Lime Chicken

The first time I had Lime Chicken was as a child living in New York.  My mother got this recipe from a cookbook entitled Keep It Simple: 30-Minute Meals by Marian Burros.  That's right folks!  The 30-minute meal phenomenon was a hit long before Rachael Ray was even a glimmer in Food Network's eye.  This recipe was a constant staple in my mom's cooking repertoire for quite a while because both dad and I liked it so much.  At some point though, it fell out of rotation.  Mom recently stumbled upon it while going through her cookbooks, so I decided it deserved a resurrection.

In true Noelle's Noms fashion, I tweaked the recipe.  I kept all the ingredients the same, but I altered the procedure.  The original recipe calls for all of the spices to be added after the chicken is cooking.  I decided to use all the spices as a marinade prior to cooking.  Flavor is good, right?!?  As it turns out, this was a very serendipitous decision as I undertook a pantry reorganization that ended up taking about four hours.  :o/

Lime Chicken
6-8 chicken thighs or 3 large breast halves
2 T extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t. red pepper flake
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. crushed coriander seeds
1/4 t. turmeric
2 T soy sauce
2 limes, quartered
Salt and pepper to taste

Trim extra fat off chicken thighs and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a large Ziplock bag place 1T of the EVOO, the next seven ingredients and the juice from one lime.  Place the chicken thighs in the bag, seal and then give the bag a good shake to coat all the meat with the marinade.  You can cook the meat immediately, or refrigerate for several hours.  (Throw this together before you leave for work in the morning, maybe?)

Heat 1T of EVOO in a large non-stick skillet.  Add all contents of the bag to the pan and cook over medium heat, flipping once so both sides get a nice brown color.  Reduce heat, cover, and cook 15-20 minutes. Serve with steamed rice and a lime wedge.

I added a bunch of chopped cilantro and the juice of one lime to my steamed rice.  I also sauteed bell peppers (not green ones though... barf!) with a little bit of garlic, green onion and Cavender's Greek Seasoning (can also use Lawry's Season Salt).

I love cooking with color!!!

Roasted Root Veggie Soup

I don't know about you, but I ate a lot over the holidays.  And then, I ate leftovers for several weeks after.  Dips and crackers still abound!  Oh my gut.  I needed some roughage!

Thanks to Pinterest I found just what I was looking for; a link to a roasted root vegetable soup.  The thing I liked most about this recipe was, aside from the olive oil to roast the vegetables, there was no other fat in this soup.  No butter, no cream.  A satisfying, hearty soup that is still good for you.

For this soup, I used rutabaga, turnips, carrots and potato.  The glory of this recipe is that you can use any root vegetable you like.  I had never had rutabaga or turnips, but I haven't run into a roasted vegetable that I didn't like, so I went with it.  I almost threw in some beets but I wasn't sure that my father would eat pink soup.  However, if you have a little girl living in your house, how much fun would she have eating pink soup?!?!

I should note that if you're on a low-carb diet, this dish is not for you.  All root veggies are super starchy.  Personally I try to eat as few processed starches as I can (pasta and bread) but I figure if it's something I can eat straight out of the ground, it's gotta be good!  :o)

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup
(Adapted from Nourishing Days)
Roughly 4 pounds root vegetables (I used 1 rutabaga, 3 turnips, 3 carrots and 1 potato... I didn't actually weigh it)
4 t minced garlic (or 1-2 cloves per roasting pan, minced)
1 large yellow onion, cut into eighths
1/4 - 1/2 c of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 quarts chicken stock (can sub vegetable stock if you want to make this a totally vegetarian meal)
Cayenne to taste (I think I used 4 dashes... I likes me some heat)
Paprika to taste (Again, I think I used 4ish dashes)
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 425.  Trim, peel and chop all veggies into 1 inch pieces.  Place veggies, garlic and onion on a sheet pan and drizzle with EVOO.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then toss veggies to coat.  (I roasted each vegetable on its own sheet pan - thank God my mom has 2 ovens! - with a 1/4 of the onion and 1 t of minced garlic per sheet.)  Roast veggies in the oven for 45-50 minutes until veggies are soft and have a gorgeous golden color.  Toss veggies at least once through roasting.

When veggies are done, place them in a large soup pot.  Add chicken stock, cayenne, paprika and lemon juice to the pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Blend your soup using an immersion (hand-held) blender or blend in batches in your blender or food processor.  Taste for seasoning before serving.

Your soup should be creamy and will probably have tiny bits of vegetable without being chunky.  This soup is hearty, and satisfying and SO GOOD FOR YOU!!!!

Porky Post

My boyfriend is a big fan of my cooking and a huge supporter of my blog.  So when I told him what I was making for dinner the other night he responded, "Are you gonna blog that?  Take pictures!"  Frankly, it hadn't even occurred to me.  I tend to save blog entries for specialty food items.  But who doesn't need a little every day inspiration?  So here we go.  :o)

Weeknight Menu:
Marinated Pork Loin
Crotty's Creamy Cauliflower
Sauteed Spinach
Sliced Tomato

Pork Loin Marinade
2 T Dijon or heavy grain mustard
1 T honey
1 T fish sauce (Nuoc Mam)*
Red pepper flake, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Place the first four ingredients in a bowl and whisk together as you drizzle in olive oil until mixture reaches a thick sauce consistency.  Rub the entire pork loin with the sauce and refrigerate in a closed container or plastic bag for at least an hour.  Bake the pork loin in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until internal temperature reaches 185 degrees (approximately 20-30 minutes).  Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

*If you can't find fish sauce (either at your grocer or your nearest Vietnamese restaurant) you can sub with soy sauce, but reduce amount to a 1/2 tablespoon.

Crotty's Creamy Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
4 oz goat cheese, room temp
1 T light sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Clean and chop cauliflower into florets.  Boil florets in a large pot of water until fork tender.  Drain and place cauliflower back in the pot.  Add the goat cheese and sour cream to the pot and mash with a fork or potato masher (can also be done in a food processor) until smooth and creamy.  Salt and pepper to taste.

This original recipe was introduced to me via my boyfriend's friend, Emily Crotty, a pastry chef who also loves to cook.  I modified it slightly by roasting the cauliflower with olive oil and salt and pepper in a 425 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.  I also added a splash of chicken stock while I pureed the cauliflower and dairy in the food processor since it was missing a little moisture from the original boiling technique.

Sauteed Spinach
1 10oz bag baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use the pre-minced jarred garlic.  So easy!!)
EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat garlic in approximately one tablespoon of olive oil on medium high heat.  When garlic juuuust starts to brown, add the entire bag of spinach and slowly toss to wilt.  As spinach reduces, add salt and pepper.  Squeeze excess moisture from spinach with tongs before serving.

*Note that spinach reduces a LOT!  One bag will only yield 2 servings.  So if you're feeding more than two people you may need to make in batches or cook in a larger pot.

 

The pork loin was super moist and flavorful.  The sweet heat from the honey and red pepper was a delightful contrast.

Emily's cauliflower puree is slightly reminiscent of mashed potatoes, but the goat cheese makes them slightly tangy.  If you're not a goat cheese fan (gasp!) you can substitute with cream cheese.

This is my favorite way to eat spinach.  I make this a lot.  It is so fast, easy and delicious.  Before I discovered how to cook spinach this way, my only other experience with cooked spinach (aside from spinach that was baked into other foods - quiche, bread, enchiladas, etc.) was canned.  There are only a few vegetables that are palatable out of a can.  Corn, green beans and beets, for example.  Spinach isn't really one of these.  Eating canned spinach requires a lot of butter and/or lemon juice and salt and pepper to cover the tin taste.  But this preparation is just as fast as opening and heating a can of spinach and so much better for you!  And SO much prettier!!!

Better Black Eyed Peas

If you live in the south, then you know you're supposed to eat black eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck.  I don't know where the tradition came from, nor do I care.  I love any tradition dealing with food, and I just so happen to love BEPs (especially if they have bacon... mmm bacon).  My mother, however, born and bred in San Antonio hates BEPs.  While I would like to tell you that my ever dutiful mother willingly ate her New Year's BEPs without fuss, she confessed that her mother literally had to force her to choke down a solitary spoonful every year.  And THEN when she married and moved away from Texas, she "conveniently" forgot her southern roots and failed to keep the tradition alive.  (Scandalous!)

Then Mama smartened up.  She created a BEP loophole, so to speak.  After moving back to Texas, she started thinking, "I wish I could figure out some way to cook BEPs that I would actually enjoy them."  She found inspiration in a BEP dip recipe featured in The Only Texas Cookbook.  (One of Mom's all time favorite cookbooks!)  The recipe was fairly involved and had a lot of ingredients, but at least it was a place to start!  Mama started researching other BEP dip recipes; a process made infinitely more difficult in pre-Google days.  After reading 4 or 5, she decided to just create her own.  (I knew I got it from somewhere!)

Below you will find the easiest, most delicious way to get people to eat BEPs.  It's reminiscent of that bean dip you buy on the chip isle, but 1000 times better.  I recommend you make a double batch if you're going to have more than 3-4 people around 'cause it goes fast!  I made it for my boyfriend's family this past New Years and upon initial description, no one seemed particularly won over... and then they tasted it.  We put a serious hurtin' on a double batch!!  :o)

Black Eyed Pea Dip
(for a single batch)
1 can black eyed peas, drained (reserve juice)
1/4 jar pickled jalapeno slices*
2 T melted butter
1 cup of you favorite shredded cheese (I like the 3 cheddar blend)

Blend BEPs, jalapenos and butter in a blender or food processor**, adding the reserved juice as needed to make the mixture smooth.

 

 

In a microwave safe bowl combine the cheese and the BEP mixture.  Stir together and then heat in microwave until cheese is good and melty.  Serve with Fritos.  Sit back and bathe in praise.

*You can also use fresh.  Add jalapenos to your desired heat level.  You can also eliminate them altogether if you're a spice wuss.

**A blender is a little more work because you have to stir and manipulate the mixture to get it all blended due to lack of moisture, but it will yield a creamier product than the food processor, which is better for those of you who might not be BEP fans and don't care to be reminded that's what they're eating.

Christmas Casserole

To some of you, it is known that I am NOT a fan of Martha Stewart.  Long story short, I read an article 100 years ago where she was quoted saying something to the effect of "I don't own a microwave and I don't think anyone else should either."  My sympathies went out to every working family on earth and a string of adjectives such as "pompous," "pretentious," and "bitch" went through my mind.  Oh wait, that last one's a noun.  You get the point.  The rub of it is, I think she's a genius at what she does.  But just on principle I try to avoid her.  (Why no, I don't hold grudges.  Why do you ask?)

And then Pinterest happened.  People LOVE Martha on Pinterest and a gorgeous picture of a potato crusted quiche sucked me in.

Seriously... look at this thing!  It's so pretty!

I decided that despite my "moral" objections I wanted to make this for Christmas Day breakfast.  The title and the picture however were more appealing than the actual recipe so of course I revamped a couple of steps and added bacon.  What?!?!  The comments said it was bland!  :o)

Goat Cheese Quiche with Hash Brown Crust
(Adapted from Martha Stewart)
2 T butter, softened
1 pkg (1 lb) frozen hash brows, thawed
12 large eggs
1.5 cups reduced fat sour cream
4-5 oz soft goat cheese, room temp
4 scallions, chopped
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a glass 9x13 dish with Pam.

Squeeze any excess water from the hash browns.  In a bowl, mix the hash browns, butter, one egg, 2t salt and 1t pepper.  Pat hash brown mixture into a glass baking dish and up the sides.  Bake in oven 15-20 minutes until the edges of the hash browns are just starting to brown.

While the hash browns are cooking, mix sour cream, goat cheese, 2t salt and 1t pepper with an electric mixer until combined.  Add the remaining 11 eggs, scallions and bacon until thoroughly mixed.  Pour into crust and bake until set, 45-50 minutes.

We opened presents while waiting for the quiche to cook.  :o)

Cut and serve.

Notes:
I didn't use a springform pan because I don't have one (and I thought the procedure of it all was a tad... precious).  :o)  The 9x13 worked juuuust fine.  I will say that the one advantage to using a round pan is that each wedge gets a little of the crispity crunchy hash brown crust.  In the 9x13, I only had 2 pieces that didn't have crust and they were still delicious, but didn't have that fun texture contrast.

While it didn't need it, I served the quiche with sour cream and salsa as condiments.  I lurve sour cream though and will eat it on almost anything.  :o)

Bleu Cheese Mussels

Yeah, you read that right.  Bleu.  Cheese.  Mussels.  <wipes drool off keyboard>

I first heard about Bleu cheese mussels on Bobby Flay's Throw Down.  Every single ingredient in this recipe makes me absolutely swoon.  For this go-round I was feeding a pescetarian friend so I used vegetable broth and had to eliminate the bacon (gasp!) but they were still amazingly tasty!

Bleu Cheese Mussels
2 pounds mussels
Olive oil, a couple turns of the pan
1/2 cup finely diced bacon or pancetta
1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 - 1/2 cup white wine (I use Chardonnay)
Juice of 2 lemons
2 medium tomatoes, diced (or canned, drained)
Salt, to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Handful of baby spinach, cleaned and de-stemmed (the bagged stuff works for me)
8 oz Bleu cheese, crumbled
Heavy whipping cream (just a splash... can be eliminated)

Rinse, clean (remove any remaining beards) and check all the mussels.  If they are cracked, throw them out. If they are opened a little, squeeze them.  If they stay shut, you can use them.  If they don’t close, throw them out.  "When it doubt, throw it out."



Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat.  Cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and it is slightly browned.  Remove the bacon to a plate covered with a paper towel.  Set aside.

Saute the onion and garlic in the bacon fat, for two to three minutes or until onions are translucent.  (Since I didn't use bacon this time, I threw in a tablespoon of butter to add some flavor.)  Lightly salt the onion/garlic mixture.  The mussels and cheese will add some salt, so under season.  Add the chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, tomatoes and red pepper.  Bring to just under a simmer and add the mussels.

  

  

When the mussels start to open, add the spinach, half of Blue cheese and the cream.  Stir to melt the cheese into the broth.  As soon as all mussels are open, remove from the heat and serve immediately.  I like to use tongs to distribute the mussels into bowls and then add a ladle or two of the broth over the top.  Then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and bacon.

  



Serve with crusty bread for rippin' and dippin'!!

Reserve the broth!  It makes a very decadent risotto!!!

Life Changing Mac 'N Cheese

I used to think my friend Dustin was crazy.  One day while extolling the virtues of macaroni and cheese, Dustin proclaimed, "I'm not a huge fan of mac 'n cheese."  After I picked my jaw up off the floor, he elaborated, "I just don't get what the big deal is.  It's pasta and cheese.  Meh..."*  Well folks, my mission was clear.  "It's OK, Dustin.  There's something broken inside of you, but I will fix it!"

For the next few weeks, I scoured the Internet for the perfect M&C recipe.  Initially, I thought I would present Delilah's 7 Cheese Mac and Cheese.  This recipe was featured on Bobby Flay's Throwdown and Oprah for Pete's sake!!  But after reading and re-reading the ingredients and the reviews I realized this was not the direction I wanted to go.  The recipe calls for one dozen eggs so the result resembles a M&C quiche.  For this classic dish, I knew I wanted to make something that was baked, topped with bread crumbs and creamy.  Spoonable, not sliceable.  Also, considering my audience (and my own pork obsession) I realized that if I could somehow incorporate bacon into the dish I could really tip the scales.

Eventually, I decided to create my own recipe.  I did have some idea of the cheese base I wanted to use, but I will tell you that the rest of this "recipe" came to fruition after trolling the cheese section of my local grocery store.  What I'm saying is, if you can't find this exact combination of cheeses, don't sweat it.  Add a little more of one of the others or add another kind all together.  However, please note that if you decide to get all wild and add a particularly "stinky" cheese the flavor of your M&C will change dramatically.  I made a Bleu cheese M&C one time.  It was delicious, but pungent as hell and SUPER rich.  Not for the faint of heart!

This is a calorie juggernaut (you've been WARNED!!) so to combat that a little, I sometimes use a few low fat (or part skim) cheeses.  This is up to your discretion.  You can certainly go full fat if you just don't care, but you don't want to go all the way low fat.  Too many low fat items will yield a rubbery product.

Also, these measurements are completely eyeballed.  If you find your cheese sauce getting too thick, add a little more liquid.  Conversely, if your cheese sauce is still watery, then add a little more cheese. 

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present...

LIFE CHANGING MAC 'N CHEESE!!!
5 slices bacon
1 bag elbow macaroni (I use large macaroni with ridges)
1-2 T butter
2-3 T flour
chicken stock (approx 2 cups), room temp or slightly heated
1 cup 2% (or whole) milk
Cayenne, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce (a couple dashes of each, to taste and desired spice level)
1/2 small box reduced fat Velveeta, broken up into moderate chunks**
1 bar reduced fat cream cheese, broken up into moderate chunks
1 cup each of the following cheeses (grated): white cheddar, extra sharp cheddar, mozzarella, Monterrey jack, Parmesan
1/4-1/2 c bread crumbs
1-2 T butter, melted
1/4-1/2 c grated Parmesan

Fry the bacon.  Drain on paper towels and set aside to cool.  Reserve bacon grease.

Cook the macaroni to "al dente" in a large pot of heavily salted water.  Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Chop or crumble cooled bacon into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside.

Transfer a few tablespoons of the bacon grease to the large pot used for cooking macaroni and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Heat over moderately high heat until butter is melted.  Lower heat to medium, add flour, and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until fat/flour mixture is golden brown and a creamy paste texture.***  Slowly add chicken stock to the flour mixture, whisking constantly to remove lumps.  Add milk, continuing to stir until heated through.  Do not boil.  Add spices and stir to incorporate.  Start adding the cheeses a handful at a time stirring constantly.  Let each handful melt almost completely before adding another (a few lumps are fine).  Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed (refrain from salting as the bacon and pasta will add some saltiness to the dish).  Transfer the macaroni and the crumbled bacon into the pot with the cheese sauce and stir to incorporate.  Transfer pasta/bacon/cheese mixture to a buttered (or Pam-ed) 9x13 casserole dish.

Combine the breadcrumbs and melted butter in a small bowl and mix to incorporate.  Sprinkle over macaroni.  Sprinkle additional Parmesan on top of breadcrumbs.  Bake for 30 minutes or until macaroni is hot and bubbly.

Drool and serve!!!

Reviews for Life Changing Mac 'N Cheese:
"I finally get it. This is what all the fuss is about. Calling those other mac 'n cheeses 'mac 'n cheese' is an insult to this mac 'n cheese!" - Dustin M.

"If this mac 'n cheese was drugs, I'd be an addict." - Andrew V.O.
(Additional comments - truth be told, my favorite compliments - by A.V.O. edited for family friendliness.) :o)

"This isn't mac 'n cheese.  It's mac 'n CHEESUS!" - Michael McD.


*I later learned that the only M&C Dustin had ever tasted was "blue box" and/or maybe a Luby's equivalent, so I kind of understand his (former) ambivalence towards M&C.  That said, I have and still do eat my fair share of "blue box" and Luby's equivalents and I love them.  Frankly, if it so much as resembles M&C, I'm in!

**This is optional.  I like to include it b/c it adds a certain level of creaminess, but I know people hate it, so eliminate it if you're offended.

***The melted fat/flour combo is a traditional food thickener called a roux [roo].  Rouxs are fantastic for thickening soup and gravy.  You want to make sure that you let the flour cook for a little while before incorporating your liquids to eliminate that raw flour taste.