weeknight gourmet

Posts Tagged ‘Rachael Ray’

Birthday Dinner for Angus!

Angus B. Ogilvie turns 1 today!

AngusIt’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since we picked him up from the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont.  I never had a pet before Angus so Tim was naturally a little nervous about how I would be as a “puppy mom”.  But I think I’ve really taken to the role.  Angus and I love going on walks, to the dog run, and playing endless games of fetch.  I also serve as Angus’s chief groomer.  I like a clean dog!  And, on occasion, I even spoil Angus with some of my cooking.

Angus loves to eat (see Brownie Burglar post) so I decided a special birthday dinner was the perfect gift for his big day.  I turned to Every Day with Rachael Ray for inspiration.  Each month the magazine publishes a pet-friendly recipe.

I searched for a recipe featuring turkey because Angus loves turkey!  In fact, on Thanksgiving Angus covertly left our room at Doug & Julina’s in the middle of the night to lie beside the garbage can that contained the turkey carcass.  He just loves being near turkey!  This recipe – which is essentially a turkey pot pie filling – seemed like it would be delicious but also gentle enough for Angus’s sensitive stomach.

The recipe did not disappoint (I had a bite and it was quite tasty for human food).  As with any food we put before him, Angus devoured it all in seconds with his tail wagging wildly.

Turkey Pot Hold-the-Pie
Every Day with Rachael Ray

  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • 1 tablespoon Flour
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 pound deli sliced turkey
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a small skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the turkey, veggies and parsley and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool to almost room temperature, then serve. Get ready for some wet kisses!

A Brunch Favorite: BLT Frittata

Tim and I are in NYC for the weekend for the first time in over a month.  The weekend is packed with various fun events so our kitchen will remain idle until Sunday night.

I thought I would post one of my favorite brunch recipes since going out for brunch is one of my favorite weekend activities in NYC.  I have made this frittata countless times for guests in the Berkshires.  Everyone loves it and it is so easy to make on a Sunday morning.

A few notes on the recipe…

You can usually ask a butcher or deli counter (depending on the store) to slice pancetta for you.  Definitely try to find pancetta — it has a softer flavor than regular bacon.

I usually buy the bagged baby arugula.

Pay attention to your pan size.  I use a smaller frying pan than called for so it needs more time in the oven.  Making this dish in my 10-inch Le Creuset omelette pan usually requires ~20 minutes in the oven.

Lastly, I usually add some cheese before putting the frittata in the oven.  I’ve used shredded fontina and parmesan but I am sure whatever you have on hand would add a nice touch to the dish.

I serve the frittata with fruit or whatever breakfast breads we have on hand.  A side salad would also be lovely.  Enjoy!

BLT Frittata
Rachael Ray

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
  • 1/4 pound sliced pancetta, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 bundles arugula, trimmed and chopped, about 3 cups, loosely packed
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 12 extra-large eggs
  • 1/3 cup half-and-half, eye ball it
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick ovensafe skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, pancetta, and garlic to the pan. When pancetta browns at edges and begins to crisp, add arugula. Wilt arugula, stir in tomatoes. Beat eggs together with half-and-half. Whisk in salt and pepper. Pour eggs over fillings and let eggs set. Using a spatula, raise eggs off the bottom of the skillet, allow more of the liquid egg to settle. When the frittata has set, transfer to oven and cook 10 to 12 minutes until top is deep golden brown. Remove the frittata and let it stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 6.

Chicken Curry with Chickpeas & Tomatoes

I don’t often cook with curry, but Tim loves it.  So when I received this quick & easy chicken curry recipe via an email recipe exchange (thanks to Stacy Cain Adler), I decided to give it a whirl.

I roasted 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, rubbed with a touch of olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt and pepper, at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.  I used boil-in-the-bag rice that I had in the cabinet, but I think basmati rice would have been better.  While the recipe below calls for a can of plain diced tomatoes, using diced tomatoes with jalapeno was recommended to me.

Next time I plan to saute some onions and garlic before adding the chicken, spices, tomatoes, chickpeas, and sour cream.  And, I think I will amp up the flavor with an extra dash of curry powder.

The dish couldn’t have been easier to put together and had a wonderful mild curry flavor.

Chicken Curry with Chickpeas & Tomatoes
Rachael Ray

  • 2 cups quick-cooking white or brown rice
  • 2 roasted chicken breast halves
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 cup low fat sour cream
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus 1/2 cup, for garnish
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, using a fork, pull chicken meat from bone in shreds. Transfer chicken to a medium saucepan. Add chick peas, tomatoes, sour cream, curry powder, and cumin and mix well. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Serve chicken curry over rice. Garnish with cilantro.