Cassie’s Ruminations

Beef and Bean Burritos

Another re-post from early in the blog with a new and improved picture. These appear in our dinner menu at least once every couple weeks – they’re just so easy and flavorful, not to mention fast. All great qualities for a weeknight meal!

Beef and Bean Burritos
Serves 4

1 lb lean ground beef (15% fat works well)
½ tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp Mexican oregano (do not substitute Italian – just omit if you don’t have)
Dash cayenne pepper

1 can refried beans, chili beans, or black beans

Lettuce
Tomato
Avocado
Sour Cream
Grated cheddar cheese
Salsa (I love 505 or El Pinto as they don’t have any onion and do have lots of green chile)

4 burrito size tortillas (I love the Uncooked Flour Tortillas by Tortillaland )

Spray non-stick cooking spray in a skillet. Brown the lean ground beef with chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, and cayenne pepper over medium high heat. Warm up beans in the microwave or over medium heat in a sauce pan. Warm up tortillas for 20 seconds in the microwave or 10 seconds on each side in dry skillet or on a griddle. Cut up some tomatoes, lettuce, and avocado, and grate some cheese. Assemble burrito with fillings as you see fit.

Posted in Beans, Beef, Food, Mexican, Vegetables | No Comments »

Roasted Rack of Lamb

For our Easter dinner, I roasted a small rack of lamb that I got at Costco. They have great high quality meat for a steal, and while most things we can’t use up fast enough, the lamb comes in perfect quantities.

Tender lamb really requires just the simplest of preparations to allow it to shine, and this definitely qualifies. I steamed some asparagus and red potatoes to go alongside. This is very easy to double to serve more – just sear each rack then transfer them both to a roasting pan instead of just using the skilled. As is, it could also be easily stretched to serve four if another side were offered.

Roasted Rack of Lamb
Serves 3

1 rack of lamb, about 1.75-2 lbs, frenched
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp canola oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a cast iron or other ovenproof skillet. Rub the lamb all over with the salt and pepper. When the oil shimmers, add the lamb and sear to a nice brown on both sides (about 2 minutes per side).

Move the skillet to the oven and roast for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees for medium rare (or about 30 minutes and 145 degrees F for medium). Remove the skillet from the oven and let the roast rest for 10 minutes before carving into chops and serving. If the lamb is a bit underdone for your tastes, just put the skillet back over medium high heat and sear each chop for a bit longer.

Posted in Food, Holiday Cooking, Lamb | No Comments »

Italian Smoked Sausage and Vegetable Skillet

This is a variation on my chicken bruschetta, just using a pound of smoked sausage instead of chicken. I do prefer the chicken version, but this is a nice change of pace. I made this for lunch today, with leftovers to take to work for lunches.

Italian Smoked Sausage and Vegetable Skillet
Serves 4

1 lb smoked sausage (I use Hillshire Farms)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
3/4 tsp black pepper, divided
10 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
5 small zucchini (about 1.25 lbs), sliced into rounds
2 cans (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes (I used one regular and one fire roasted)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Scoot the sausage to the edges of the pan and add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, onion powder, and half of the salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms are just starting to turn tender and release a bit of liquid. Add the zucchini and sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pepper. Stir to combine with the mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until just starting to turn tender. Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, and vinegar, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the zucchini and mushrooms are tender. Serve hot.

Posted in Easy, Food, Italian, Pork, Vegetables | No Comments »

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup tonight – I had a dentist appointment after work, so an easy to chew dinner was in order. Today I browned the butter a bit for more flavor, used leftover rotisserie chicken, used fiori instead of egg noodles, and used some fresh thyme since I had it on hand.

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

Guac-Dogs

Yes, this is weird, but it is good 😛 These are just my guacamole and my favorite hot dogs.

Posted in Beef, Dips Spreads Sauces and Condiments, Easy, Food, Grilling, Mexican | No Comments »

Chicken Piccata

I’ve posted this before, but the picture wasn’t all that great, and as it’s one of our stand-by easy meals, I figured it was worth re-posting 🙂 This is restaurant quality with very little fuss. I usually don’t bother with the parsley, but it’s a nice touch to put it over the top for company.

Chicken Piccata
Makes 4 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb thinly sliced skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp drained capers
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)
1-2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)

Pat chicken with paper towels to thoroughly dry. Mix together the flour with salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp of each for us). Dredge the chicken in the flour, lightly coating all over and shaking off any excess.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium low; add garlic and capers to skillet. Cook for 30 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant. Add two tablespoons of the leftover flour mixture and stir to coat completely with oil, making a roux. Add broth and lemon juice, increase heat to medium high, and cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly, until the residual flour is completely incorporated and the sauce is starting to thicken. Return the chicken to the skillet and turn to coat completely in the sauce. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serve immediately over pasta.

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

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

This is a rich chicken dish – one piece is very satisfying. This was my first attempt at frying, and it went okay, but it’s still a learning process for now. The recommended temperature of 350 degrees for the oil was too hot, though. The chicken got a little burned, but the tater tots turned out perfectly.

Shaun summarized this dinner in haiku, and I figured I’d share:
I burned the chicken
Too rich to eat for husband
Do better on next try

I do love my Lodge combo set, and I’m looking forward to using it more.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Serves 4

4 large chicken thighs, about 2 lbs

For the marinade:
2 cups buttermilk
5 stems fresh tarragon (or 1 tsp dried)
5 stems fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
5 stems fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)

For the coating:
2 cups flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne

For frying:
3 cups peanut oil or other high smoke point oil

Pour the buttermilk into a large zip top bag. Tear up the herbs and toss them in. Add the chicken and seal. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours. The longer it marinates, the richer and more flavorful the chicken will be.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about half an hour before you want to start cooking. Drain the chicken and discard any large herb bits. Smaller pieces on the chicken can stay.

Add all of the coating ingredients to another large zip top bag. Add the chicken and shake to coat well.

Heat the oil over medium high heat to 330 degrees F. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down. Cook for 10-12 minutes on each side, adjusting the burner heat as necessary to maintain oil temperature.

Move chicken pieces to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Posted in Food, Poultry | No Comments »

Emma at the Dog Park

We try to take Emma to a dog park at least once a month, and more often if we can and the weather cooperates. Today we went to our local favorite, Ebey Island. It was just Emma and I today – Shaun stayed home to work on beating back the blackberry brambles while they’re still somewhat manageable, and for some reason no one else was at the park. Emma missed playing with other dogs, but she still got a rush from getting to tear around full throttle. We stayed for an hour and then headed home, where she spent most of the rest of the day flat and asleep 🙂

Posted in Corgi, Ramblings | 1 Comment »

Hot and Sour Soup, Take 2

This is my next iteration of that Chinese restaurant classic, hot and sour soup. This is getting really close to my ideal now, and I think it might at this point just be a matter of adding a bit more vinegar and/or pepper to suit my taste on that individual day. 🙂

Hot and Sour Soup
Makes 8 cups – 8 appetizer servings, 4 hearty starter servings, or 2 main course servings

7 oz extra-firm tofu, drained (1/2 of a regular package)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 tbsp soy sauce, divided
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp cornstarch, plus 1 tsp (divided)
3 tbsp cold water
1 large egg
1 cup bamboo shoots, strip style (1 8-oz can), drained
1 oz dried black fungus
6 tbsp black Chinese vinegar
2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp ground white pepper

Press water out of the tofu by placing the block in a rimmed dish, placing a plate on top of it, and placing a couple heavy cans on top of the plate. Let it sit for 10 minutes. About ½ a cup of water will come out. Cut the tofu into small pieces about half an inch square by a quarter of an inch thick. Put the tofu into a small zip top bag and pour in 1 tbsp of soy sauce and the 1 tsp of sesame oil. Seal the bag and toss to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes.

As the tofu is marinating, pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan and heat over medium high heat. While it heats, mix the 3 tbsp of cornstarch with the water in a small bowl to make a slurry and set aside. Cut the bamboo into matchsticks if needed, and beat the egg with a splash of water and the 1 tsp of cornstarch.

When the broth reaches a boil, add the bamboo and dried black fungus to the pot and reduce the heat to medium low. Let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the black fungus is re-hydrated and tender. Add the marinated tofu and let simmer for another 2 minutes. Stir the cornstarch slurry to recombine, and add it to the pot. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the broth back to a gentle boil. Stir in the vinegars, the remaining 3 tbsp of soy sauce, and the white pepper. Let cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat. Drizzle the egg into the hot broth with a spoon in long thin strands. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Posted in Appetizers, Asian, Food, Soup | 1 Comment »

Wine Review – Pasek Cellars Blackberry Wine

I know next to nothing about wines, and tend to dislike or barely tolerate the flavor of most of them except in cooking applications, so I was pleasantly surprised when I opened a bottle of Pasek Cellars Blackberry Wine and was greeted with a real aroma of blackberries 😛 I poured some into my chicken cacciatore, and the aroma was just great. The stew turned out wonderfully too. After dinner, I poured myself half a glass, and found to my delight that I actually somewhat enjoy the taste of this wine. It’s nicely sweet without being cloying, and the blackberry flavor is very nice. So, yeah, I obviously do not know how to talk about wines, but I liked this one 🙂

Posted in Drinks, Food, Product Review, Ramblings | 1 Comment »