After I made apple butter, I wanted to think of uses for it beyond toast. Then I thought about making this Oktoberfest-inspired chicken dish with the flavors of apples and onions. Served with scallion-mashed potatoes and salad greens, this is the perfect fall meal. Chicken Cutlets with Apple-Onion Pan Sauce (Yield: 4 servings) 4 chicken cutlets (4-6 oz each) 2 TB olive oil 3 TB flour, divided 2 TB butter 1 shallot or ½ small onion, minced 1 tsp to 1 TB apple cider vinegar (depending on how tangy you like it) 1 TB apple butter ½ tsp Dijon mustard 1 ½ c chicken stock […]...
Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin-Sage Sauce, Spinach, and Chicken
I got the inspiration for this recipe from a 30 Minute Meal show (you know, the cooking show with Rachael Ray?) a few years back (when I used to regularly watch the show). Although I didn’t make it at the time, this recipe looked good to me then and stuck in my mind, just waiting for the perfect time to be made. I made a few changes to healthy it up a little (by using puréed milk and cottage cheese instead of cream and chicken breast instead of sausage) and round it out into a more balanced meal (by adding baby spinach), and it was wonderful! I […]...
Beef Biryani Stuffed Inside Basmati Rice
Not long after we married, my husband introduced me to pilaf-style biryani, one of his favorite rice dishes that has meat and veggies cooked together with the rice; topped with toasted almonds or other nuts, it is really delicious. For the longest time that’s the only form of biryani we ever made. Then one evening at a Pakistani restaurant we ordered biryani and the rice came out in a dome-like shape, with the actual biryani nowhere to be found. Once we dug into the rice we saw that it was stuffed with the biryani. This dish was so beautiful and impressive, I immediately knew I wanted to recreate it […]...
Bleu Cheese Mac
Does anyone else feel like fall = comfort food? I don’t know of a more widely popular comfort food than homemade macaroni and cheese. Pasta, cheese, and a house full of tantalizing smells as it cooks. Be forewarned though, with Bleu and sharp white Cheddar cheeses, this is a grownup-friendly mac and cheese (sorry kiddies!). My grown-up Bleu Cheese Mac will be sent to Natasha of 5 Star Foodie for her 5 Star Makeover: Macaroni and Cheese! Bleu Cheese Mac (Yield: about 8 servings) ¾ to 1 pound whole grain rotini pasta (or any small pasta shape you like) 4 TB plus […]...
Fish with Sautéed Spinach & Tomatoes
During law school this was my go-to meal…I ate it once or twice a week for three years, which is probably why I rarely make it anymore, and why my husband tells me all the time that we should eat fish more often. This meal is quick (about 15 minutes from start to finish), healthy, delicious, and so pretty to look at (which is of course important, since we eat with our eyes before we eat with our palates or our stomachs). Scroll down the ingredient list and you’ll find an unusual pairing…fish and cheese. (I know, usually this is a horrifying combination!) This […]...
Turkey-Vegetable Meatball Bombers
Depending on where you’re from, you might know this type of sandwich as something other than a bomber, such as a submarine (or sub for short), hoagie, hero, blimpie, grinder, or po-boy. Anyway, it doesn’t matter since a meatball sandwich by another other name would taste as delicious! These sandwiches are picky-eater pleasers…my husband (who typically will only touch a steak sub) actually loved these meatballs…of course he wanted his bomber without cheese, but at least he was eating turkey-veggie meatballs! (Yes, for some reason my hubby is able to consume slimy green soup without any qualms, but he has a problem when it comes to cheese…go […]...
Indian Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Indian Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) features tender spiced chicken marinated in yogurt and grilled, and then served in an aromatic spiced tomato-based sauce that’s velvety smooth and rich with cream and butter. I have to share a secret… This is my very favorite meal in the whole world. (And I’m excited because I only make it two or three times a year…after all it is butter chicken!)...
Baked Tofu Satay with Peanut-y Noodles
A couple nights ago, I had half a block of tofu and some leftover veggies in the fridge…it was already 5:30 and I was aimlessly wondering what to make for dinner, when this week’s BSI (peanut butter) jumped into my head, and dinner was born. I’m going to send this recipe over to Kim at Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet for this week’s BSI…peanut butter! Baked Tofu Satay with Peanut-y Noodles (Yield: 2 servings) Peanut Sauce (see below) ½ block tofu (~7 oz), cut into 6 equal pieces 4 oz Barilla Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti or Soba noodles ½ TB canola oil […]...
Zucchini Curry
Does anyone else feel like they have more zucchini right now than they know what to do with? I made this dish last week…it was inspired by two things: (1) I had a bowl full of zucchini pulp leftover from making stuffed zucchini, and (2) I was craving a curry dish. This turned out to be really good, although I must admit chicken makhani is still my favorite Indian dish. I would say this dish is somewhat of a cross between channa masala and baigan bharta (only with zucchini instead of eggplant). Like curry powder, garam masala is a blend of several spices, and […]...
Turkey-Sausage and White Bean Jambalaya
For a fun fusion recipe, this dish is a cross between Louisiana Cajun/Creole jambalaya and Spanish beans and rice. Turkey sausage and beans are used instead of the jambalaya mix of chicken/seafood/andouille sausage (I would love to use andouille but I don’t know of any brand that doesn’t contain pork…anyone who knows of a pork-free andouille product, please let me know!). Other than this dish being delicious and healthy, it’s great to make because it’s a one-pot meal that feeds a crowd. Turkey-Sausage and White Bean Jambalaya (Yield: 12-15 servings) 2 TB olive oil, divided 14 oz turkey sausage, cut into bite-sized […]...