Cassie’s Ruminations

Chicken Potato and Kale Stew

A hearty and healthy meal for a rainy evening, this was inspired by the contents of my fridge and the ever helpful interwebs 😛 , mostly this Cooking Light recipe, and this Food Network recipe. While Shaun and I both enjoyed the chicken and potatoes and the broth, the kale just didn’t really work for either one of us. It wasn’t bad, but it isn’t something we’ll repeat. Oh well. Gotta keep trying new things!

Chicken Potato and Kale Stew
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized chunks
kosher salt and black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 tbsp flour
1 cup white wine
1 quart low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 lb waxy potatoes, red or yellow, cut into bite sized chunks
1 large bunch kale, about 1/2 lb, stemmed and torn into large pieces
Red pepper flakes

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, or until turning golden and fragrant. Add the chicken in a single layer and season well with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side to brown nicely. Stir the flour into the oil and rendered fat to form a roux, making sure no lumps of dry flour remain. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits that got stuck. Stir to incorporate the roux completely. Reduce the wine by half. Add the chicken broth, water, and potatoes and increase the heat to medium high. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add the kale, recover the pot, and simmer for another 10 minutes to wilt the greens.

Serve hot garnished with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and with bread and a tossed salad.

Posted in Food, Potatoes, Poultry, Soup, Vegetables | No Comments »

Pork Summer Rolls

These are a light and flavorful appetizer or meal for the summer. I used leftover pork tenderloin from last night, but you can make these with more traditional steamed shrimp or with just veggies, or with whatever makes you happy. The wrappers can be found in the Asian aisle of your grocery store or at your friendly neighborhood Asian grocery. I have not yet mastered the art of wrapping these well, but I’m getting better!

 

Pork Summer Rolls
Serves 4 as an appetizer, or 2 for dinner

For the rolls:
1 leftover cooked pork tenderloin, about 1 lb
1 english cucumber
4-5 medium large carrots
1 package 6-inch diameter summer roll wrappers (made with rice flour or tapioca flour)

For the dipping sauce:
4 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 dash fish sauce
1 dash red pepper flakes
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 pinch sugar

Slice the pork into thin small pieces. Cut the cucumber into matchsticks, and grate the carrot. Fill a wide shallow dish with warm water. Soak one wrapper at a time for 70-80 seconds or until nicely pliable. Place the wrapper on a plate lined with paper towels and place another wrapper in the water to soak. Place a few pieces of the pork along the center of the wrapper on the towels. Add 2-3 cucumber matchsticks and about 1 tbsp of grated carrot. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, holding gently but tightly. Fold the two sides in over the filling and roll up the rest of the way, holding to keep the whole wrap tight. Place the roll seam side down on a plate. Continue with wrappers until you run out of fillings – about 16 or so.

Chill the rolls in the fridge for at least 30 minutes – this helps the rolls to set up and seal nicely.

Whisk together all of the dipping sauce ingredients and serve with the rolls.

Posted in Asian, Food, Pork, Vegetables | No Comments »

Hoisin Bourbon Pork Tenderloin

This was a pretty tasty take on pork that was inspired by a similar recipe from Cooking Light. It was a bit heavy on the hoisin and light on the bourbon, so I think next time I’ll cut down the hoisin by half, double the bourbon, and use this as a marinade rather than a baste, and still boil it down as the pork cooks for a sauce. I’ve written it below as I made it tonight.

Hoisin Bourbon Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4

2 pork tenderloins, about 2.5 lbs
Kosher salt and black pepper

For the baste:
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp bourbon
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp chile garlic sauce
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 large clove garlic, pressed

Preheat broiler to high with a rack about 8 inches from the heat.

Stir together all of the baste ingredients and set aside.

Butterfly the pork tenderloins and lay flat on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Place under the broiler and cook for 5 minutes. Pull the pan out and brush the pork with about 1/3 of the basting mixture. Return under the broiler and cook for another 5 minutes. Pull the pan out and flip the pork tenderloins over. Brush with another 1/3 of the bating mixture and return under the broiler to cook for a final 5 minutes. Put the remaining 1/3 of the sauce in the microwave for 2 minutes to boil and reduce.

Remove the pork from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with the reduced sauce.

Posted in Asian, Food, Pork | 1 Comment »

Braised Baby Turnips and Turnip Greens

I’ve never had turnips that I can recall, but these sweet little globes have sold me for life on them! I could have eaten the whole bunch on my own, but I was nice and shared with Shaun 😛 The gorgeous farm fresh roots needed nothing more than a quick braise. They have a flavor similar to nicely cooked brussels sprouts, with a bit more sweetness to them. I loved these and look forward to trying more in the future.

  

Braised Baby Turnips and Turnip Greens
Serves 2

1 bunch baby white turnips with greens still attached, about 12-14 oz
1 tbsp butter
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup water

Trim both ends from the turnips and cut any especially large ones in half. Cut the leaves from the greens, discarding the stems and any yellowing leaves. Wash the turnips and leaves well.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Toss the turnips and greens to coat and season with salt and pepper. Add the water and cover. Cook for 7-8 minutes, or until just turning fork tender. Remove the cover and let the remaining water boil off. Brown the turnips in the butter, about 3-4 minutes total after removing the cover. Serve warm.

Posted in Easy, Food, Vegetables | 2 Comments »

CSA Box – Week 1

I picked up my first CSA box today, and I am excited! Some other folks also got the flower package, and they were gorgeous. I might have to sign up for the flowers too next year 🙂

In this box, I got half a dozen free range eggs (brown and speckly and such fun 🙂 ), 2 large yukon gold potatoes, one bunch of baby white turnips, 1 bunch of spring garlic, 1 bunch of winterbor green kale, 1 large head of red leaf lettuce, 1 large bunch of baby arugula, and 1 big bunch of sweet basil. All of that, which I got to chose from their website, in their “small” box. I’m glad I went with the small size. I don’t know what we’d do with nearly twice as many veggies, and we love them! Maybe I’ll have to get some of their hand ground rye flour next time. I’m looking forward to eating all of these goodies!

Posted in CSA, Eggs, Food, Ramblings, Vegetables | 1 Comment »

Tea Soaked Chicken Thighs

This recipe is inspired by one from Rachel Ray. I omitted the star anise, and used skinless boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts. The flavor here was subtle, almost more of an aroma, but nice, and I’d definitely consider doing this again. I only marinated for 1 hour, and the flavor would be stronger with a longer time in the fridge. I served this with some roasted asparagus, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt.

Tea Soaked Chicken Thighs
Serves 4

2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs

For the marinade:
1 “family sized” or 3 regular sized black tea bags of your choice – I used Lipton iced tea blend
2 cups water
2 cups ice
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Boil 2 cups of water and pour over the tea bags. Let steep for 5 minutes. Pour into a large zip top bag and add the ice to cool the mixture down. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken to the bag and seal, squishing out as much of the air as possible. Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Preheat the broiler to high with a rack about 8 inches from the heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a broiler pan or a cooling rack nested in a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 6 minutes then flip all the pieces and broil for another 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve warm.

Posted in Food, Poultry | No Comments »

Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats

This is my take on the many stuffed zucchini recipes out there. This one takes an Italian flair. It turned out quite nicely, and I’ll definitely try this again, maybe with a lemon-y take next time.

Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Serves 3

3 medium large zucchini, about 3 lbs

For the filling:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 8-oz can tomato sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash the zucchini and cut off both ends. Halve lengthwise and scoop out the seedy softer middles, leaving about a 1/4 inch all the way around, forming a boat-like shape. Chop the middle bits finely and set aside. Place the hollowed zucchini halves in a large baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray or olive oil.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the turkey and garlic. As the oil heats and starts to turn the garlic golden and fragrant, add the other spices and break up the turkey into small pieces as it browns. When the turkey is nicely browned, add the chopped zucchini middles and stir to combine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the zucchini pieces are turning translucent. Add the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Remove the from the heat and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Spoon the filling evenly into the zucchini boat, packing well. Pour 1/2 cup water into the bottom of the dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the zucchini is nice and tender.

Serve warm.

Posted in Food, Italian, Poultry, Vegetables | No Comments »

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This recipe was inspired by one on Foodnetwork.com. I think it turned quite well! Not much like the “famous” version, but very tasty in its own right!

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Serves 2 generously, 4 if served with rice

For the chicken:
1.5 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs, diced
1 egg white
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, or sake

For the sauce:
1/3 cup water
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch

For the stir-fry:
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
1 lb shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and diced
1 8-oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained and diced

For serving:
1 head butter or Bibb lettuce, separated into leaves, rinsed clean, and patted dry
red pepper flakes

Whisk the egg white, cornstarch, and Chinese rice wine in a medium bowl to combine. Add the diced chicken and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Whisk together the stir fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and let warm on the counter for 10 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp of canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the chicken. Let sit for 1 minute to develop a nice brown surface, then toss and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes more. Remove the chicken to a bowl.

Add the second tbsp of canola oil and heat again. When just about smoking, add the mushrooms and water chestnuts and stir to cook well, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken back to the wok along with the stir fry sauce and toss to combine well. Cook for 1-2 minutes to meld the flavors.

Serve warm in the lettuce leaves garnished with red pepper flakes to taste.

Posted in Asian, Food, Poultry, Vegetables | No Comments »

Emma’s Tough Life

Emma’s spent most of the morning wrapping herself up in the sheet we keep on the couch “to keep dog hair off it” (see how well this works? 😛 ). She actually let me get a couple pictures before hopping off the couch.

All bundled up.

Don’t take my picture!

Just let me nap in peace.

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A Celebratory Dinner

Shaun had his last final of his first year of law school yesterday, so we had a celebratory dinner tonight – grilled thin cut ribeye steak, steamed king crab, sauteed mushrooms, and steamed zucchini. Yum!

Posted in Beef, Food, Holiday Cooking, Seafood, Vegetables | No Comments »