Marinated Grilled Lamb Chops with Spring Pesto and My New Blog Concept

Marinated Grilled Lamb Chops with Spring Pesto

Welcome to My New Blog Concept!

Life continues to be crazy, but I haven't forgotten about sharing my recipes with you.  Unfortunately, yes, I'm still dealing with my knee issue.  Please send me prayers or thoughts for getting this resolved.  I hate having my exercise routine interrupted.  I like to eat, if you haven't guessed.  So exercise is vital!  For me.  Because I eat so much. 

You don't want to hear about my middle-aged aches and oh da pains!  You want to see what great and simple recipe I posted. 

BUT, if you've been following this blog for a while, you'll notice I branded it with another name.  I think change is good.  

The reason I did this is that I realized that while I'm a good cook during the week, I've been so busy and preoccupied that I only have a chance to be a great cook on the weekend.  I know some of you are in the same boat.  You love to cook, but only really have time to devote to it on a Saturday or Sunday. 

I have said, I'll never post just to post.  All of my recipes are kitchen tested, tasted and approved.  I never want to post anything that you can't recreate and get the same great results.

All of my old recipes are still here.  You just need to look back in the archives. 

Now, for this weekend's recipe.   I found this pepper seasoning in my supermarket.  I don't often do this, but I am incorporating this store bought seasoning into my recipe.

I am addicted to the Pero ® Pepper seasoning.   I am actually showing this recipe with a side of these peppers prepared with the seasoning, but I used it in the marinade, too.  It's no salt added, and you will not miss the salt at all.   There is enough salt in the pesto. 

And speaking of the pesto -

You'll want to prepare that pesto first -

For the Spring Pesto:

2 scallions, green and white parts, top removed and chopped

1 bunch (1 ounce) fresh basil

1/2 cup salt and pepper slivered almonds

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup good quality Extra Virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed
2 pinches pink salt

For the Lamb Chop Marinade:

For each 3 or 4 lamb loin chops you will need:

1/8 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1/8 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/8 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Pero  ® Seasoning for Peppers
1/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil

Directions:

To make the pesto:  Add the chopped scallions, basil, almonds and lemon juice into a food processor.  Pulse until combined.   Add in the cheese and continue to pulse until a smooth. 

Drizzle in the oil through the top of the food processor and continue to pulse until the pesto emulsifies.  Add extra oil as needed.  

Note: This pesto will be thick.  I like to add in a little extra olive oil before serving the pesto.  This way you can freeze the leftovers and add extra oil after defrosting.

Mix all ingredients together for the marinade (fresh chopped herbs, lemon juice, seasoning and olive oil).

Add chops to marinade.   Turn to coat.  Let marinate for at least 1/2 hour.

Brush grill with oil or use cooking spay for the grill. 

Preheat grill to 450 degrees F.

Remove chops from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel (lightly).

Grill chops about 4 or 5 minutes each side for medium rare.  I like to close the lid during the cooking process, but be careful for flare ups.  Adjust cooking time accordingly and for your grill as grill temperatures do vary.

Serve the chops with grilled baby peppers and cucumber salad made with Greek yogurt and fresh dill.  

Note on the seasoning:  No product was given to the blogger.  

You can also add a little fresh lemon juice over the dish at the end.   I like to add some torn basil too.  You can play with the garnishes as you like.  Mint might also be a nice garnish for this dish.

I know you're going to make this recipe over and over again. 

Tell me what you think of my new blog concept.

As always, enjoy and "I'll see you soon."

Chicken Riggies

Chicken Riggies

I am back.  I know I fell down on the number of posts that went up last year.   I have to confess, work and life has been hectic and on the weekends I've been working on finishing up  two screenplays.  I hope to get those out to be read very soon.  
 
I have this little problem in that when my creative side of my brain is turned to creative writing, I don't feel much like cooking.   I guess my brain just doesn't have the energy to go all out creative in the same day.  But I never stop watching shows about food or reading recipes.  As I mentioned before, I read recipes like most people read novels. 

I have to confess, I'm a Food Network junkie.   I was watching Diners, Drive In and Dives the other evening and one of the restaurants featured Chicken Riggies.   Chicken Riggies is a New York classic dish.   I've made it a couple of times but I never thought of adding more heat to the sauce.  Let me tell you, it worked!

I used store bought pasta.   One of my goals in 2016 is to get more adventurous in making my own pasta.   I am going to try making it hand cut and rolled.   Okay, I might use the food processor.  But as it was a weekday and I didn't have time for it -  not to mention that we had a pipe break in the kitchen a couple of weeks ago and we're still awaiting the repairs - making homemade pasta wasn't on the menu.   But, I am finding that stores are carrying better quality dried pastas.  

As with most good pasta dishes, the secret is in the sauce.  It's true here.  You can feel free to adjust the heat level. 

So, enough chit chat -  here we go!

Serves 4  - Oh, who am I kidding - my husband and I ate the whole dang thing ourselves in one sitting  -  Serves 2 ;.)

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, enough to coat a large pan
2/3 cup sweet onion, diced
2/3 cup (about 2) sweet baby bell peppers, diced - any color
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
Pinch dried Jalapeño flakes
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
28 ounces crushed tomatoes, no salt added 
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Pasta:  1/2 lb. rigatoni pasta, cooked al dente

For the chicken:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb. chicken tenders,  cut into bite sized pieces  
1 teaspoon salt free table seasoning
2 tablespoons white wine -  for deglazing 

Other: 

Grated fontina cheese, for topping
Chopped green onion, for topping

Directions:

Add olive oil to pan. 
Sauté the onion and peppers about three minutes - do not brown.

Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and Jalapeño flake.   Sauté an additional minute to let the flavors release into the pan.
Deglaze with the Sherry vinegar. 
Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.
Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, covered with the lid cracked open to release some of the steam - this will help the sauce to thicken and reduce.  
Add the parmesan cheese and the cream to the sauce right before serving. 

Note:  If you plan on freezing any of the sauce, leave the cheese and cream out and add it when you're ready to serve the sauce. 

Cook pasta per package directions. 

Add the olive oil to a sauté pan. 
Add the chopped chicken seasoned with the salt free table seasoning. 
Cook over medium heat until browned, about six or seven minutes, until chicken is completely cooked.
Deglaze with white wine.

After the chees and cream is added to the sauce, portion it out.  The recipe is enough for extra sauce.  I would reserve at least a cup of the sauce for serving on the side.   You don't want over-sauced pasta -  toss in the pasta and the chicken in the remaining sauce.  

 

Top with grated fontina and green onion.  

I like to serve this with Texas toast and a side of roasted broccoli (not pictured).

As always, enjoy and I'll see you soon!

 

Shrimp with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Shrimp with Mushrooms and Tomatoes
Served over Yellow Rice with Garlic and Parmesan Asparagus

 

I'd like to thank my friend Sherry Miller, again, for submitting a recipe to me last week.  I got a lot of great feedback on it.

Keeping with the mushroom theme, I made this delicious shrimp with mushrooms and tomatoes this week.  It's super easy for a busy weeknight. 

I like to serve this with packaged yellow rice and roasted Parmesan-garlic asparagus.  Yum!

What I love about this dish is that it’s a nice summer-to-fall transition meal.  If the weather is still a bit on the warm side, it’s not too heavy.  But the mushrooms and the butter gives this dish a nice “comfort food” quality.   And it’s easy to prepare.  It’s perfect for one those busy nights when you’re running to this practice and that practice.  This just might be one of your new “go to” meals if you enjoy shrimp.

I use Campari tomatoes in this recipe.  If you are not familiar with them, they are bigger than cherry tomatoes but smaller than a vine tomato.   You can easily find them in the produce section.  If you can't find them I would use the smallest vine ripened tomato you can find but you may need to seed them.  Campari tomatoes have seeds but they are not as prevalent as they are in a tomato that you would use on a sandwich or in a salad.

And using butter in moderation is just fine.  That's why I often use butter to finish or thicken sauces. 

Don't want to use wine or non alcoholic wine?  Don't use cooking wine or broth.  It will change the flavor of this recipe.  I'd rather you add just a little bit of water mixed with a little extra lemon juice.  

So here we go:

Ingredients:                                                                                                                                    

Serves 2

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium shallot, sliced thin (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
2/3 cup sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
5 sprigs thyme, stripped
14 extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1/4 cup dry white wine or non alcoholic wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, divided
8 Campari tomatoes, quartered
Parsley for garnish

Directions:

Add olive oil to sauté pan along with the shallots.  Cook for about three minutes until shallots soften.  Do not brown. 

 

 

 

Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden; about four or five minutes.   While mushrooms are sautéing, add the thyme.

Toss shrimp in seafood seasoning.  Add to skillet and cook until shrimp begin to turn pink; about three minutes.

Add the wine, the lemon juice and half of the butter.  Lower the heat to a low simmer and let sauce reduce to about half – about three more minutes. 

Remove from heat.  Add the rest of the butter and the tomatoes.  Let the tomatoes sit in the hot sauce for about two minutes. 

 

 

Top with parsley and serve immediately over yellow rice. 

Enjoy and I’ll see you soon!

 

 

Chicken Jambalaya Soup

Chicken Jambalaya Soup

Tonight's post is Jambalaya that eats like a soup; perfect for a chilly winter day.  
 
My husband loves Jambalaya, and I had the mix on hand and I thought, why not in a soup?  This is a perfect lunch as you can make it ahead and keep it warm until ready to serve.  And it really is a chicken soup that will  "warm your soul." 

This is a quick and simple recipe that you can spice up or tone down.  It takes a little help from the grocery store, so it’s perfect when you don’t have a lot of time.

You can use lower sodium products in any combination if you want to keep this on the healthier side.   Fresh chives at the end are optional.

What a great way to use leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken!

Here you go:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

3/4 cup diced green bell or frying pepper

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

7 ounces pre-cooked Andouille sausage, sliced into bite sized rounds

8 ounce Jambalaya mix, regular or lower sodium

1 tsp. Creole seasoning (optional – omit for a milder dish)

48 ounces chicken broth or low sodium chicken broth (suggest Tuscan style)

1 1/2 cups pulled cooked chicken (white or dark meat or both) - skin removed

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, lightly chopped

Fresh chopped chives for garnish, optional

Directions:   

Add oil to soup pan or Dutch oven.   

Sauté the onion, pepper, and celery for about three minutes until softened. 

Add the garlic and continue to cook for one minute, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add the Andouille.   Cook over medium heat for about five minutes until the fat begins to render out.

Add the Jambalaya mix along with 32 ounces of the chicken broth.   Reserve the rest of the broth. Stir in Creole if seasoning using and the thyme.

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, covered, but about 25 minutes until rice is tender. 

Once the rice is ready, add remaining broth, and reduce heat, uncovered, until warmed through.

 

 

Top with fresh chopped chives and enjoy!

Notes:  Jambalaya mixes can vary in heat depending on brand.  Suggest adding the extra Creole seasoning after you taste the coup if you are not sure about the heat level.  If using a brown rice Jambalaya mix, adjust cooking time per recommendations on the box.   

I’ll see you soon.

 

 

 

A Simple Way to Roast Prime Rib

 

 

PRIME RIB WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

 

Happy holidays, everyone.  I trust you had a good one.   I've been so busy these past few weeks that I haven't had an opportunity to post anything for you.  Now, I did try, but my recipe either didn't turn out the way I hoped (and I won't EVER share those with you) - or I just dropped the ball.   Holidays  can be hectic. 

Before I get to the recipe, please tell me what you think of the new design of my blog?   It's cleaner and more professional looking, I think.   Feel free to send me feedback.

Okay,so Prime Rib is a holiday staple.Whether it be for Christmas Day or an elegant New Year's Eve celebration.

But roasting the perfect prime rib can be chore.   My "traditional" recipe requires turning the oven off midway and not opening the oven door. But how impractical  is that if  you  don't have a  double oven.  Still,  I'll share that previous post with you here:

http://mksfabfood.blogspot.com/2011/12/perfect-standing-rib-roast.html

Now my own recipe reinvented. You only need three ingredients.  And I took a little help from the store.  

I've gotten flack in the past, as  has hubby from cooking contesters like us for using steak  seasoning. Truth is, it's delicious on here.  And  if  you can go to the warehouse store and purchase a big  container of it, why buy all  these little bottles  of  this and that which  you may or may not use again?   Really?

You can certainly substitute  your  own  steak rub. But  I encourage you to try this recipe and  tell me if it's not delicious without all the fuss. That is  why I call this post, "A Simple Way to Roast Prime  Rib."  

As a side note, I made a simple porcini sauce for my prime rib by using these ingredients:

I simply added the dried mushrooms to the wine and put them  into the microwave for 30 seconds. Then  I  reduced the Marsala wine with the mushrooms and beef stock down to half.   I added in the garlic braise as well as the concentrated broth.    Butter is added a little at time thicken.  Salt and pepper are added last and to taste. 

So here we go with the prime rib.

INGREDIENTS:

1 prime rib roast, bone in (about 4 1/2 lbs)
1 tablespoon grill seasoning for steak
1/2 tablespoon dried Herbes de Provence

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 475.  Place roast in pan on rack.  If roasting potatoes, I suggest you place those right on the rack next to the roast.

Place in oven and  roast for 30 minutes.  

Reduce heat to 375 degrees.  Do not open oven door. 

Continue to roast for 85 minutes until internal temperature is 140.   Cover lightly with tin foil to tent.  Carryover cooking  with fifteen minutes under the foil should bring the roast to medium rare:   145 degrees.

 

Yeah,  it's that easy!

I'll see you next year.  And, yes,  I know that's a lot of sour cream on the potato,  but it's a holiday.;.)

Lemon, Rosemary and Elephant Garlic Chicken

 

Wow!  I haven't posted out here since August.  Yet I still see from my stats that many of you are enjoying my previously posted recipes.  I thank you for that. 

I didn't mean to ignore you.  It's just been a crazy summer.  Now that it's fall, things move a little slower and I'm also ready to cook some comfort food.

Baked chicken on the bone just feels like comfort food to me.  It's still warm down here in Florida and I'm not quite ready for "heavy food."  So here's my take on Baked chicken with lemon, rosemary and garlic.

If you recall from my previous posts, Hubby Dan loves the "flavor" of rosemary but not the pine needle texture.  Hence  I am using the rosemary to create a "rack" for my chicken legs and thighs. 

This dish is incredible, and it's fairly easy to prepare.  And don't knock the store bought seasoning.  Everyone needs to take a little help from the store now and again and the combination of the steak seasoning with the lemon pepper make a delicious combination.  

I like to use a combination of chicken legs and thighs.  I consider one portion two pieces for this, so you will have leftovers if serving two.  I like to save two of the legs to make a little chicken salad the next day.  Of course, you can double or triple as you wish.

So here we go-

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4  chicken legs, skin on
2 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
zest of one small lemon (yellow part only)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon grill seasoning for steak
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 clove elephant garlic, sliced very thin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine or low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2  tablespoons cold butter, divided
Optional:  Fresh-frozen crushed mint

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add rosemary sprigs to pan.  Top with chicken, skin side up.

Sprinkle the chicken with the lemon zest, thyme, grill seasoning and lemon pepper seasoning. 

Top chicken with elephant garlic slices.  

Bake uncovered for 1  hour and 15 minutes, until juices run clear.  Adjust cooking time for your oven.

Remove chicken from pan.  Lightly tent and let it rest at least five minutes.

Place pan on burner on stove over medium heat.  Remove the rosemary sprigs and crispy elephant garlic slices and discard.  Note that not all of it will come out of the bottom of the pan. 

Add the lemon juice and the wine or broth;  scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  

Add cold butter in two batches.   Bring to a light boil and reduce to simmer until the sauce thickens slightly. 

Serve over cooked Jasmine rice with your favorite green veggie (like sautéed green beans with a touch of mild dried pepper and Tamari).

I grow mint in the summer and often freeze it.  I like to crush a little fresh frozen mint into the sauce at the end to give it that extra ummmm. 

Wine Pairing:  Un-oaked chardonnay


Enjoy and  I will see you soon!

Chicken Farro "Risotto" with Saffron

Chicken Farro Risotto with Saffron

I love rice.  I love all types of rice including wild and brown rice. 

I love barley.  But I just can't seem to get into couscous and quinoa.  Perhaps it is a texture thing. 

But I do like a good Tabbouleh salad.  I used to order that at my local food court.

I REALLY love good Risotto.  I love everything about it; the creaminess; the starchiness, but most all, I love how the savory dish sounds:

"RI-SOT-TO!"

No hands down, the BEST chicken Risotto I ever ate was a weekday special at Canaletto in Las Vegas many years ago.  I'm thinking it was about 2003 or 2004.  Mama Pirri (my mother-in-law) ordered it and I ate most of it.  

My recipe has all of the creaminess but it's made healthier with farro. 

Farro is one of the oldest grains cultivated by human beings.  It's high in vitamins A, B, C and E.   It is earthy and to me, it reminds me of a cross between barley and Arborio rice; both of which I have used to make risotto in the past. 

Contrary to popular belief, farro and barley are not the same thing.  Although they are often substituted for each other in recipes.  I also find that farro isn't quite as starchy as rice. 

Now, if you are already a farro "expert" you might be thinking, "Mary Kay, you are going to have to soak the farro all night before preparing this recipe." 

Well, actually, no you don't.  Here is a way to get the texture that you want for your farro "risotto" without having to go to all that fuss. 

Now, it does take a little longer than traditional risotto to prepare, but as trade off, it doesn't require as much attention as you would need to give it if you used Arborio rice.  We all like trade-offs, now don't we?

Well, enough chit chat.  Here we go with the recipe:

Note:   The rule for farro is three-to-one:  three cups of water for every one cup of farro 

Oh, and PS -  you will also notice this recipe uses one of my new favorite ingredients, Mediterranean spiced sea salt.  It is available in the spice section of your grocery store. 

Ingredients:

1 cup Italian Pearled Farro
3 cups hot water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided*
2 tablespoons butter (one tablespoon cold), divided
1 tablespoon shallot, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, stripped from stem and lightly chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine or non-alcoholic wine
6 cups chicken broth or stock, warmed through (lower sodium)
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces
2 teaspoons Mediterranean spiced sea salt
Pinch saffron threads
1/4 cup 2/% milk, warmed through  
1/4 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese blend
fresh parsley for garnish (optional but recommended)

Directions:

Soak the farro in hot water for 30 minutes before preparing this recipe.  Drain off excess water before using.

Heat a large skillet or pan over medium heat. 

Add the butter and half of the oil.

Once the butter melts, add the shallot and the thyme.  Cook for about two minutes until the shallot begins to soften, but adjust heat accordingly so the shallot does not brown.

Add the strained farro.

Using a wooden spoon, spread the farro out evenly and let it toast up for a minute or two.  At this point, the shallot might begin to brown ever so slightly, but make sure that it doesn't go too far.  Once lightly toasted, add the white while.  Stir and let the wine evaporate and soak into the farro.

Ladle about 1/2 cup of your chicken stock or broth into the farro and stir about there or four times, reducing heat to low-medium.  Stir vigorously for about a half minute.    Repeat as necessary until most of your broth or stock (or all of it) is used, until the farro is tender with a little bite to the tooth (al dente).  This process should take about 38 minutes.

While the farro is cooking, add remaining oil to a sauté pan.  Heat until just under very hot. 

Add the chicken.  Do not season at this point, as you want the chicken to brown and the salt might prevent that from happening.  Resist the temptation to turn the chicken too quickly as it might tear.  The chicken will tell you when it's ready to turn (really).  It turn easily in the pan.  If needed, use a little of the hot chicken stock to deglaze your pan.

Once you turn the chicken in the pan, add the sea salt seasoning.  Finish cooking.  Stir and remove from pan to a bowl so it does not over-cook.

Add the remaining (cold) butter, the saffron threads and the warmed milk (suggest warming a few seconds in the microwave) to the risotto. 

Now, this is where MK's recipe departs from the norm: 

Normally your risotto would be done now, but to finish farro risotto, I use what I call the "Iron Dome" method. I use a lid that is too short for the lip of the pan, yet sits above the food, and rests on the side of your pan. 

Keep in mind, steam rises.  So you do not want to evaporate the steam too much.  You are concentrating the steam and the flavors with this method, if that makes sense.   It will finish cooking your farro with the warm milk.  Keep the dome in place over low heat for about five minutes.

Total cooking time - about 43 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and the parmesan cheese into the pan.
Plate and top with fresh chopped parsley.  

Serve immediately. 

Enjoy.

*Have a little extra oil on hand.  Often you will need a little extra for your farro or the chicken, depending on the heat of your burners.  

Cook's Notes:  I used my own homemade stock for this recipe.  If using store bought, I recommend you use an organic brand which is lower in sodium. 

If you want to use all stock and no wine,  you can, but adjust the amount of sea salt you use.

Salt and pepper can be added at the table if necessary. 

See you soon!

Penne with Hot Chicken Sausage and Acorn Squash Sauce

 

One of my favorite "go to" weeknight fall recipes is Penne with sausage and pumpkin sauce.  Tonight I decided to mix it up a little.  I found this wonderful acorn squash at our Sunday farmer's market yesterday. 

I roasted it up with a generous amount of salt-free garlic & herb seasoning and olive oil for about one hour in a 375 degree F. oven. 

I used the salt free garlic and herb seasoning because I wanted a subtle garlic flavor.

 

 

The result was delicious: 

Ingredients:

1/2 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. hot chicken sausage links, casing removed
1/4 cup dry white wine, divided (optional)*
Flesh of one whole acorn squash (roasted per directions above)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/2 lb. whole wheat or whole grain penne pasta, cooked per package directions
1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp. coarse Kosher sea salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Fresh chopped sage

*If not using the wine, increase vegetable broth by 1/4 cup and reduce salt by 1/2.

Directions:

Add olive oil to a heavy skillet.  Heat over medium heat.  Once hot, add in the crumbled chicken sausage.  Brown to your liking, about 10 minutes.  Deglaze pan with half of the white wine or 1/8 cup of the broth.

 

Scoop the flesh of the roasted acorn squash out and add to food processor.  Add in half of the Parmesan cheese and the half & half.  Pulse until combined and smooth.

Cook pasta per package directions.

 

While pasta is cooking, add the acorn squash puree to the skillet with the browned sausage.  Add the remainder of the wine (if using), ricotta, the vegetable broth, salt and white pepper.  Mix well.  Stir in half of the remaining cheese.  Simmer lightly until warmed through. 
 

 

Toss pasta with sauce.  Top with fresh chopped sage. 

As always, I'll see you soon!