Pineapple Chicken and Fried Rice

For this recipe, I decided to try and make my own fried rice, because I was craving it.  To go with it, I got some chicken I decided to grill along with fresh pineapple.

The chicken was easy enough.  I marinated it with some soy sauce, pineapple juice (from the pineapples), along with a dash of salt and pepper.  Then I put it on our grill pan until it was cooked through (about 4-6 minutes).  It's topped with a bit of the soy pineapple glaze that I reduced down.  I also grilled the pineapple, although for less time - for that, I was basically just looking for it to get some nice grill marks.  For kicks I also threw on some portabella mushrooms.  Definitely a winner there.  And then for the rice:

Ingredients:

• 8 shiitake mushrooms, cut into quarters
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a pinch of kosher salt
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Pinch red chile flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 3 cups cooked long-grain rice
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted in a strainer at room temperature

Methods:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat the pan. 
• Pour in the eggs, spread along the bottom of the pan so the egg forms a large thin pancake.  Lift the edge of this pancake to allow any uncooked egg to run to the center.  As soon as the egg has set, remove from the pan and place onto a cutting board. Once the egg is cool cut into 1 inch pieces.
• Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and heat the remaining vegetable oil over high heat. Add the scallions and stir-fry for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, chile, and ginger, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the peas and egg and stir until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

You can also add some cooked meat (ham, pork, beef, or chicken) cut into cubes, but I left that out since I already had the chicken.  I think overall it was a success...and a great excuse to use my wok!

Grilled Pork Chops with Wild Mushroom Risotto and Roasted Green Beans

I cooked this meal for my mom and sister (and Antoine) when they came into town to visit. I've made all of these (for the most part) before now, and just combined them into one dish. This was also my first attempt at a pork loin, which turned out really well.


Nothing really changed in this recipe. I brined and grilled the pork chops and pork loins until they were done. The only thing different was that I used Jack Daniel's Whiskey instead of white wine in the risotto, since I found a similar recipe in a Rachael Ray cookbook that used it. It added a nice smoky taste. I also used baby portabello, shiitake, and beech mushrooms to make a nice variety of mushrooms.

Overall it was a good meal. The only thing I would change would be to brine the pork loin in less salt or for less time...it did a way better job soaking it up than the pork chops have done. Also, I think the whiskey addition instead of wine was a really good choice...it made it taste even better. Thanks Rachael!

Butternut Squash Aglonetti with Gorgonzola-Walnut Cream Sauce

As I was shopping at the DeKalb Farmer's market in Atlanta, which I have grown to adore, I stumbled across some pre-made pasta. There was one that caught my eye - they called it Butternut Squash Aglonetti. I happily bought it and brought it home. I searched Food Network's website for things to make it with, and found a bunch of recipes for a sort of gorgonzola cream sauce. I combined a few of them to make this sauce with walnuts (most of the recipe came from Rachael Ray...is it obvious how much I love her?). I'll try my best to re-create my recipe.


Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
  
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

Method:

• Boil some water and cook the pasta (aglonetti, in this case) until al dente, drain.
  
• Toast the walnuts (cook at 350F for 8 mins) and place them into a food processor. Set aside after they are ground.
  
• Melt butter over medium heat in a deep skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook, then whisk in the wine and let reduce by half.
  
• Add the stock, and then stir in the cream when it bubbles and begins to reduce. Lower the heat to medium low, simmer and allow sauce to thicken.
• Melt in the Gorgonzola, then stir in the ground walnuts. Season with salt and pepper.
• Toss the pasta with the sauce, and serve with Parmesan cheese.
  

Overall the combo worked fantastically. I made enough of it to use again, this time I added the meatballs to it and tossed it with rotini. Unfortunately I never took a picture of it, but as my family can attest it turned out pretty well. I think I'll try and experiment with different cheeses in cream sauces from time to time, since I was so happy with this one. I'll also try adding some fresh herbs to the sauce (or just on top) to give it some color.

4th of July: Burgers on the Grill and Peach Blackberry Cobbler a la Mode

This year for the 4th of July, I had my friends come over for a cookout. As host, I volunteered to supply the drinks and hamburgers, and also wanted to take a stab at making a dessert. So here are the two recipes I used that made my day a success...I think they both turned out excellent (as the pictures show!).


I had to call my dad to get advice on how he makes his hamburgers. He informed me that his secret is using BBQ sauce (whoops...haha), keeps the burgers tender and juicy for a long time. So I added the hamburger meat along with some Kraft BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a little soy, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (I think that's it...). I made these into patties, stuck my thumb in the middle to help it cook more even, and grilled it until they were done. For my first attempt, it seemed like quite a success. Everyone devoured them and I got lots of compliments. Hooray!


What would the 4th of July be without some form of cobbler? I felt for once, I should finally attempt to make one. I found blackberries on sale, and consulted FoodNetwork for ideas on how to make the cobbler to begin with, and stumbled across a recipe for a peach and blackberry cobbler. YUM! So that's what I attempted, with a few modifications thanks to Mae Mae's expert cobbler-making advice.

Ingredients:

• 8 to 12 peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tbsp flour
• 5 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Pinch salt
• 2 cups blackberries
• Frozen pie crust (~4), defrosted (should be soft and spread-able)
  
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 300F. In a bowl, combine the peaches, flour, brown sugar, lemon juice and salt, tossing gently. Carefully fold in the blackberries.
• Spread pre-made pie crusts around 8-cup baking dish, covering all the sides. Reserve ~1 crust to be cut into long thin strips for a lattice on top.
• Pour peach and blackberry mixture into baking dish over the crust. Cover with strips of crust.
  
• Brush the top of the dough with the melted butter. Place the cobbler on a sheet-pan to catch any juices that may boil over. Bake until the top is golden brown and juices are bubbling, ~1 hour. Let cool slightly before serving.
  
• Serve warm with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

These were both quite a hit as a combo. The burgers were tender and juicy, and altogether delicious (thanks again, Dad!). I was surprised as to how much they shrunk while cooking, but I'm proud of myself for not burning or undercooking a single one on my first try. The cobbler was awesome with the ice cream, although my peaches were not quite ripe (going to the farmer's market or roadside stand next time) and it was a little bitter (will probably add more sugar and sprinkle some on top also). Of course, I had to call Mae Mae for some tips on it, which is why my baking temperature was less than the recipe itself. Will definitely make another one!

Roasted Green Beans

Roasting vegetables has become one of my favorite methods to make an awesome, easy side dish. I made green beans the other day to show Shelby that they aren't always canned and nasty. I don't think I entirely convinced her, but I love them.


Ingredients:

• 1-2 handfuls of fresh green beans (or as many as you want to make)
  
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese
  

Method:

• Cut the ends off the green beans, and cut in half, if they're long. You want them to be 1-2 inches long.
• Place green beans into a bowl, add olive oil, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese and mix together.
  
• Put a piece of wax paper onto a rimmed baking sheet, and pour the seasoned green beans on top.
• Cook for 10-12 mins at 400F or until slightly crispy.

Voila! An easy, instant side dish. Works great for asparagus too.

"Smorgasbord" Pasta

I generally end up making a pasta every now and again to use up all the food I have in my fridge that's about to go bad (especially vegetables). This is no such exception. I've discovered the joys of using canned pasta sauce, and sautee-ing a bunch of vegetables (and sometimes adding wine too) to make it taste even better. I really don't think there's a way to mess up pasta.


Ingredients:

• 1 lb rotini pasta
• 6-8 slices turkey bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
• 2-3 chicken breast filets/tenderloins, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  
• 1 pkg mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can alfredo sauce (I used Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo by D'Angelo)
• 1 cup red wine
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper, and shredded Parmesan cheese, to taste
  

Method:

• Cook the bacon, and then the chicken by saute, and set aside.
• Boil the pasta until al dente, drain.
• Saute the garlic, mushrooms, and onions until they begin to brown, then add the red wine and let it cook out.
• Pour in the sauce, and let it heat up. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Put the drained pasta in the pot, and stir in the sauce, bacon, and chicken. Serve with the Parmesan cheese.

See how easy it is? And tasty it sounds? It turned out great.

Mature Veal Polpette (AKA Meatballs)

I came home today and had an incredible craving for meatballs. So, I decided to make some of my favorite ones, which my mom has made before from a Rachael Ray cookbook. They're very very good, simple, and have a little surprise inside. So...win? I'm calling them "Mature Veal", because I couldn't get veal, so I went with just plain ole beef.


Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground veal (in this case, I had to just use plain hamburger...which is good too)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 egg
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Olive oil
• Pine nuts and raisins (enough for each meatball, about a half a handful of each)
  

Method:

• Mix the meat in a bowl together with everything minus the pine nut and raisin (the surprise(s) in the middle!!) with a nice drizzle of olive oil.
  
• Roll the meatballs to the desired size (I think they're better a little smaller, about 1.5 inches diameter). Place one pine nut and one raisin in the middle, and place on a rimmed cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400F for 10 mins (or until cooked through).
  

I served these with a can of "Caramalized Onion" Marinara Sauce (by D'Angelos I think...), which may or may not be discontinued at this point. It was really really good, and easy to add to it. I know the recipe in the 365: No Repeats Book has a great Tomato and Basil sauce to go with it...so if you want to make it homemade over spaghetti, look there.