked! Let me start by talking about my trip to the grocery store this morning. I was back, a bunch of meals planned for the week (despite the fact that I'm working every night this week, so shopping list was good to go. Generally, if I have a strict grocery list I can stick to it and today was much of the same, I stuck to the list with a few exceptions...somehow while I was at wegmans I got it into my head that I needed a Scottish bagel for lunch. For those who aren't aware of my Graul's obsession this involves an everything bagel, cream cheese, lox, tomato, red onion, and capers....amazing! The one thing that could have made that lunch better would have been a bloody Mary. Seeing as how I have 3 bottles of mix, it's a good thing I didn't think of that until now!
Decided to follow up one good meal with another. Dinner didn't go quite as smoothly though. It was good and no major issues, that's if you don't count almost burning the house down as an issue. So I tried out a new recipe for Tortilla Meatball Soup which I got from the October 2011 Cooking Light. It was very good & surprisingly quite filling. He only kink occurred with the toasted tortilla strips...it took me 3 tries! Attempt 1- in the oven, no timer necessary this will only take me 3 minutes anyways and them ill take them out....why is the smoke detector going off!?! Agh, those are black. Attempt 2- won't make the same mistake twice, let me just stir this, oh sh!t I did it again! A dark brown. Attempt 3 - fool me once...I'm not walking away from this oven this time around, finally, success, a perfectly toasted tortilla strip. Whew, evidently it's hard getting bak into things! So if you dare....
Tortilla Meatball Soup
2 jalapeño peppers
1 red bell pepper
2 cups frozen corn kernels
4 (6 in) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 in thick strips
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/3 c. Panko
1 lb ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 chipotle chile, canned in adobe sauce, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 c. Chopped onion
2 c. Cubed red potatoes
1 c. Slices carrot
3 c. Chicken broth
2 c. Water
Monterey and Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. Chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat broiler
Cut jalepenos and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange corn on baking sheet with peppers. Broil 4-6 minutes or until blackened, turning corn once. Place peppers in a paper bag; fold to seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Mince jalepenos and coarsely chop bell bell pepper. Set aside
Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes.
Combine 1/4 tsp salt, 1 garlic clove, Panko, and the next 3 ingredients (through chipotle chile) in a large bowl & gently mix until just combined. With moist hands, shape into 24 meatballs (about 2 tbsp each)
Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; sauté for 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, potatoes, and carrots to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add peppers, broth, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Return meatballs to pan. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt and corn; return to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are done.
Ladle in to bowls, top with cheeses, cilantro and tortilla strips.
Decided to follow up one good meal with another. Dinner didn't go quite as smoothly though. It was good and no major issues, that's if you don't count almost burning the house down as an issue. So I tried out a new recipe for Tortilla Meatball Soup which I got from the October 2011 Cooking Light. It was very good & surprisingly quite filling. He only kink occurred with the toasted tortilla strips...it took me 3 tries! Attempt 1- in the oven, no timer necessary this will only take me 3 minutes anyways and them ill take them out....why is the smoke detector going off!?! Agh, those are black. Attempt 2- won't make the same mistake twice, let me just stir this, oh sh!t I did it again! A dark brown. Attempt 3 - fool me once...I'm not walking away from this oven this time around, finally, success, a perfectly toasted tortilla strip. Whew, evidently it's hard getting bak into things! So if you dare....
Tortilla Meatball Soup
2 jalapeño peppers
1 red bell pepper
2 cups frozen corn kernels
4 (6 in) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 in thick strips
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/3 c. Panko
1 lb ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 chipotle chile, canned in adobe sauce, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 c. Chopped onion
2 c. Cubed red potatoes
1 c. Slices carrot
3 c. Chicken broth
2 c. Water
Monterey and Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. Chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat broiler
Cut jalepenos and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange corn on baking sheet with peppers. Broil 4-6 minutes or until blackened, turning corn once. Place peppers in a paper bag; fold to seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Mince jalepenos and coarsely chop bell bell pepper. Set aside
Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes.
Combine 1/4 tsp salt, 1 garlic clove, Panko, and the next 3 ingredients (through chipotle chile) in a large bowl & gently mix until just combined. With moist hands, shape into 24 meatballs (about 2 tbsp each)
Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; sauté for 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, potatoes, and carrots to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add peppers, broth, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Return meatballs to pan. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt and corn; return to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are done.
Ladle in to bowls, top with cheeses, cilantro and tortilla strips.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Linguine Carbonara
While I haven't been cooking much a few weeks ago I did prepare a linguine carbonara as provided in Southern Living All Time Favorites. The recipe calls for half-&-half which I did not have, so I substituted with cream which made the dish much richer and creamier to Jon's delight...
1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 c. Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. Fresh parsley, chopped
4 oz fontina cheese, cubed
3 oz prosciutto, cut into strips
1 package linguine or spaghetti
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 c. Half-&-half, heated
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 c. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Cook bacon in a large skillet over med-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Pour off drippings; add oil and onion to skillet; sauté until onion is tender. Set aside.
Combine parsley, fontina cheese, and prosciutto in a small bowl
Cook linguine in a Dutch oven according to package directions; drain. Return hot linguine to Dutch oven; immediately stir in egg yolks. Add bacon, onion
, parsley mixture, heated half-&-half, salt, pepper and 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese. Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly; transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese.
1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 c. Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. Fresh parsley, chopped
4 oz fontina cheese, cubed
3 oz prosciutto, cut into strips
1 package linguine or spaghetti
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 c. Half-&-half, heated
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 c. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Cook bacon in a large skillet over med-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Pour off drippings; add oil and onion to skillet; sauté until onion is tender. Set aside.
Combine parsley, fontina cheese, and prosciutto in a small bowl
Cook linguine in a Dutch oven according to package directions; drain. Return hot linguine to Dutch oven; immediately stir in egg yolks. Add bacon, onion
, parsley mixture, heated half-&-half, salt, pepper and 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese. Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly; transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)