Cassie’s Ruminations

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Or as a co-worker said, Happy 50%-Off-Candy Eve

Tonight’s dinner was my nice and fast turkey meatballs, made a bit less fast due to the sudden inexplicable flight of whimsy that caused me to shape them into hearts. It was another 12 hour day at work, so where the energy and motivation came from, I cannot say, but it made Shaun and me smile, so it was worth it I roasted some zucchini alongside the meat-hearts to round out the meal.

Extra fun socks for today, of course. Puppy dogs today, ladybugs yesterday. I really need to post the collection I’ve been wearing throughout the winter months too.

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Valentine’s Day Crisped Rice Treats

These are classic crisped rice treats with a little holiday twist. I love vanilla, so I always add more than the official recipes call for. I made a double batch and brought them into work to share with my coworkers.

Valentine’s Day Crisped Rice Treats
Serves 16

3 tbsp butter
1 10-oz package (4 cups) miniature marshmallows
2 tsp vanilla
6 cups crisped rice cereal
1 tbsp Valentine’s Day colored sprinkles, plus more for the top

Melt the butter and marshmallows together in an 8 cup microwave safe bowl (for my microwave, this is on high for 3 minutes, stirring once halfway through). Stir in the vanilla, then fold in the cereal. Add the sprinkles and continue to gently stir until the cereal is completely coated. Spread the mixture out into 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with parchment paper. Scatter sprinkles evenly over the top of the mixture while it is still warm, pressing the sprinkles in slightly.

Let the mixture cool completely and cut into squares.

Posted in Desserts, Easy, Food, Grains | 2 Comments »

More of what we’ve been eating

Work remains hectic, so we’ve been doing a lot of the stand-by meals. Here’s some of what we’ve been eating the past couple weeks:

Beef Stew

Turkey Meatballs with roasted carrots and broccoli

Quick Braised Brussels Sprouts and Apple Chicken Sausage

Game Day Nachos (just my burrito seasoned ground beef stirred with a can of refried beans, spooned over corn chips, and warmed in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes, then topped with tomatoes, avocado, and shaved cheddar cheese

Tonkatsu with a quick cucumber salad (1 cucumber tossed with 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and a pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper)

White wine braised chicken thighs and asparagus (similar to this, which we did with brussels sprouts

Beer Roasted Chicken

Beef and Bean Burritos

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Pollo Arrosto al Balsamico con Patate – Balsamic Roast Chicken and Potatoes

This is another great recipe from Central Market – an Italian take on a classic roast chicken. The original recipe called for chopped onion and pancetta in the rub, which I substituted with more garlic and some nice nitrate/nitrite free applewood smoked bacon (from the always excellent Niman Ranch). This turned out quite nicely and was a good change of pace from our usual Beer Roasted Chicken.

Pollo Arrosto al Balsamico con Patate – Balsamic Roast Chicken and Potatoes
Serves 4

For the rub:
6 large cloves of garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
2 slices bacon (about 2 oz), chopped
5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

The rest:
1 whole chicken, 4-5 lbs
2 lbs baby yukon gold potatoes
1 small bottle (187 ml) dry white wine (I used a pinot grigio)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix together the rub ingredients and set aside.

Remove any giblets from the chicken and discard them. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and gently loosen the skin from around the breasts, legs, and thighs, making small incisions along the back just through the skin to help if necessary. Stuff most of the rub mixture evenly under the skin. Rub any remaining mixture over the top and sides of the chicken.

Add the potatoes to the pan and sprinkle with additional kosher salt and black pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes, then pour the wine into the pan. Continue to cook for 50-60 minutes more, or until the internal temperature of a thigh reaches 165 degrees F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving warm.

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Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

This is a quick and easy meal that uses leftover chicken. I used meat leftover from my beer braised chicken (about half a chicken’s worth). You could grill up a pound of skinless boneless thighs or breast and chop it up if you don’t happen to have leftovers sitting around.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 4

4 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 16-oz can refried beans (I like Old El Paso)
8 large yellow corn tortillas (about 7 inches in diameter)
1 15-oz can green chile enchilada sauce (I like Hatch)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Warm the chicken and beans in a large microwave safe bowl for about 3 minutes, or until warm. Stir to combine. Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of filling, and roll to close. Place each filled tortilla seam side down in an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Spoon any extra filling evenly over the top, then pour the enchilada sauce over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly. Serve warm.

Posted in Beans, Food, Mexican, Poultry | No Comments »

Continuing Snow and Corgi Fun

The snow is finally tapering off, and Emma has continued to delight in the opportunity to play!

Mid-bunny-hop

Look at the snowmen!

Even this little one is bigger than me

Bounding along

Snow on the nose

Queen of the snow pile

Awww, time to go inside?

Thinking sleepy thoughts

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Snow for Emma

We’re in the midst of our first real snow of the winter, and Emma is thrilled. She asks to go out often and sniffs and bounds through the snow with glee.

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Crunchy Garlic Chicken

This recipe is one of Jamie Oliver’s. We thought we’d like this, as we like all of the ingredients, as well as breaded chicken, but somehow this just didn’t work well for our tastes. We won’t be making this again, but if it floats your boat, go for it!

Crunchy Garlic Chicken
Serves 4

2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
12 saltines
4 tbsp butter, melted
leaves from 4 sprigs flat leaf Italian parsley
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1.5 lb thinly sliced chicken breast

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Peel the garlic and zest the lemon. Place the garlic, lemon zest, saltines, butter, parsley, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a small food processor, and pulse until the mixture is well combined and the crumbs are very fine. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl.

Pour the flour into another bowl. Crack the eggs into a third bowl and beat them until just slightly frothy and smooth.

Dredge each chicken piece in the flour, then dip in the egg to coat completely. Let any excess egg drip off, then coat the chicken well in the seasoned crumbs.

Place each piece on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with non-stick foil.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the crumb coating is a deep golden brown.

Serve warm.

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Chicken Cacciatore

This is an iteration of my chicken cacciatore. It has a bit less chicken and even more veggies, making it even more weight loss friendly. We really enjoy this meal – a big bowl of tasty Italian stew, warming and satisfying for a chilly January evening.

Chicken Cacciatore
Serves 4

1.25 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into quarters
kosher salt and black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small bottle (187 ml) red wine (I used a merlot)
1 28-oz can large diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
4 small zucchini (about 1 lb), halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/8 inch pieces
1 lb crimini mushrooms, quartered
1/8 cup pitted black olives (about 16 olives), halved (I used kalamata)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until nicely browned.

Push the chicken to the sides of the pan and add the bell pepper and garlic, seasoning lightly with salt. Cook until the pepper softens, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any bits of chicken that stuck to the pan. Continue to cook until the wine is reduced to about 1/3 of its original volume, about 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors are nicely mingled.

While the stew simmers, heat the other 2 tsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the zucchini and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until they are tender and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the olives and a pinch of dried thyme, and stir to combine.

Add the vegetable sauté to the stew and gently stir to combine. Simmer for a final 2-3 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Serve hot.

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Beef Barley Soup

This easy, hearty, slow simmering soup can be made in a crock pot as well (still brown the meat, then dump everything in for 10 hours on low).

Beef Barley Soup
Makes 4 servings

1 tbsp canola oil
1 lb beef chuck roast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large carrot, sliced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 quart low sodium beef broth
2 tbsp brandy
1/2 cup pearl barley (not instant)
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 bay leaf

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.

Add the carrot and mushrooms to the pot and brown, about 2-3 minutes. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the tomatoes, beef broth, brandy, and barley, and stir to combine.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the sugar and spices, stirring to combine, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer until the beef is tender and the barley is cooked through, about 1 hour.

Serve warm.

Posted in Beef, Food, Grains, Soup, Vegetables | 1 Comment »