Rock Your Socks Off Rice

"Grand-Mere" Rice Dressing

This recipe is for a side dish that has the hootspa to stand on it's own. All you really need to serve with this is a roasted chicken or something equally as simple and a green vegetable. Anytime I get a chance to make a deep dark delicious roux I love it. I just channel my "Granny Dorie" a go for the gusto. Do NOT be afraid of the chicken livers that this recipe calls for. They do this sort of melty thing that gives this dish a depth of flavor rather than an overwhelming liver taste (really no liver taste at all, I've fooled two picky kids with this dish, they had no idea they were eating liver). I adapted this from John Besh's recipe and if you have never had his food, I definitely recommend you find some recipes and try them immediately.

6 Tbsp Rendered Bacon Fat (from 6 slices of bacon)
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
2/3 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
8oz Andouille Sausage, removed from casing and chopped
3 Tbsp Minced Celery
6 Tbsp Minced Green Pepper
2 Tsp Minced Garlic
1-1/2 Tsp Creole Seasoning
1-3/4 Cup Jasmine Rice
12 oz. Chicken or Duck Livers Chopped small
3 Cups of Chicken Stock
1-1/2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In oven-proof pot fry bacon over medium high heat. Remove bacon and reserve for another dish, or eat it while cooking the rest of this dish. Stir flour into bacon fat and stir roux continuously until a medium brown color, approx. 5-8 minutes.
Add onion, green pepper and celery and cook 6-8 minutes until onions are transparent and celery is soft. Add garlic and andouille sausage and cook 1-2 minutes. Add rice and chicken livers, cook until livers are no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover pot and bake for 15 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed. Add parsley and salt and pepper to taste

Crock Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup is a completely satisfying meal that gives you the best of the food groups. What's so great about this recipe is how easy it is. You start it in the morning and in the evening after two simple tasks you have a warm crowd pleasing meal. When I was young my grandmother used to can a soup mix that was similar to this.

Crock Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

28oz. an of chopped tomatoes with juices

2 14.5oz. cans of low sodium beef broth

2-1/2 cups of frozen vegetables (I like to use a vegetable mix that is carrots, green beans and corn then add frozen peas and edamame)

1 lb ground beef (any ground meat will work)

1 cup of water

6 oz. macaroni or other pasta, cooked according to package minus about 1 minute

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp garlic minced

1 tsp beef bullion (this can be omitted but I think it adds a little depth to the flavor)

Salt and Pepper to taste

In the a.m. add tomatoes, broth, frozen vegetables, water and bullion to a crock pot. Turn on high for 6 hours or low for 8 or more hours. Whatever temperature works best in your crock pot, each one is different and cooking times vary, if yours tends to run hot cook on low and vice versa. You really cannot go wrong.

At dinner time cook pasta according to package minus a minute or so (the pasta should still have a lot of bite to it) Drain and add it to the soup to allow it to finish cooking, approx 5 min or so.

Brown ground beef with garlic being careful not to burn garlic, drain and put back in the pan. Add Worcestershire sauce and simmer for one or two minutes. Add beef to soup mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with corn bread muffins.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

If you like Tex Mex food, there is a blog you have to check out http://www.homesicktexan.blogspot.com/. She has some great recipes. Among them a recipe for Queso that is great and doesn't use the ever dreadful Velveeta cheese log (although deep down I do love a little processed cheese blob every once in a while). This recipe is an adaptation of her recipe with a few changes that make life a bit easier.


Sour Cream Enchiladas

For the Enchilada Filling

1 Rotisserie Chicken meat removed from the bone and shredded OR Place 4 frozen Chicken Breast in a Crock Pot, Salt and Pepper generously add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the Pot and cook on low 6-8 hours, then shred.

For the Sour Cream Sauce:

2 Serrano chilies, diced (jalapenos would be fine if you cannot find Serranos)
2 tbsp butter

2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups sour cream (regular or reduced fat)
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
10 oz can of tomatillos (found in Hispanic section of supermarket)
Dash of Cayenne
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Enchiladas

12 small corn or flour tortillas
2 cups of shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

To make the sauce melt butter in a saute pan, add diced Serrano chilies and cook until soft, about three or four minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute. Add the flour and cook another minute , whisking constantly. Pour in the chicken broth into saute pan with flour mixture while whisking constantly, cook until chicken broth has thickened. Probably a few minutes. Stir in sour cream, cumin, cayenne and cilantro. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain tomatillos and add to a food processor or blender. Process until a chunky/smooth consistency. Add sour cream sauce and process for about 15 seconds or so.

To assemble the enchiladas, pour one cup of sour cream sauce in the bottom of a casserole pan. In each tortilla put approximately 1/3 cup of chicken and 1tbsp or so of cheese. roll up and place seam side down in pan. Repeat until you have a full pan. Cover enchilada with the remaining sauce and cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes until the top is brown and bubbling.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

A post from a favorite fellow blogger (staceysnacksonline.com) reminded me of this chicken dish that is crispy, delicious and kid friendly. This is an adaptation from a Fine Cooking recipe from 1998. Enjoy!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

4 large chicken breasts

4 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp white wine (chicken broth or water will do as well)

1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

2 english muffins, crumbled finely

4 tbsp melted butter

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix together Dijon and white wine in one bowl/plate. In another bowl/plate mix together Parmesan cheese, muffins butter and salt and pepper to taste. Dip Chicken in Dijon mixture then carefully roll chicken in muffin/Parmesan mixture. Pat gently to adhere, this is the messy part.

Place on a baking sheet and put in a preheated 450 degree oven for 25 minutes. Check after 15 minutes to see if the chicken is getting too brown. If so, cover with foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.

Cumin Pork Roast with Wild Mushroom Sauce

This rich mushroom sauce features a suprising Southwestern accent, courtesy of jalapeno chiles, cilantro and oregano. Not only is it sensational with the pork roast, it is terrific served over mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. Cook the Pork Roast all day in your crock pot for a meal that is almost effortless at the end of the day. Something that I have also discovered is that you can put a frozen roast in the the crock pot in the morning and cook on low all day. The results are the same as if you had a thawed roast.


Cumin Pork Roast with Wild Mushroom Sauce


1 3 1/2-pound pork roast
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons ground cumin divided
2 tsp salt

2 tablespoons butter
14 ounces mushrooms, sliced (any variety of mushrooms work)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped shallots (can be easily omitted if you do not have them on hand)
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño chili (with seeds)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano
1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth or juice from the pork roast that has cooked in the crock pot
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup dry Sherry

Place frozen or thawed pork roast in a crock pot (small crock pots produce the best results) along with water, salt and 3 tsp of cumin, cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until meat easily pulls apart.

At dinner time, melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic and jalapeño; sauté until mushrooms are very tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Add chopped cilantro, oregano and 1 teaspoon cumin. Next gradually whisk flour into Sherry in medium bowl to blend. Add Sherry Mixture and Broth to the mushroom mixture bring to a boil, whisking until smooth. , Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve this over mashed or baked potatoes. Yummy!

Helpful hint: You can also cook baked potatoes in a crockpot if you are not going to have time at the end of the day to complete them.

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

6 medium baked potatoes
olive oil

Prick potatoes with fork and rub with olive oil. Place in crock pot
Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours or low for 6-10 hours

The Mushroom Sauce Recipe is an adaptation of a Bon Appetit Cookbook Recipe

Spicy Shrimp

My Bon Appetit Cookbook never fails me. Again, I have found a recipe that is super easy and takes about 15 minutes to make. This shrimp can be eaten a multitude of ways: as an appetizer, with rice, with pasta or with French Bread to soak up all the great sauce. When I cook this I don't bother heating up the oven as the recipe calls for, I just throw them into a skillet or a wok for a couple of minutes. (This recipe is my own adaptation of the original)


Spicy Shrimp

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp Cajun or Creole seasoning (use one that doesn't list salt as one of the first ingredients)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
Pinch of cayenne pepper (use to your taste)
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined and butterflied

Lemon wedges for serving

Combine first 6 ingredients in glass dish; whisk to blend. Add shrimp to mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate for up to 1 hour (I think that 10 to 15 minutes is plenty because the marinade is so flavorful)

Cook shrimp and all of the marinade in a skillet or wok heated over high heat until shrimp are opaque in center about 4 to 5 minutes. You may also place these in a 450 degree oven on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes.



The next post will be from the Martin Epstein Test Kitchen: Pasta with Beans and Beef

Yummy Yummy Grilled Chicken in a Pan

This chicken is something that takes a little while to cook, however, it's an absolute breeze to make. It is a terrific crowd pleaser. I always like to make two of these at a time and then have lots of leftovers for sandwiches, salads or pasta. Oh! and if you want you can bake this chicken instead of grilling.

For the Chicken:
1 whole chicken
3/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

For the Dry Rub:
1 tbsp brown sugar
2-1/2 tsp paprika
2-1/2 tsp garlic powder
1-1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander

Heat grill to low medium about 300. If you can leave one section of your grill unheated it will work best this way. In a bowl combine applesauce and Worcestershire sauce mix well. Place chicken in a square pan that will hold the chicken without smooshing it too much, breast side up. (a Pyrex square baking pan works wonderfully) Coat the inside cavity of the chicken with applesauce mixture, then spread the rest of the mixture all over the chicken, covering as much of the chicken as possible.

Combine all of the dry rub ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Then sprinkle some of the dry rub inside the chicken. Spread the rest of the rub on top of the applesauce mixture. Be sure to use all of it. It might look like a lot but it forms a scrumptious crust on the chicken.

Place the chicken as far away from the direct heat of the grill as you can and close grill lid. Baste chicken a couple of times throughout the cooking process (this will help build a great crust). Cook chicken until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 175 degrees. This should take around 2 hours depending on the size of your chicken, maybe more or maybe less.

If you prefer to bake the chicken, bake it at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 175 degrees. Again, the time varies depending on the size of your chicken.

Believe me! You will love this and if you don't belive me ask Leah Erickson.

Fall is Here It's Time for Soup!

This is a terrific and easy soup that I like to make when it's a little brisk outside. Living in Minnesota means that this soup is appropriate about 10 months out of a year. This is from Bon Appetit, it has been featured in the magazine as well as "The Bon Appetit Cookbook". Which is a great cookbook, by the way, full of awesome standards.

Cheese Tortellini Soup with Cannelini, Keilbasa and Kale

2 tbsp Olive Oil
12 oz. fully cooked smoked kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced (any variety works, you could also substitute another kind of sausage if you like)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups chopped kale (about 1/2 bunch)
1 15oz can of cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
1 9oz package cheese tortellini
Asiago or Parmesan cheese for serving

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add next five ingredients and saute until vegetables are soft and kielbasa is brown, about 12 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in kale and cannellini. Reduce heat to low and simmer until kale is wilted, about 4 minutes. (can be prepared up to this point one day ahead of time, refrigerated and then brought back up to a simmer for the next steps)

Add tortellini to soup. Simmer until pasta is tender but still firm to bite, about 5 minutes

Ladle soup into bowls. Serve, passing grated cheese separately.

Lettuce Wraps

I am obsessed with Lettuce Wraps! The crazy strange part is that I abhor lettuce. So I figure out ways to eat Lettuce Wraps sans lettuce. I use baked won ton wrappers, or spinach, which proves to be very difficult. This recipe works perfectly for those times that you need a quick appetizer to take somewhere for a weeknight party. If you want to serve this to your family as a main entree it works equally as well served over steamed or fried rice.

Lettuce Wraps

1 Pound of Ground Pork (ground chicken, beef, turkey or buffalo work great too)
1 Head of Butter Lettuce (or any leafy lettuce of your choice that will seperate well)
3 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
2 tbsp Chopped Nuts preferably unsalted (I prefer cashews, you can also use water chestnuts)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Rice Vinegar (regular vinegar will work if you don't have Rice Vinegar)
1 tbsp Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sambal Chili Paste (or to taste)
1 tsp sugar

Saute the ground pork until cooked through, then drain off excess fat. Add the rest of the ingredients listed except for the lettuce and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the flavors have combined. Separate individual lettuce leaves being careful to keep them as intact as possible.
Serve Pork Mixture in a bowl surrounded by lettuce leaves on a platter.

Note: If all you have are nuts that are salted rinse as much of the salt off of them under running water before adding to the rest of the ingredients.

Chicken Paillards with Dijon Pan Sauce

Hello! I am finally ready to enter my first post. This recipe is one of my "go to" dishes. It is easy, easy, easy and can be customized to fit pretty much any ones tastes. You can substitute any variety of herbs, leave them out, add lemon, grill the chicken, switch up the protein, the sky is the limit.

You will need the following:

Chicken Breasts, boneless and skinless (as many as you need)

All purpose flour (probably 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on your quantity of chicken)

Olive Oil (or any other vegetable oil you like to use)

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the pan sauce:

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 heaping tbsp. Dijon Mustard

Pinch of tarragon (dried or fresh or any other herb you like)

Small spoon full of capers (if you have them on hand and like them)

Dash of Worcestershire Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Make the Chicken Paillard

• Take a chicken breast and place it between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it out until it is even. This makes the chicken tender and cook evenly. You can use a mallet, bottom of a pan, wine bottle or anything that can get the job done efficiently.
• Mix flour and a good pinch of salt and pepper together. Then dredge your chicken in it.
• Heat a couple of teaspoons of oil in a frying pan over medium high heat
• Add chicken breasts and quickly saute until golden brown and just cooked through. Your chicken will cook much faster than normal because of the paillard technique. Remove and reserve chicken.

Make the Pan Sauce

• Deglaze pan with white wine and chicken broth
• Add Dijon mustard and dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Reduce by half
• Add herbs, pepper and capers (or your chosen accents)
• Test for salt, add if needed
• Add the chicken and any juices back into the pan and heat through

Serve immediately