Dinners for a Year and Beyond

Pesto Gnocchi with Shrimp and Broccoli

I thought our home life could not be much busier than it was during the school year. I was wrong. The last week of school and the following week were jammed with state high school softball games and a championship, two graduations, numerous parties, packing for a trip to Costa Rica for My Middle One, visiting the grandparents at the Jersey Shore, and planning and cooking for my EAT! clients. Needless to say, dinner prep for my own family fell be the wayside.

I threw together a quick dinner one night after work, and I must say a tasty one too. Gnocchi, a bag of frozen wild shrimp, a few cups of fresh broccoli florets, a couple tablespoons of pesto and a handful of Parmesan cheese all came together for a satisfying dinner in all of about 15 minutes.

Even if your schedule has your family running in many different directions, a nutritious and pleasing dinner is only minutes away.

Skip the drive thru. Make dinner at home tonight.

Pesto Gnocchi with Shrimp and Broccoli

serves 4

1 pound gnocchi, I like De Cecco Potato Gnocchi
1 1/2 pounds extra large (21 - 25 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups broccoli florets
2 - 3 tablespoons pesto, I like De Cecco Pesto alla Genovese
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Cook gnocchi according to the package directions. Drain and and place in a large bowl.

Fill the same pot with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and broccoli and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, until the shrimp is just cooked through and the broccoli is tender crisp. Drain and pour into bowl with gnocchi.

Add 2 tablespoons of pesto to the gnocchi, shrimp and broccoli and toss to coat. Taste and add more pesto if desired. To serve sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Lite Pasta Alfredo with Chicken, Kielbasa and Broccoli

Sometimes I stumble upon a dish that is so easy to prepare and loaded with flavors that I make it for all my EAT! clients in one week as well as for my family. Lite Pasta Alfredo with Chicken, Kielbasa and Broccoli was the Dish du Jour last week and it will be showing up on our family dinner table very soon.

My Oldest loves pasta alfredo with chicken. She requests it frequently for dinner and orders the cheesy entree when it appears on a restaurant menu when we are dining out. Since it is a dish that is typically very high in calories and loaded with cheese and butter, I do not make it as often as she would like. I have been searching and testing different versions of her favorite dish as I tried to hit upon the creamy, cheesy flavor without all the fat and calories.

Lo and behold! I have found just such a recipe. A multitude of flavors abound in this one dish entree loaded with chicken, smoky kielbasa, sauteed onions, mushrooms, and red peppers and just barely cooked broccoli. Tossed with bowtie pasta and a just enough Parmesan sauce to hold everything together, this dinner will be a hit every time you serve it.

Lite Pasta Alfredo with Chicken, Kielbasa and Broccoli

serves 4

2 cups bowtie pasta
1/2 cup low-fat evaporated milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 egg yolk
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3/4 pound chicken tenderloins, cut in small chunks
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup diced red pepper
2 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 pound kielbasa, sliced in half moons
2 tablespoons white wine
2 cups broccoli florets, blanched
salt and pepper
extra Parmesan cheese for serving
thinly sliced scallions for serving

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together evaporated milk, cheese, and egg yolk. Set aside.

In a saute pan over medium high, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and saute the chicken until cooked through and lightly browned, about 4 - 5 minutes. Remove from pan.

In the same saute pan over medium high heat, add the remaining olive oil, mushrooms, onion, red pepper, and garlic. Saute for 3 - 4 minutes. Add the kielbasa and continue to saute for an additional 3 - 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it almost evaporates. Add the evaporated milk mixture and stir until it begins to thicken. Add bowtie pasta, chicken, and broccoli and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve with extra Parmesan cheese and scallions sprinkled on top.

Grilled Steak with Mango Watermelon Relish

After a busy Memorial Day weekend loaded with eating and drinking and parties, I was on the hunt for an easy dinner for Monday evening. I don't like to shop at the last minute for dinner so I hit the grocery store early on Friday morning so I wouldn't be fighting the crowds loading up on hotdogs, hamburgers, potato salad, and red, white and blue sprinkled sugar cookies on Saturday and Sunday. I filled my refrigerator with chicken, ground beef, and steaks and a variety of fruits and vegetables ensuring that I would have the ingredients needed to come up with with meals throughout the weekend.

A few items I picked up at my newly renovated Shoprite were flank steak, a whole watermelon, a couple mangoes, asparagus, and a half dozen ears of corn. The sweet and savory food combinations are a favorite of mine so I set about developing a recipe to use the meats and fruits and vegetables I had on hand and which was easy to throw together.

Grilled Steak with Mango Watermelon Relish is a marriage of a slightly salty and savory grilled steak and a cool, sweet relish with a bite from diced red onion. My family is not a fan of what they call "sweet meat" (meats combined with fruit) so I was the only one who enjoyed the steak with the fruit relish. No worries as many of my dinners can be suited to the tastes of the diners. Since my family opted out of the mango relish, they were able to have the grilled steak which benefited from the soy sauce and bourbon marinade. With sides of steamed asparagus, corn on the cob, and some pasta salad leftover from a party on Sunday, dinner was a success.

If you are on the lookout for a new way to serve a grilled steak, give Grilled Steak with Mango Watermelon Relish a try.

Grilled Steak with Mango Watermelon Relish

serves 4

for marinade --

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 flank steak, about 1 3/4 pounds

for relish --

1 mango, diced
1/4 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 cup watermelon, diced
2 tablespoons red onion, diced

In a large resealable bag, combine the soy sauce, bourbon, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and garlic. Add the steak, seal bag and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or 2 - 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, combine the mango, cucumber, watermelon and red onion in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat grill to medium high heat. Grill the steak for 3 - 5 minutes per side. Do not overcook the steak or it will be tough. Flank steak is best served medium rare. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain and serve topped with the relish.

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach and Italian Cheeses

An impressive dinner that is oh so easy to prepare. The prep for Chicken Rollatini with Spinach and Italian Cheeses takes about 20 minutes. And in the time it takes to bake in the oven, you can toss a salad and slice a loaf of bread to go along with this family-pleasing entree.

BTW - These tasty chicken bundles reheat beautifully so make a few extras to have on hand for the hectic and hurried dinner times around your house.

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach and Italian Cheeses

inspiration for this recipe came from here
serves 4

olive oil spray
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
5 ounces (1/2 of a 10 ounce package) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of liquid
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
salt and pepper
1 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce, heated

Preheat oven oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat a baking dish with olive oil spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese, spinach, and ricotta cheese. Set aside.

Lay chicken flat on a work surface and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread about 3 - 4 tablespoons of the spinach mixture on the chicken and roll up starting at the narrow end. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Place panko and Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish and eggs in another shallow dish. Dip the chicken rolls in the egg and then the panko and place seam side down in the baking dish. Lightly spray chicken with olive oil.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through and the filling is hot and bubbly.

To serve, place about 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce on a plate and top with the baked chicken. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Serve with additional marinara sauce.

Peanut Butter Power Bites

I am teased by my family that I don't need a cellphone. More times than not, I miss their calls or fail to answer their text messages. It is not that I am always ignoring them, but there are times I don't want to be so...accessible.

But today while I was cooking for a new EAT! client, my phone vibrated with 2 test messages within minutes of each other. Being that it was during school hours and both messages were from my daughters, I decided to take a look at them. The girls texted me saying how much they and their friends loved the Peanut Butter Power Bites I packed in their lunches. A friend of one of my daughter's (and a frequent dinner guest at our house) even stated that she would do anything to get a few more of the crunchy and chocolatey peanut butter treats.

I made a batch of 50 Peanut Butter Power Bites yesterday afternoon and there are about 15 left. It looks like it is about time to make some more.

Peanut Butter Power Bites

adapted from this recipe in the April, 2011 All You magazine

makes 50

4 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and stir in peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, honey and vanilla. Stir in Rice Krispies and oats and allow mixture to cool.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Form mixture into 1-inch balls, pressing tightly to form balls. Store in refrigerator.

Stir Fry Chicken Kebabs with Teriyaki Dipping Sauce

Who does not love dinner on a stick? Look at how tasty the kebabs in the photo look. It's supper on a skewer. And Stir Fry Chicken Kebabs with Teriyaki Dipping Sauce combines a meal on a skewer with a popular and always favorite cuisine - Asian.

Without further adieu.......Stir Fry Chicken Kebabs with Teriyaki Dipping Sauce.

Stir Fry Chicken Kebabs with Teriyaki Dipping Sauce

makes 16 skewers, serves 6 - 8

Get a jump on making this recipe early in the day. Marinate the chicken, cut up the vegetables, and make the teriyaki sauce in the morning. At dinner time, skewer and grill chicken and vegetables. Serve with basmati rice to complete the meal.

3 pounds of chicken tenders cut in 1-inch cubes

marinade --
juice on 1 lemon
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ginger root, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped

teriyaki glaze and dipping sauce --
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 green pepper cut in 1 inch pieces
1 yellow pepper, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 red onion, cut in 1 inch pieces

In a large resealable bag, add the chicken and marinade ingredients. Seal and squish the bag to combine the mariande with the chicken. Let marinate for an hour at room temperature or up to 6 hours in the refrigerator.

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine the 1 cup water, soy sauce, ginger and garlic powders, honey, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. In a separate small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup water and cornstarch. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and continue to cook for 3 - 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat grill or grill pan to medium high. Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and skewer alternately with the peppers and onions. Grill for about 3 - 5 minutes per side basting with 1/2 of the teriyaki glaze during the final minutes of cooking. The chicken should be just cooked through and the vegetables slightly charred. Remove the skewers from the grill and serve with the remaining teriyaki dipping sauce.

Pork Chops with Fresh Blackberry Pinot Noir Sauce

In a word ...... amazing!

Not only was Pork Chops with Fresh Blackberry Pinot Noir Sauce simple to prepare, it was an entree that was both spicy and not too sweet - a favorite flavor pairing. I love the combination of pork and fruit and this dish adds a bit of flair to dinner time. Even my daughter who has a strict policy of no fruit and meat entrees (she is just a little odd that way) loved chili powder spiced pork chops topped with the blackberry sauce of mashed and whole berries.

The chops are quickly seared and then finish cooking in a covered pan. The sauce is a marrying of shallots, wine and fresh blackberries. A little butter adds just a touch of body to the sauce before topping the tender pork chops along with a few whole berries.  Sides of quinoa and creamed scallions rounded out the meal.

In a word ..... amazing!

Pork Chops with Fresh Blackberry Pinot Noir Sauce

adapted from a recipe in Cuisine at Home - June 2010 issue

serves 4

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6 -8 ounce) pork chops (3/4-1-inch thick, bone-in)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
1/2 cup pinot noir
3 cups fresh blackberries (divided)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoons unsalted butter

Combine chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper and rub onto the chops.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the chops and saute 3 - 4 minutes on each side. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 5-7 minutes.  Remove the chops to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Saute the shallots in the pan over medium-high heat about 2 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with the wine. Then add 2 cups of the berries, broth, and sugar.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 - 5 minutes.  Coarsely mash the berries with a potato masher or fork. Simmer the sauce until slightly thick - about another minute or 2.

Swirl in the butter into the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the pork chops topped with the sauce and the remaining berries.

Baked Feta and Tomato Shrimp

Baked Feta Shrimp

3 starving kids who were looking for something hearty for dinner after a softball game and lacrosse practice = a big pot of pasta with ricotta marinara sauce. )Just add about 1 cup of ricotta cheese to 2 cups of homemade marinara sauce or purchased marinara sauce and viola....ricotta marinara sauce.)

2 parents looking for more than pasta for dinner on a Friday night during Lent = Baked Feta and Tomato Shrimp dinner.

With a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer and a couple pantry and refrigerator ingredients, our Friday night dinner was on the table in 20 minutes. Baked Feta and Tomato Shrimp had all the flavor of a restaurant quality dish without the added expense of dining out. I like to eat out just as much as the next person, but when making a delicious entree is so simple, it was just as easy to eat at home.

Baked Feta and Tomato Shrimp is loaded with garlic panko crumbs, fire roasted tomatoes, jumbo shrimp and salty feta cheese. With a loaf of crusty bread and a salad of mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette, dinner is complete.

Enjoy dinner at home tonight. Your wallet will thank you.

Baked Feta and Tomato Shrimp

This recipe is just as tasty as one from your favorite seafood restaurant. It can be made up to the point of just before roasting and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours. Add a couple extra minutes to the roasting time if putting the entree directly from the refrigerator to the oven.

serves 4

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for baking dish
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup panko
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, 21 - 25 per pound, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small saucepan over medium heat add butter and olive oil. When butter begins to just bubble, remove the pan from the heat and add the garlic. Let sit for 3 - 5 minutes. Add the panko and stir to combine. Set aside.

Brush a 9-inch baking dish with a little olive oil. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Top with the tomatoes, the garlic panko and sprinkle the feta. Bake for 12 minutes or until the shrimp are just cooked through. Remove from oven and top with the basil.

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas

If - and that is a capital I capital F if - I am really organized in the morning, my dinner prep starts before I leave for work to cook for another family. But if the stars and moons align during my morning routine, I can chop a few vegetables, slice some chicken breasts or mix up a marinade to make dinner time a little less hurried.

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas were on my menu for Monday night's dinner. Lemon and oregano marinated chicken was grilled and tucked into pitas along with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers and drizzled with a Greek yogurt dressing. I managed to mix up the marinade in the morning so the chicken could benefit from a long soak. Even if your chicken marinates for as little as 30 minutes just before grilling, it will still have have loads of flavor.

This is one of those meals that can be tailored to the quirky flavor preferences of your family. Your "No Thank You Boy" can eat just the chicken. The starving softball player will eat two loaded pitas with all that is offered. And The Husband that is working late will have a dinner that tastes like it was just made after a quick reheat of the grilled lemon chicken in the microwave.

And if you can manage to grill up a couple extra chicken breasts and chop some additional vegetables, you will have tomorrow's lunch waiting in the refrigerator in the morning. It will be a lunch your co-workers will envy.

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas

adapted from this recipe in the March 2011 issue of Cooking Light magazine

makes 8 half pita sandwiches

1 (6 ounce) container plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup shredded cucumber
1/4 cup lemon juice, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless and sliced into thin fillets
4 (6-inch) pitas, cut in half
shredded lettuce
chopped cherry tomatoes
thinly sliced cucumber
thinly sliced red onion

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and garlic salt. Set aside.

In a large resealable bag, combine the remaining lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and seal bag. Make sure the marinade covers all the chicken. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to overnight.

Heat a grill pan to medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for about 2 minutes per side or until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil.

To serve, open one of the pita halves and fill with some of the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Slice the chicken in thin pieces and add some to the pita. Drizzle with the cucumber sauce and serve. Fill the remaining pitas in the same manner.

Beef Tenderloin Bites with Spicy Chile Jelly

Beef Tenderloin Bites with Chile Jam

I got flack from my brother-in-law the cattleman for my Meatless Monday post on Facebook that I was making a meatless spinach lasagna for dinner. In honor of him and his cattle at Golden Oaks Beef, I present the recipe for Beef Tenderloin Bites with Spicy Chile Jelly.

I prepared this entree for a personal chef client this week. Cubed beef tenderloin is marinated in spicy Asian chili and soy sauces then quickly cooked and tossed with red pepper jelly. The dish contains the flavor combination of spicy, sweet and salty which is definitely a tasty one.

With the short marinating time and less than 5 minutes to cook, dinner will be ready in no time at all. Add a side of rice combined with steamed carrots and peas and it is time to eat.

Enjoy!

Beef Tenderloin Bites with Spicy Pepper Jelly

adapted from this recipe. Included in this dish are a couple items that you probably do not keep in your pantry but, they are widely available in the specialty food aisle of most grocery stores. Links are included to the brands that I used in making this dish.

serves 4

3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs beef tenderloin, cut in 1-inch cubes (can substitute sirloin or strip steak also)
3 tablespoons spicy red pepper jelly
4 cups cooked rice, kept warm
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Combine chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a resealable bag and mix until thoroughly combined. Add cubed meat and toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large nonstick frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add the meat and cook until brown and caramelized on all sides, about 3 minutes for medium rare. Add the pepper jelly and toss to coat. Remove from pan and serve over rice and sprinkled with the scallions.

Note - this is a favorite recipe of my personal chef clients. The dish can be made in advance and reheated when ready to serve. After preparing the dish, cool completely and package for the refrigerator. I like to package my prepared meals in these Pyrex dishesthat come with lids. When ready to serve, remove lid and cover with paper towel to prevent splatters in your microwave. Heat at 70% power for 30 second intervals, stirring to distribute the heat, until the meat is just heated through. You want to only reheat the meal, not cook it so using the 70% power is important. Remove from microwave and stir and serve.

Thanks to my personal chef friend Sandy Hall for suggesting the recipe.

Brown Sugar and Dijon Glazed Corned Beef and Cabbage with Red Potatoes

A traditional Irish dinner

As someone who is constantly testing, tweaking, and altering recipes, Brown Sugar and Dijon Glazed Corned Beef and Cabbage is one recipe that I dare not change. The Irish Husband requests that his homeland's meal not be tampered with. Not that his homeland is Ireland; he is actually from the suburbs of Chicago. But he is Irish all the same.

I typically thought that the traditional Irish dinner of boiled corned beef, cabbage, red potatoes, and carrots lacked flavor. Over the last 20 years, my recipe has evolved, and I inject flavor by adding sauerkraut to the simmering corned beef and adding a sweet and spicy glaze on top. With the addition of a loaf of Spotted Dog, dinner is complete.

And there are usually leftovers which make The Irish Husband very, very happy.

Brown Sugar and Dijon Glazed Corned Beef and Cabbage with Red Potatoes

Brown Sugar and Dijon Glazed Corned Beef and Cabbage with Red Potatoes

serves 5 with leftovers

4 lbs corned beef
1 (28 ounce) can sauerkraut
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
1 pound green cabbage, cut into 5 wedges
6 carrots, peeled and cut in 2 inch pieces
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Place corned beef, fat side up in a large stock pot and cover with water. Add the pickling spices if they were included with the corned beef and sauerkraut. Cover and simmer over low heat until beef is tender when pierced with a fork about 31/2 hours. Add the potatoes, cabbage, and carrots and continue simmering for an additional 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the cooked corned beef fat side up. Leave the vegetables in the pot while the corned beef is in the oven.

In a small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard and brown sugar. Spread the mixture over the top and sides of the corned beef. Bake in oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the the sauce begins to caramelize. Remove from the oven, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and slice against the grain. Place on a platter and surround with the potatoes, cabbage, and carrots.

Chicken and Herb Stuffing Bake

Chicken and Stuffing Bake

I love a good casserole.

A one-dish meal that is soul-satisfying and stick-to-your-ribs.

Even though there have been glimpses of Spring, Winter is not quite ready to let go of its grip on northern New Jersey. With temperatures still dipping into the 30s at night and on some days, Chicken and Herb Stuffing Bake is a comforting dinner at the end of a long day.

Thumbs up from The Husband, My Oldest and Middle One. They are suckers for a gravy-filled dish reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinner. No Thank You Boy could do without the gravy and stuffing (2/3 of the dish). With a side of steamed green beans, (a vegetable on No Thank You Boy's approved list and one he will eat more than his typical "no thank you" bite) dinner is complete.

Hopefully the weather will be warming up and the daffodils will be poking their heads out. Then casseroles will be a distant memory until next Fall. Until then, Chicken and Herb Stuffing Bake will be a welcome dinner at our kitchen table.

Chicken and Herb Stuffing Bake

serves 4 generously

4 tablespoons butter
2 cups crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 cup water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 teaspoon sage
salt and pepper to taste
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1/2 package (14 ounces) herb stuffing cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, melt butter and add the mushrooms, garlic and onion. Saute for 8 - 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened and the onions are just beginning to brown. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or so. Slowly pour in the milk and water and add the bouillon cubes and sage. Continue stirring so the sauce does not have any lumps and the bouillon cubes dissolve. Cook the sauce for 4 - 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a 2 quart baking dish, place the chicken breasts and pour the sauce over. Top with the stuffing cubes and press down gently. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until the chicken has an internal temperature of about 165 degrees. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet and Sour Pork with Snow Peas and Carrots

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin with Snow Peas and Carrots

I loving getting mail and anxiously await the next magazine that arrives in my mailbox. Even with the endless supply of recipe websites and food blogs, I still prefer to thumb through a glossy magazine loaded with recipes, cooking tips and new product suggestions.

I received a subscription to Food Network Magazine this past Christmas and picked out several recipes to try from the January/February 2011 issue. The first recipe I prepared was for Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin with Snow Peas and Carrots.

It met many of my dinner requirements.

1. a fast prep time - about 25 minutes
2. most ingredients I have on hand and I only need to pick up a few items from the store
3. it is a cuisine I know my family loves - Asian
4. it is a one-pan dish loaded with vegetables
5. if there are any leftovers, the dish will reheat well

Not only was the entree beautiful to look at, it was delicious. The meat remains tender and the vegetables are slightly crisp. This variation of sweet and sour pork is a far cry from the sticky sweet version with deep fried pork from your local Chinese take out restaurant.

We have a winner!

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin with Snow Peas and Carrots

adapted for this recipe from the January/February 2011 Food Network Magazine

serves 4

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons sugar, plus a pinch
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, cut in matchstick size pieces
2 carrots, thinly sliced
3 scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups snow peas, cut in half
4 cups of cooked rice, kept warm

Toss the pork with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, the soy sauce, cornstarch, ketchup, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/3 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in another bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the pork and slowly stir until it turns mostly opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Discard the oil and wipe out the skillet.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the skillet, then stir-fry the garlic with a pinch each of salt and sugar, 15 seconds. Add the mushrooms and red pepper and stir fry for 4 - 5 minutes. Add the carrots and scallions and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. (Add a little water if the garlic starts to stick to the skillet.) Add the pork, snow peas and soy sauce mixture; stir until the pork is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes.

Serve pork and vegetables over warm rice.