Sweet & Spicy Pork

This is probably one of the easiest marinades I've ever made, and it's full of flavor! We used it on pork loin, but I think it would be equally delicious on chicken, especially if it's grilled. The marinade only has 4 ingredients, but it's full of flavor -- sweet, spicy, smokey, and slightly salty.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you can buy these in a can in the International aisle, and they last forever)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic

Directions

1. Pour all ingredients into blender or small food processor. Process until smooth.

I used a pork loin, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces, and marinated it in this for about 2 hours. Then I cut up an onion and stir fried everything together, serving over rice. Next time, I'm going to marinate chicken and grill them! Yum!

Operation Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those meals that must be planned. Shopped for. Prepped in advance. Spur of the moment dish, it is not. I've been craving some Lorna's Lasagna from San Diego for quite a while now, but who knows the next time I'll get out West to actually get some. So I decided to suck it up and make one myself. It's an easy dish to prepare, just time consuming. But the end result was gooey and cheesy and about the most perfect meal for 2 lactose intolerant people!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 20 oz can whole tomatoes, drained
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• crushed red pepper/cayenne to taste
• 1/2 lb lasagna noodles
• 1 lb ricotta
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 lb sliced mozzarella (I doubled this!)

Directions

1. Brown the beef and garlic in a saute pan until cooked. Add whole tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to beef; simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions.
3. In a 9x13 baking dish, spread 1 cup beef mixture along the bottom. Top with noodles, 1/2 the ricotta, 1/2 the parm, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat layers again. Top with remaining beef and mozzarella.
   
4. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes and let sit 15 minutes before serving.

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Blog entry #200! Can't believe I have that many entries on this thing. Insane!

Tonight's dish, Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa, was courtesy of Cooking Light. It's got a 5 star rating there, and now I know why! Quick and easy to prepare, a multitude of flavors, and absolutely delicious. We paired it with some steamed corn. The leftover salsa is great when mixed in with the corn, so versatile! I made the recipe exactly as stated, except for the addition of some cilantro in the salsa. I wouldn't change a thing!

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Salsa:

• 1 cup chopped plum tomato
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped (I only used 1/2 an avocado and it was plenty)
  

Directions

1. To prepare chicken, combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss and let stand 3 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.
2. To prepare salsa, combine tomato and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Add avocado; stir gently to combine. Serve salsa over chicken.

Clams and Mussels in Thai Curry Sauce

This recipe is compliments of Food Network Magazine, and I have to say, it's not only easy, but delicious too! We used fresh steamers and frozen mussels and served it over some Udon noodles. The broth is a bit spicy, but you can tone that down by using less hot pepper or hot sauce, to your liking. I made a few simple substitutions noted below, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The recipe makes quite a bit of broth, which will be used for our lunch tomorrow with a package of Ramen noodles!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped (I used 1 tsp ginger paste instead)
  
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I doubled this)
  
• 1 to 2 Thai chile peppers or jalapenos, seeded and chopped (I used Sriracha hot sauce)
  
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (I used green curry paste b/c it's all I had)
  
• 1/2 cup ketchup
  
• Juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges for serving
  
• 16 littleneck clams, scrubbed
  
• 1 3/4 pounds mussels, scrubbed
  
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I used frozen bell peppers)
  
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
  
• 3/4 cup fresh basil
  

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chiles and stir-fry until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the curry paste and ketchup and fry until slightly browned, 3 to 4 more minutes. Add the lime juice and 3 cups water, cover and bring to a boil.

2. Add the clams; cover and steam until they open slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the mussels; cover and steam until they open slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and half of the cilantro and basil. Cook, covered, until the pepper is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

3. Transfer the clams and mussels to serving bowls and ladle the broth on top. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and basil and garnish with lime. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last night was cold and rainy and just a dreary day. So I figured it was time to try out the next soup on my list! Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup, from the Food Network Magazine. It was very easy to make with just a few ingredients, and took little prep time. Great for a busy weeknight! The recipe didn't have exact measurements or times, so I sort of winged it and ended up with a very tasty soup! It was just a bit spicy, but the creaminess of the avocado mellowed out the spice. We each had 2 bowls, and had to force ourselves to stop, so we could take leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients

• 2 seeded ancho chiles (I used ancho chiles in adobo sauce)
• 1 onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 2 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked
• 6 corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 avocado
• 3/4 cup cilantro (we love cilantro, so you might want to tone this down a bit if you're not as big a fan)

Directons

1. In a food processor, puree ancho chiles, onion, tomatoes and garlic.
2. Meanwhile, cook chicken in large stock pot with a Tbsp of oil. Remove chicken and set aside.
3. Fry chile/onion mixture in the oil until fragrant. Add chicken broth, chicken, and 1/2 cup cilantro; simmer 10-15 minutes until thick. Add tortilla strips and boil 1-2 minutes until softened.
4. Ladle into bowls, top with sliced avocado and more cilantro.

Two Bean Soup with Kale

Apparently, it went from Summer to Fall overnight! All of a sudden, it's 40 degrees in the morning, we had to turn the heat on, and the trees are rapidly changing colors. So of course, it means it's soup season! I have a ton of soup recipes I want to try this Fall/Winter, but to kick things off, I started with a two bean soup with kale. This is a Cooking Light recipe, from October 2009. I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious.

We loved the variety of textures going on, and the incredibly hearty flavor. It would be great with some added spicy sausage, or served in a bread bowl. Don't leave out the rosemary. It really does bring the dish together! The list of ingredients looks long and daunting, but they're all readily available and fairly inexpensive.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 cup chopped onion (I used a whole onion, roughly chopped)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
  
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 4 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Emeril's), divided (I used chicken broth instead)
  
• 7 cups stemmed, chopped kale (about 1 bunch)
  
• 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
  
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (I used about a Tablespoon)

Directions

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups vegetable broth and kale. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until kale is crisp-tender.

2. Place half of cannellini beans and remaining 1 cup vegetable broth in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Add pureed bean mixture, remaining cannellini beans, black beans, and pepper to soup. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, vinegar, and rosemary.

Chicken with Chipotle

A few weeks ago I got a great deal on chicken leg quarters, so I vowed to try 4 new recipes with my bargain chicken! This is the last of the 4 new ones. I found it on AllRecipes and didn't make any substitutions to the original recipe. The only thing I would change next time, is when the recipe says to put the chicken in the pan and simmer it in the sauce for 10min. I found that the oil from the chicken actually broke my sauce, leaving it looking not so appetizing. The chicken was definitely done after being in the oven, and I think it would be better to just spoon the sauce over it, instead of simmering both together.

Anyway, the dish is very simple to make, and the sauce would be great on just about any type of meat. I served it with some quesadillas, but you could also add refried beans or rice as a side dish.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken leg quarters
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 3/4 teaspoon margarine
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Roast the chicken legs in the preheated oven until the skin is crispy, and the meat is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes.
3. While the chicken is roasting, puree the milk, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and chicken bouillon granules in a blender until smooth. Melt the margarine in a large pan over medium heat. Pour in the chipotle puree, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and season with salt to taste. Add the cooked chicken legs, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until chicken has taken on the flavor of the sauce (next time, I will skip this step and just pour the thickened sauce over the chicken).

I didn't feel comfortable using my own photo for this dish, because the sauce broke after adding the chicken to it, and left it looking pretty unappetizing (though it still tasted good!). So this is the picture from the original recipe on AllRecipes, because had my sauce not broken, my dish would have looked very similar.