Hot Turkey Sandwich

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
skinned turkey breast slices (about 1/4 in. thick)
Salt and pepper
About 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon oil

1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch

2 slices (about 2 oz. total) white bread
3 to 4 tablespoons canned cranberry sauce

Rub thyme over turkey slices and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, then coat with flour, shaking off excess.

Place a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add oil and tilt to coat bottom. Add turkey, without crowding, and brown lightly, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Meat should be white in center (cut to test). Transfer turkey to a platter as cooked and keep warm.

Mix broth, sherry, soy sauce, and cornstarch; add to frying pan. Stir over high heat until boiling, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare Mashed potatoes.

Place a slice of bread on each plate and top each slice with half the turkey. Mound potatoes equally on meat, pour gravy over the sandwich, and accompany with a dollop of the cranberry sauce.

Chicken Sausage on Quinoa with Peppers

 

For this month's Color Me Badd Diva theme, I randomly ended up with yellow. Several of the Divas are not curry fans (and it definitely smells up your house) so I went with a dish that used yellow peppers (and the Quinoa is "yellowy" I guess.)

Chicken Sausage on Quinoa with Peppers
1 Tbsp butter
¼ onion, diced
sea salt to taste
1 cup quinoa
2 Cups Chicken Broth

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Chicken sausage links
½ onion, cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tsp Spanish paprika
½ Tsp ground cumin
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup chicken stock
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the diced onion and sea salt to taste; cook and stir until the onion has caramelized to a deep brown, about 15 minutes. Once caramelized, pour in 2 cups of chicken stock and the quinoa; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 20ish minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausages. Remove to drain on a paper towel lined plate, and keep warm.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, and stir the sliced onion into the remaining oil in the skillet (add a bit more if necessary.) Cook until the edges of the onions begin to turn a golden color, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Season with the paprika and cumin, then stir in the red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then cook until the peppers soften, and the mixture reduces and thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet, season to taste with salt and pepper, and continue cooking until the sausage is hot. Serve over a bed of quinoa.

Garlic Chicken with White Wine Sauce

Recipe adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com

Ingredients
• 2 chicken breasts & 2 drumsticks (or whatever chicken pieces you prefer)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
• Olive oil
• About 1 cup white wine,
• Tarragon
• Thyme

Lightly smash the garlic cloves with the side of a heavy chef's knife, just enough to break the cloves. Leave peel on.**

Pat the chicken pieces dry and sprinkle pieces generously with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a Dutch oven (or a large thick-bottom pan with a tight fitting cover) on medium high. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Lay the chicken pieces on the hot oil, do not move until browned, then turn over to other side using tongs. Remove from pan when browned.

Add a little more olive oil to the pan if necessary. Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and the herbs. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Move the chicken pieces from top to bottom every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes. Chicken is done when a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 180°F for thighs and 170°F for breasts.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken pieces to a platter; spoon garlic sauce over the chicken.

Serve alone or with rice, noodles, baked or mashed potatoes.

**Leaving the peels on the garlic is traditional in Mexican cooking. The peels do have flavor, much like the shells of shrimp. You don’t eat them, but when the dish is done, the garlic just slips out of them.

Slow-Cooker Jambalaya

Happy Crock-tober!!



For this month's slower cooker theme, I did Slow Cooker Jambalaya. I was really pleased with how easy it was to put together. (I cheat and buy pre-chopped onions.) Also, the recipe I'm posting serves 8 people. I just halved it for Divas so it should (hopefully) serve "4."

Hope you enjoy!

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 pound (turkey) smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole spice mix
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound extralarge shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 3/4 cups long-grain rice
Parsley, optional


Directions

Combine chicken, sausage, onion, green pepper, celery, tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth, spice mix, thyme and oregano in a large (5-quart) slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 hours.

Add shrimp and rice; raise heat to high and cook for 30 minutes more. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired.

Meatloaf Braciole

This is my favorite meatloaf recipe ever, and so far it's won over some non-meatloaf people! It's based on a Rachel Ray recipe (I made a few of my own modifications) and the "braciole" part just means it's rolled up. I would recommend not just using ground beef, because then it basically tastes like a fancy hamburger. I try to use at least two different types of ground meat.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, pork and/or veal mixture
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 small white onion, grated
3 tablespoons grated cheese, Parmigiano or Romano
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup baby spinach
6 slices prosciutto di Parma (the thinner sliced, the better)
6 slices deli sliced provolone
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix meat and next 7 ingredients (thru parsley) as if you were making meatloaf. Flatten meat out on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet into a thin layer: 1/2-inch thick, 12 inches long by 6 to 8 inches wide. Cover meat with spinach, prosciutto and cheese then roll the meat, using the waxed paper to help roll up into a large log, working across the 6 to 8-inch side, resulting in a 12-inch long log. Drizzle the log with extra-virgin olive oil to coat lightly.

Roast meatroll 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch slices, 3 pieces per portion, and serve. Make pasta while meat is in the oven.

*Another note, I had to roast mine longer than 20 minutes. Just make sure the internal temperature reaches 160 before eating. (I like to cook mine until about 155 and then let is rest a bit before slicing.)

Yats Chili Cheese Etouffee

For this month's copy cat meal I made Yats Chili Cheese Etouffee, which I love to eat and say :) I am including the recipe below. The next time I make it, I will change a few things: I think i will saute the chopped veggies in a different pan and then add them to the roux, or maybe just cook it longer? They didn't soften up how I wanted. Also, I didn't put any onions in, to appease Mr. Gourmet Diva. :-) I thought it was pretty tasty and hope others do to!

1 stick butter
½ c. flour
1 c. chopped green onions
1 c. diced celery
1 c. diced bell peppers
1 c. diced onions
2 t. minced garlic
1 c. Rotel Original diced tomatoes
½ t. dried thyme
1 T. tomato paste
1 t. dried basil
¼ t. black pepper
¼ t. white pepper
¼ t. cayenne pepper
3 c. chicken stock
3 c. shredded aged cheddar
8 oz. half and half or heavy cream
1 t. chili powder
pinch ground coriander
pinch ground cumin
pinch ground cloves
dash Leas and Perrins Worcestershire sauce
Dash Tabasco sauce
1 lb cooked crawfish, shrimp and/or chicken
Cooked white rice

Make a roux by heating the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat then blending in the flour, sonsistently stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the roux is golden color

Add the green onions, celery, bell peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes and cook until the onions have browned

Add the thyme, tomato paste, basil and peppers (black, white, and cayenne)

Add the stock, bring to a boil and simmer until the mixture becomes thick

Add the cheese, half and half, chili powder, coriander, cumin, cloves, Lea and Perrins and Tabasco and stir until the cheese and half and half are blended in well

Gently stir in the crawfish, shrimp and/or chicken and serve with white rice. Garnish with chopped green onions and drizzle with some dry sherry.

Serves 6-8

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Originally Posted: 3/9/10

Servings: 6

1 large onions -- thinly sliced
Chicken Breast
1/2 cup roasted red peppers -- chopped
6 ounces cream cheese -- cubed
2 tablespoons butter
1 package flour tortillas
1 large green (or red… or both) enchilada sauce -- can
8 ounces Monterey jack cheese -- grated
salt -- to taste

This is my favorite method of cooking chicken for enchiladas and quesadillas. If you have another method you prefer, you may use that, but let’s be honest, it just won’t be as delicious :-)KIDDING!!

Ok, fill a large skillet about halfway with chicken broth and about ½ C of water. Throw in some seasonings. When I’m making Mexican, I usually add a bay leaf, some cumin, oregano, and maybe a little bit of the chopped onion. Bring the broth to a boil, and place the chicken breasts in the pan, return to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Poach chicken in broth 10 minutes. Remove chicken breasts to a bowl and shred with 2 forks, or cool slightly and just shred with your hands.

In a wide frying pan over medium heat, cook the onions in butter, for 20 minutes. Stir frequently to keep onions from burning. Remove from heat and add chicken, red bell peppers, and cream cheese; stir gently to blend, and season with salt. Pour a little sauce in bottom of 9X13 baking pan. Spoon about 1/3 C of filling down center of each tortilla and roll. Set enchiladas, seam side down in baking pan. Continue until pan is full. Cover with remaining sauce and top with grated cheese. At this point you may cover and refrigerate, or cook immediately. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes covered, remove foil and bake 15 minutes more.

I do not have a picture of this, because if I did, you would probably not make it. But go.
Make it. Eat it. Love it. :-)

Thai Peanut Noodle Stir-Fry

Can you believe it?!?! Wine Diva is posting??? It's been ages, but I'm posting my July Recipe. My ingredient for the Iron Chef Edition was Sugar Snap Peas. I wasn't super thrilled with this at first. The two main foods I don't usually enjoy are beans and peas. But that's what happens when you go on vacation during a Diva get together :-) I do enjoy eating raw snap peas with veggie dip, but I figured if I walked in today with 5 bags of peas and 5 bottles of ranch dressing, I would be impeached from my position! So... I figured that I like stir-fry and can eat whole pea pods that way, which led me to find the Thai Peanut Noodle Stir-Fry at Allrecipes.com... and it has some sake in it, which is kinda wine-ish, right? (Don't worry Lil' Cheesy Nugget, the alcohol cooks out!.. By the way, isn't a cheesy nugget kind of a cheese curd? I love those things.) :-)

Ingredients

• 8 ounce package uncooked noodles (I used Thai rice noodles)

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup broth (I used chicken, but you can use vegetable to make it vegetarian)
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I omitted this ingredient… technically, because some of the ladies don’t enjoy the extra heat, but emotionally it was in mourning of the moving of Spicy Diva :-(
• 2 tablespoons sake

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• *I added chopped chicken breasts/tenderloin
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar snap peas

Directions

1. Bring water to boil in a pot.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch into the vegetable broth until dissolved. Whisk in the peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, ground ginger, and red pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sake and keep warm.
3. Place noodles in boiling water. Cook for about 4 minutes. (If you choose to use spaghetti noodles, follow package directions.)
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion (I also added the chicken at this point); cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broccoli, carrots, red bell pepper, and sugar snap peas. Reduce heat, cover, and steam until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Toss the vegetables with the peanut sauce and pasta to serve.

March Supper Club (Spicy Diva)

One of my favorite parts of Supper Club is the beginning....where we come face to face with prepared deliciousness to devour before getting to work. We were greeted with a wide variety of food items when we arrived at Wine Diva's house.

I'm not sure of the name nor the recipe, but these are pure heaven to the tastebuds.


We also enjoyed Dessert Diva's delicious meatballs.


After we filled up, we got straight to work.

Saucy Diva and Gourmet Diva putting together the Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken.


Dessert Diva working on her Chicken Pot Pie.


Preparing the chicken for the Chicken Pot Pie.


We each left the Supper Club with Chicken Crepes, Chicken Pot Pie, Mom's Spaghetti Sauce, Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken, and Chicken 'n' Dumplings. Can we say YUM!?!?

Personally, I've already greedily devoured the Chicken Pot Pie and am longing to have another one already prepared in my freezer.

Check back in late April to get a glimpse of just a few of the bloggers we stalk for the pure pleasure of food. We are all choosing a recipe from fellow food bloggers like us :)

Pizza Casserole

This is my "comfort food" for this month. Its super easy and super delicious. When you use healthy/lean/low-fat products, it's not TOO bad for you :-) Because my grocery store had NO meat, my DTDs got extra fancy, ground ANGUS. That's how we roll up in here ;-) Enjoy!

Pizza Casserole

1 ½ Lbs ground beef
1 oz package of spaghetti noodles (or other pasta)
1 can Cheddar Cheese soup
1 jar pizza sauce
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350°

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Brown beef and drain fat.

In a large bowl combine cooked pasta, cooked beef, cheese soup, pizza sauce, and cheddar cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined. Place in 9 x 13 pan. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 40-45 min, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Baked Lemon Pasta

This recipe is from my hero, The Pioneer Woman (or P-Dub, as those of us who are especially close to her call her). I made it last night and it was delicious! I thought about making it for our next Supper Club (for a meatless dish) but I thought there would be a few pasta dishes, so I’m looking at something else.

When I made this, I also cooked and diced a couple of chicken breasts and threw them in when I added the sauce. I also doubled the cheese by adding some before it baked and again AFTER it came out of the oven. (Just trying to do the Cheesy Diva proud.)

Baked Lemon Pasta
1 pound Angel Hair Pasta
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
2 cups Sour Cream
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
Extra Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta until al dente.
In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.
Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.


Remember that whole “presentation issue” I mentioned. Well here’s P-Dub’s picture:

And here’s mine:


See what I mean? Oh, just wait until I do the same thing for the best chocolate cupcakes ever. It gets WAY worse. But, its about what it tastes like, not what it looks like… Right? Right.

Chicken "Margarita" Burgers

Last night I made the most delicious burgers ever- and I don’t even like burgers that much. I will definitely be making these again! I found the original recipe on Annie’s Eats blog but made some modifications based on what I had on hand. I didn’t have any jalapeno peppers and I had a premade Cuervo gold margarita mix (with tequila in it) rather than straight up tequila… Ok, actually I had some pretty fancy tequila but after 10 minutes of struggling I realized I was never going to get the top off. So I gave up and made the change:-)You could sauté some onions and peppers and serve it on a bun with those and lettuce. I did not have onions or peppers… or lettuce. I just used hamburger buns, (light) mayonnaise, and –because a true Dinner Time Diva knows no culinary borders- I threw a little Asian flare in and add some Thai Sweet Chili sauce as a topping. Mmmm… I will not tell you how many I ate. ;-)Enjoy!

Chicken Tequila Margarita Burgers

Ingredients
2 gloves garlic, minced
½ - 1 chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 lb ground chicken
3-4 T chopped cilantro
Some lime juice (I didn’t have any fresh limes)
1 oz margarita/tequila
Dash of soy sauce
Kosher salt
Ground Black Pepper
½ C panko bread crumbs

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Combine the garlic, jalapeno, chicken, and cilantro in the bowl. Then add in tequila, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and panko bread crumbs and mix until well blended.
Form the mixture into 4-6 patties and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Broil the burgers for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking to brown both sides. Check for doneness before serving. I also added cheese to a few and broiled a minute or two longer. Serve on buns with whatever toppings you are craving.

I would love to be able to show you pictures of MY burgers, but you will soon discover that presentation is not my strong suit. This picture above is from Annie’s Eats, so lets just pretend mine looked like that, ok?