One-pot meal : Weeknight Gourmet

Category : One-pot meal

Weeknight Chicken: Roman-Style Chicken

November 4 2010 | Leave a Comment

Looking for a tasty weeknight chicken recipe? Here another delicious recipe from my gal Giada. What I love about this dish is that it tastes like it has been simmering for hours but only requires about 30 minutes of prep and cooking.

The prosciutto, wine, chicken stock, and peppers come together to make a delicious sauce worthy of a piece of crusty bread! The chicken was super moist and flavorful. Tim and I are trying to go low carb these days but I could imagine serving the chicken with some polenta for a delicious meal.

Roman-style Chicken
Giada de Laurentiis

4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

0 Comment

Categories : One-pot meal, Poultry

Tasty Turkey Tacos

July 7 2010 | Leave a Comment

Here is another recipe I found while shopping for groceries on Fresh Direct. As I try to find time to prepare dinner with a newborn, I’ve been looking for recipes that are quick and healthy (so I can lose the baby weight). This recipe — requiring little prep work and using ground turkey — fit the bill.

I’ve never made tacos with tomato sauce as an ingredient — it imparts some sweetness to the dish reminding me vaguely of Sloppy Joe’s. There is definitely some heat from the chili powder, cumin and paprika.

I served the tacos with lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and shredded cheese. This is definitely a tasty alternative to my typical beef tacos!

Tasty Turkey Tacos
From “The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook” by Colleen Doyle and Jeanne Besser (via Fresh Direct)

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Optional Toppings:

2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped tomato
3/4 cup “Mexican-style” shredded cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat or regular sour cream
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped jalapeños
Taco sauce or salsa

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. Sauté the onion for 5 to 8 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add turkey and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently to break it up. Add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, and paprika and stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave on HIGH for 15 to 30 seconds.

When ready to serve, place toppings in small bowls on the table. Layer about 1/3 cup of turkey in a tortilla and add desired toppings.

0 Comment

Categories : One-pot meal, Poultry

Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola

June 26 2010 | Leave a Comment

Here is a delicious way to prepare your basic pork chop, courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis. I bought some delicious center cut pork chops at the butcher shop in Chelsea Market. We were thinking of grilling them but then I came upon this recipe. With the tomatoes, onions, red pepper flakes, and herbes de Provence, it looked right up my alley.

The dish was quick and easy to prepare and packed with flavor! You likely have all the ingredients in your kitchen. I actually didn’t have any diced tomatoes but I just chopped up a can of whole tomatoes. Make sure to serve with some crusty bread to mop up the extra sauce!

Tim and I both loved the meal — will definitely be making this again.

Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola
Giada de Laurentiis

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (1-inch thick) bone-in pork loin center-cut chops (about 12 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, in juice
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook until they are brown and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted horizontally into the pork registers 160 degrees F, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and tent with foil to keep them warm.

Add the onion to the same skillet and saute over medium heat until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, herbes de Provence, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend and the juices thicken slightly, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and more red pepper flakes. Return the pork chops and any accumulated juices from the plate to the skillet and turn the pork chops to coat with the sauce.

Place 1 pork chop on each plate. Spoon the sauce over the pork chops. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

2 Comments

Categories : One-pot meal, Pork

Meatless Monday: Pasta with Sweet Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, and Ricotta

May 10 2010 | Leave a Comment

Here’s another super easy meatless Monday recipe — courtesy of the new Everyday Food cookbook — that relies on spring produce. The thing I love about this recipe is that other than chopping a tablespoon of fresh tarragon there is absolutely no chopping involved! Perfect for a hectic weeknight (or for a gal who is nearly 41 weeks pregnant)!

A couple of very minor notes…I used penne because I had half a box in the pantry. And, I also added 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese to the dish. Because of the naturally salty flavor of the parmesan I didn’t really add any extra salt to the dish (other than salting the boiling water).

Our dinner was fresh, fast, and flavorful just like the cookbook title!

Pasta with Peas & Ricotta
Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces gemelli or other short pasta (e.g., penne)
12 ounces sugar snap peas, stem ends and any strings removed
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh tarragon, plus sprigs for garnish
1 cup ricotta cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions, adding snap peas 3 minutes before the end and frozen peas in the last minute of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and vegetables, and return them to pot.

Toss pasta and vegetables with butter, tarragon, and ricotta, adding enough reserved pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats the pasta. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide pasta among shallow bowls, and garnish with tarragon sprigs.

Serves 4.

2 Comments

Categories : One-pot meal, Pasta, Vegetarian entree

Weeknight Chicken: Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives, and Cilantro

April 30 2010 | Leave a Comment

First of all, my mother thinks it is ridiculous that I am still cooking with my due date only five days away but I really do find cooking (and blogging) relaxing.

I bought the new Everyday Food cookbook a few weeks ago and have been thinking that the cover recipe looked quite tasty. It didn’t require too many ingredients or much prep work so I thought I could handle making it tonight.

My only note on the recipe is that the chicken breasts I used were rather thick so it probably took 20 minutes for them to be cooked through.

Tim and I both loved the tomato, olive, and onion mixture on top of the chicken. The lime juice and cilantro provide a nice, fresh flavor as well.

The recipe suggested serving with rice or crusty bread and salad. I opted for some crusty bread because I didn’t want to dirty another pot. I piled some of the extra tomato mixture on top of the bread. Yum!

Overall, a simple weeknight recipe that spices up your basic chicken breast.

Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives, and Cilantro
Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1.5 to 2 pounds)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly browned and just cooked through, turning once, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Raise heat to medium; cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives; cook until tomatoes soften and release their juice, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with tomato mixture.

Serves 4.

0 Comment

Categories : One-pot meal, Poultry

Dinner Courtesy of an iPhone app: Pepper Steak with Squash and Mushrooms

March 7 2010 | Leave a Comment

Tim and I had a very long week moving our AdBuyer.com offices from shared office space in Tribeca to our very own space in the Flatiron. We were planning to drive up to the Berkshires Friday night but were too tired so we drove up Saturday morning. On our way up we decided to stop at Trader Joe’s in Danbury. We made the decision to stop about 200 yards before the exit so I had to come up with dinner menus for Saturday and Sunday in about 3 minutes. I had just installed the new Martha Stewart Everyday Food iPhone app on my phone so I decided to give it a whirl!

Everyday Food’s recipes typically don’t have too many ingredients which was ideal — my shopping wouldn’t take too long and, hopefully, I’d be able to find everything I needed at Trader Joe’s.

This Pepper Steak recipe — an au poivre-style dish, not an Asian pepper steak — was yesterday’s daily recipe. I thought Tim would really like it and Trader Joe’s typically has prepped butternut squash so I thought the recipe would be quick and easy in terms of prep time. I used a tri tip roast that Trader Joe’s had and followed the cooking instructions on the package. I cooked it longer and at a lower temperature (425 degrees) than the recipe below. The veggies still roasted beautifully.

It was a very tasty one-pot, low prep dinner!

Pepper Steak with Sqaush and Mushrooms
Everyday Food

1 package whole button mushrooms, (10 ounces)
1 small butternut squash, (about 1 3/4 pounds), halved, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 8 wedges (along with core)
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
Coarse salt
1 top round or London broil steak, (1 1/2 pounds, about 1 1/4 inches thick)
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black peppercorns

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In an 11-by-15- by-2 3/4-inch roasting pan, combine mushrooms, squash, and onion. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Arrange vegetables around sides of pan; place steak in center of pan.

In a small bowl, stir together mustard and peppercorns. Coat steak with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, and sprinkle generously with salt. Spread mustard-pepper mixture over top of steak; press down to adhere.

Roast, turning and stirring vegetables once, until steak is lightly browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in one side of steak registers 130 degrees to 135 degrees for medium-rare, 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer steak to a cutting board to rest; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Spread vegetables in an even layer, return to oven, and continue roasting until lightly browned and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Cut the steak into 1/4-inch thick slices, and serve with vegetables.

2 Comments

Categories : Beef, One-pot meal

Semi-Homemade Dinner: Mediterranean Beef Patties

March 1 2010 | Leave a Comment

Here is a very quick and easy Mediterranean-flavored dinner.

The actual “cooking” takes only a few minutes to prepare and cook the patties and chop some of the toppings for the pitas. I seasoned the beef patties with an Italian seasoning blend I had as well as salt and pepper. The mini patties cooked up quickly on my grill pan.

I warmed the pita in the oven and topped with store-bought hummus, the beef patties, chopped parsley and onion, crumbled feta, and some olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Tim and I both enjoyed this tasty but super easy meal at the end of a long Monday!

Mediterranean Beef Patties
Real Simple

Shape 1 pound ground beef into 16 patties. Season with salt, pepper, and 1½ teaspoons dried oregano. Brown over medium heat, 2 minutes per side for medium.
Top 4 pocketless pitas with hummus, the patties, flat-leaf parsley, and sliced red onion. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

0 Comment

Categories : Beef, One-pot meal

Weeknight Chicken: Pan-Roasted Chicken with Olives and Lemon

February 12 2010 | Leave a Comment

We had this delicious chicken dish last night. The recipe packs a ton of flavor into the chicken from the lemon, olives, shallots, and sage! Plus, the chicken, which was browned on the stove and finished in the oven, was perfectly cooked — not dried out at all . This recipe is definitely a keeper — sophisticated enough to entertain with but easy enough for a weeknight meal!

I only made two changes — I used 4 bone-in, skin-on breasts instead of a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces and, because the store was out of fresh thyme, I used dried thyme.

I served the chicken with some sliced polenta warmed in a frying pan. The chicken could definitely be a one-pot meal with some crusty bread or simple green salad on the side.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Olives and Lemon
Fine Cooking

One 4-lb. chicken, cut into eight pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium lemon
1 Tbs. unsalted butter; more as needed
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
5 medium shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
3/4 cup jarred brined olives, rinsed, pitted, and halved
8 fresh sage leaves
6 small fresh or 3 dried bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 tsp. chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.

Season the chicken generously on all sides with salt and pepper.

Cut the ends off the lemon, stand it on one end, and slice off the peel and the bitter white pith to expose the flesh. Cut the lemon segments from the membranes, letting them drop into a small bowl. Cut each segment crosswise into 4 pieces.

Heat the butter and the oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, cook the chicken skin side down until golden-brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Pour off all but 2 Tbs. of the fat. Add the shallots, olives, sage, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and lemon segments, and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan skin side up and transfer to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165°F, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with the chopped thyme.

Serves four.

0 Comment

Categories : One-pot meal, Poultry

Chipotle Beef Chili

January 19 2010 | Leave a Comment

We’re still cooking our way through the ground beef from the steer. Here’s a tasty chili recipe that actually doesn’t even call for chili powder! The heat and flavor come from chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and ground cumin. The stewed tomatoes and beer also add some great flavor.

Chili always benefits from sitting for a while and allowing the flavors to meld. I cooked the chili on Monday afternoon in the Berkshires and we ate it that night when we arrived back in New York City. It was delicious!

Chipotle Beef Chili

Non-stick cooking spray
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 cups chopped onion (2 onions)
1 tablespoon cumin
2 28 oz. cans stewed tomatoes (original or Mexican flavor) with juice, cut up
3 to 4 coarsely chopped red and / or yellow bell peppers
1 cup beer
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce

Lightly coat a dutch oven with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the ground beef and chopped onion. Break up with a wooden spoon and cook until beef is browned. Drain fat, if necessary.

Add cumin to meat mixture; stir. Cook for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes with their juices, beans, bell peppers, chipotle peppers, and the beer. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chili with your favorite toppings, such as grated cheese, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips, and picked jalapenos.

0 Comment

Categories : Beef, One-pot meal, Soups, Stews, Chilis

Slow Cooker Recipes: Red Wine Short Ribs

January 11 2010 | Leave a Comment

I had one last package of short ribs from our half-steer and decided to cook them yesterday in the slow cooker. Tim loved this dish! And, I loved how easy it was to get dinner on the table. I think I prefer the traditional braising method, but you can’t beat how little work this recipe requires — only 5 to 10 minutes in the morning. We had the short ribs with some crusty bread. Mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or pureed cauliflower would be great sides as well.

I need to find some new slow cooker recipes because it is so nice to have dinner ready and waiting for you in the evening!

Slow-Cooker Red Wine Short Ribs
Real Simple

2 medium onions, cut into wedges
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
6 small carrots, peeled and cut in half crosswise
2 small parsnips, peeled and cut in quarters crosswise
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed
1 8.5-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut in half lengthwise
1 small bunch sage
5 pounds short ribs
kosher salt and pepper
1 bottle red wine
1 loaf crusty bread

In the bowl of a slow cooker, combine the onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, tomatoes, and sage.

Season the short ribs with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and nestle them among the vegetables. Add the wine. Set the slow cooker to high and cook until the meat is tender and falls from the bones, 8-9 hours.

Using a large spoon, skim off the excess fat and discard. Divide the ribs and vegetables among individual bowls and spoon the sauce over the top.

Serve with the crusty bread.

1 Comment

Categories : Beef, One-pot meal, Slow Cooker