Raspberry-Balsamic Glazed Chicken

10 days since my last post! You probably think we haven't eaten dinner in over a week and a half. No. We have eaten dinner every night but, I have just been lazy with the postings. Turning over a new leaf and I am really going to keep up with the recipes and results. One of my sisters said that she was looking for nightly menu ideas so now I'm challenging myself to get more recipes posted.

I spent my day off looking for new recipes. After 3 hours of online searching, exercising, doing a load of laundry and making chocolate chip cookie sticks (I'll post that recipe too!), I came across a recipe for Raspberry-Balsamic Glazed Chicken that I have been meaning to try for a long time. Tonight was the night. It is a super easy recipe and I adapted it from a recipe from MasterCook which is a computer program loaded with recipes. I made it in between dropping off and picking up numerous kids from their afternoon activities, washing the kitchen floor, and vacuuming the family room.

Besides the chicken, I served steamed green beans, rustic bread brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt that was toasted in my new panini machine, and an old salad favorite - sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Got 2 thumbs up for the chicken with the raspberry-balsamic glaze. Sweet and tangy. Something differently delicious. 2 more voters tried the chicken with the glaze and decided they just wanted the sauteed chicken. Not your more adventurous eaters. I would definitely do this recipe again!!

Raspberry-Balsamic Glazed Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup purple onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Heat oil and butter in pan. When hot, add onion and saute for 5 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with a little salt and thyme. Saute in same pan as onions, about 5 - 6 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Add about 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the preserves, chicken stock, and vinegar to pan. Stir constantly until preserves melt and the sauce begins to thicken. Spoon raspberry glaze over chicken.


Bonus!!  The cookie recipe I promised. Freakin' good!



Chocolate Chip Cookie Sticks

2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl beat together the butter, the sugars, and the baking soda until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat in well. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and the chocolate chips. Press dough into a 13 x 9 inch pan lined with foil. Bake for about 23 - 25 minutes. It should be golden brown and the center should be set.

Cool in pan for 1 hour. Lift cookies in foil out of pan and turn on to a cutting board. Cut crosswise into about 13 to 15 long cookie sticks. They should be 9x3/4 inch wide. Place sticks onto a ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 8 -10 minutes. Remove from pan. The cookie sticks will crisp up as they cool.

Dunk in milk and enjoy!!!

Teriyaki Salmon with Pineapple Salsa

After cooking all day at work, I still look forward to making dinner at home for my family. Most of my meals come together in about an hour. I'm no Rachel Ray who can whip up a meal in 30 minutes. I am usually enjoying some cheese and bread (and a little red wine) while I cook so, it takes me longer to get things done. On Friday nights, I cook a little more leisurely because we are not rushing to get homework done, get to drum lessons, or softball practice. Friday's menu included Teriyaki Salmon with Pineapple Salsa, sauteed green beans with caramelized onions and truffle salt, and rice with black sesame seeds.

Salmon is a favorite of my family so this menu is not a hard sell. Those who like a little spice add a wasabi drizzle to the salmon. I enjoyed the pineapple salsa but, it wasn't a big hit with the rest of my taste testers. I am trying to add new twists to our favorite dishes so some will be winners and other will be losers.

Try something new today. You may even like it.

Roasted Teriakyi Salmon with Pineapple Salsa

serves 5 with leftovers

2 pounds of salmon fillets
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated
1 clove garlic, chopped
Pineapple Salsa, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, white wine, brown sugar, ginger root, and garlic. Put salmon in a large ziploc bag and add marinade. Let fish absorb the marinade for about 15 - 30 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Remove fish from marinade and place on baking sheet. Roast for about 10 - 12 minutes. We like our fish more on the medium rare side so this is usually enough time. If you like your fish more well done, add a couple more minutes. The fish will continue to cook when you take it out of the oven so, be careful not to overcook it. Serve with Pineapple Salsa.

Pineapple Salsa

1 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 jalapeno, chopped (remove seeds if you want less heat)
2 tablespoons onion, diced
squeeze of lime juice
salt
pepper

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Thanksgiving in February

One of the benefits of my new blog is that my kids are taking a greater interest in cooking. I have always discovered that they are more likely to eat what they prepare. One of my daughters helped with this dinner recipe. Our family loves the Thanksgiving meal. But we only make it once a year. This recipe incorporates the Thanksgiving flavors so we get our fix anytime of the year. A side of steamed rice was added to soak up the gravy.  We also had mixed greens with dried cranberries, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My son opted for cinnamon applesauce. Get your kids in the kitchen to help cook. They will eat healthier food and be proud of the meal they created.

Thanksgiving in February

serves 5

5 chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
3 tablespoons butter
4 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 can (14 ounces) low sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons white wine
2 teaspoon dried sage
salt
pepper

Lay one piece of the chicken on a cutting board. Put one hand on top of the chicken and slice it in half horizontally to make 2 pieces. Salt and pepper the chicken. Heat a large saute pan to medium high and add 2 tablespoons of butter.  When it just begins to sizzle, add the chicken and brown for about 3 - 4 minutes per side.  Remove from pan when done. Add 1 tablespoon to the same saute pan and saute the scallions for 2 - 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for an additional minute. Add the wine and broth and cook until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the sage, season with salt and pepper and return the chicken to the pan. Simmer for about 3 - 5 minutes so the chicken can absorb the gravy.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Onion and Red Wine Reduction

I found a new recipe I wanted to try with grilled beef tenderloin. We always grill beef tenderloin by the indirect method on our Weber grill. Is there any other way? We cooked up half of the tenderloin (about 2 pounds) for approximately 14 - 15 minutes a pound. Rubbed it first with olive oil and the Barbecue of the Americas spice mixture from my favorite spice company, Penzeys Spices. It came out a prefect medium rare. While it was grilling, I made the red wine reduction which is just a fancy way to say gravy. Served it with smashed red potatoes (didn't even peel them), steamed broccoli, and bread with olive oil for dipping. I got good reviews for all family members. My husband would have preferred the traditional horseradish cream with the tenderloin, though. The big bonus was that the whole meal came together in an hour. Get grilling!!

Roasted Onion and Red Wine Reduction

1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil
3 cups low sodium beef stock
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour

Put onions and garlic in a small pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Check to make sure they don't get too brown. Meanwhile, put stock and wine into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until it reduces by half, about 30 minutes. Mix together 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and the flour to form a paste. After stock and wine has reduced, whisk in butter/flour paste. Continue cooking until sauce thickens, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add remaining butter, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in roasted onions and garlic. Serve warm with grilled beef tenderloin.

Night of the Leftovers

The Super Bowl has come and gone. My team lost but, the party must have been a success because I have a messy house to show for it. If parties are rated on the quantity and quality of food, this one was one of the best. Pulled pork and coleslaw, italian meatballs, chicken wings, dim sum, bacon wrapped pineapple with barbecue sauce, layered taco dip, potato skins, spicy cheese dip with tortilla chips, three bean chili, hotdogs, chex mix, broccoli salad, grilled hot and sweet sausage, shrimp boiled in beer, reese peanut butter cup brownies, cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, oreo cheesecake, muddie buddies, beer, wine, margaritas, soda, -- just to name a few items on the menu last night. Needless to say, I will be handing out the leftovers around the neighborhood. I will try to refrain for doing too much cooking at home this week but, that is usually a losing cause. I did not even mention the 12 homemade pizzas waiting in the freezer that did not even make it out of the freezer. Maybe I'll scale done the menu for the next party. NOT!!!

No recipe posting today. I'll be back to cooking as soon as I digest from yesterday.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Go Bears!!! That is the Chicago Bears. Having lived in the Chicago suburbs for over 30 years, I am a Bears fan now living in a sea of Giants and Jets fans. With the Bears in the "BIG GAME" this weekend, I look at it as an opportunity to make lots of food and sit on the couch all day while it was consumed. We have invited over 50 of our favorite friends, purchased and installed the appropriate t.v., and planned a menu to include all the best football foods. One of the entrees that will be served is also one of the easiest to prepare - Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cole Slaw. The pork is made in a crock pot so it basically cooks itself. I am not a huge fan of the crock pot but, for this recipe it works great. All I make is the barbecue sauce and Cole Slaw and these you can even purchase if you are pressed for time. Get ready to cheer the Bears to victory and eat yourself silly. Maybe a few orange and blue martinis too.

Pulled Pork

serves about 10
7 - 8 pound pork shoulder, bone in
1 large onion, sliced
8 - 10 cloves garlic, chopped
1 and 1/2 cups water

2 -3 cups barbecue sauce, recipe follows
Cole Slaw, recipe follows
Kaiser rolls for serving

Now comes the hard part. Put pork, onion, cloves and water in the crock pot and cook on low for about 9 hours. When finished, take pork out of the crock pot and separate/shred the meat away from the bone and fat. Put the shredded pork back in the crock pot and add about 2 - 3 cups of barbecue sauce. A couple good store brands are Sweet Baby Ray's and Bone Suckin' Sauce or make your own. Cook on low for another hour or two. This only gets better as it sits for a day or so in the fridge. Serve on rolls with a spoonful of cole slaw on top.

Barbecue Sauce

Adapted from this Barefoot Contessa recipe

1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small can tomato paste - about 6 - 8 ounces
1 1/4 cups honey
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup hoisin sauce
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon chipolte powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chili powder

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent and not browned. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes. Use immediately or cool and store in the refrigerator.

Cole Slaw

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons 1/2 and 1/2 or light cream
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon celery salt
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 apple, julienned

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, 1/2 and 1/2, honey, vinegar, celery salt and about a 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Combine cabbage, carrots and apples in a large bowl and add enough of the dressing to coat. Let coleslaw sit for about a half hour to allow the cabbage to release some of its water. Stir again and add more dressing if the cole slaw seems too dry.