Recipes

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
8 ounces ham, finely chopped
3 ounces Swiss cheese, finely chopped
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
³⁄₄ cup panko
¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried parsley
¹⁄₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the sauce
1 ³⁄₄ cup milk
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon mustard
³⁄₄ teaspoon onion powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried parsley
¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried thyme
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
¹⁄₂ cup sour cream

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375*F.  Layer chicken in a greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish. 

2. Mix together milk, lemon juice, mustard, onion powder, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon parsley, thyme, salt, ¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper, and garlic powder together in measuring cup. 

3. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat then stir in flour.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Pour in milk mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to gently boil and thicken.  Stir in sour cream.  Pour mixture evenly over chicken. 

4. Sprinkle ham over sauce then top with Swiss and Parmesan cheeses. 

5. Mix panko with ¹⁄₂ teaspoon parsley and ¹⁄₈ teaspoon pepper in small bowl.  Toss with olive oil to coat.  Sprinkle panko mixture evenly over casserole then bake for 30 minutes or until top turns golden brown. 

Comments
This recipe is from Cooking Classy.  It was yet another tasty one and we all enjoyed it!  I serve it with rice, but it would have worked with most any starch or none at all.

Ingredients
For the chicken
1 pound bacon
6 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper
6 - 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the sauce
2 tablespoons butter or 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon bacon grease
¹⁄₂ teaspoon onion powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ to ¹⁄₂ teaspoons red pepper flakes, optional
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1cup cream or half and half
1 cup chicken broth
1 ¹⁄₂ cups cheddar, Swiss, or colby cheese, shredded
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon freshly lemon juice

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350*F. 

2. Cut bacon into pieces.  Cook in skillet over medium heat until crisp then drain on paper towels. 

3. Season flour with salt and pepper then toss chicken breasts in flour to coat. 

4. Heat butter and olive oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Once butter is melted, add chicken and brown on both sides, about 5 to 10 minutes per side.  Place browned chicken in 9 by 13-inch baking dish.  Brown chicken in two batches if necessary. 

5. Melt butter for sauce (and bacon grease if using) in saucepan.  Add salt, pepper, pepper flakes, onion powder, and sugar.  Stir until mixed and spices become fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add flour and stir until bubbly and smooth.  Continue stirring and slowly add milk, cream, and chicken broth.  Continue stirring until sauce has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. 

6. Reduce heat to low and add cheeses.  Stir well until cheese melts then stir in lemon juice.  Mix half of bacon into sauce then pour sauce over chicken. 

7. Cover chicken with foil with bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Top with reserved bacon and serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from Get Off Your Butt and Bake.  I served it over rice and it was delicious.  The sauce was scrumptious and rich.  I will definitely be making this again some day!  Even if the recipe has a very silly name.

Ingredients
For the salmon cakes
1 (15 ounces) can boneless skinless pink salmon, drained, or equivalent pouch
1 large egg, beaten
¹⁄₃ cup fresh chives, chopped
26 saltine crackers, crushed
¹⁄₂ cup frozen corn, thawed
¹⁄₄ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the sauce
¹⁄₂ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoon capers, rinsed, drained, and chopped
¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Spinach, for serving

Instructions
1. Using a fork, flake the salmon into ¹⁄₂-inch pieces into a medium bowl. Add the egg, chives, ¹⁄₂ cup of the crushed crackers, the corn, mayonnaise, mustard, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix gently until just combined. Form into 10 patties, each about ³⁄₄” thick (if the mixture is too dry to form into patties, add extra mayonnaise, 1 tbsp at a time). Carefully coat the patties in the remaining crushed crackers and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and butter together over medium heat. Add the salmon patties and cook for 7-8 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Drain the patties on paper towels.

3. For the sauce, mix the yogurt, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Arrange the salmon cakes on top of spinach and top with sauce. 

Comments
This recipe is from House and Home.  The salmon cakes were super flavorful thanks to the many ingredients called for in the recipe.  I opted to serve the cakes on top of spinach and Lance and I thought this worked well.  These made for a quick and tasty dinner!

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 anchovy fillets, finely minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 boneless beef chuck-eye roast (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1 ¹⁄₂-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, halved and then cut into thin slices
2 cups baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise
¹⁄₄ cup all purpose flour
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken or beef broth
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 ounces bacon
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 ¹⁄₂ cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin (about 1 packet)
¹⁄₂ cup water
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Table salt and ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300*F. Combine garlic and anchovies in small bowl; press with back of fork to form paste. Stir in tomato paste and set mixture aside.

2. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large Dutch oven over high heat until just starting to smoke. Add half of beef and cook until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total, reducing heat if oil begins to smoke or fond begins to burn. Transfer beef to large plate. Repeat with remaining beef and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, leaving second batch of meat in pot after browning.

3. Reduce heat to medium and return first batch of beef to pot. Add onion and carrots to Dutch oven and stir to combine with beef. Cook, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, until onion is softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds.

4. Slowly add wine, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits. Increase heat to high and allow wine to simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, bay leaves, thyme, and bacon. Bring to simmer, cover, transfer to oven, and cook for 1 ¹⁄₂ hours.

5. Remove pot from oven; remove and discard bay leaves and bacon. Stir in potatoes, cover, return to oven, and cook until potatoes are almost tender, about 45 minutes.

6. Using large spoon, skim any excess fat from surface of stew. Stir in pearl onions; cook over medium heat until potatoes and onions are cooked through and meat offers little resistance when poked with fork, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over water in small bowl and allow to soften for 5 minutes.

7. Increase heat to high, stir in softened gelatin mixture and peas; simmer until gelatin is fully dissolved and stew is thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve.

Comments
This recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated 2010.  Lance and I had been talking about beef stew for some reason and I realized I’d never made it before due to Art’s dislike of the texture of pot roast.  I decided I should make it when he was out of town and opted for the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated.  They’re pretty great at having great versions of classic recipes. 

Lance and I really enjoyed this.  I made biscuits to serve with it since that’s how we always had beef stew in high school.

Ingredients
For white sauce
¹⁄₂ cup sour cream
¹⁄₂ cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For red sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika

Instructions
1. Blend all ingredients for white sauce and set aside. 

2. Blend all ingredients for red sauce and set aside. 

No photo – oops!

Comments
I’m not sure where these (recipes are from since Lance found them on Norwegian sites.  (He also told me that the red sauce recipe called for tablespoons, not teaspoons.  Yeah, don’t do tablespoons.)  These sauces were much, much closer to what we experienced in the Oslo area. 

Serve these sauces with Oslo Kebabs.

Ingredients
4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 200*F.  Rub potatoes with olive oil and kosher salt then place into baking dish.  Transfer to oven and bake 5 hours. 

2. Increase heat to 500*F and continue cooking potatoes until they reach an internal temperature of 210*F when tested with an instant read thermometer. 

No photo :(

Comments
I got this recipe from one of my awesome choir friends.  These are very slow baked potatoes and the skins get all nice, soft, and delicious.  The insides were super moist and scrumptious. I made 8 of these and had them for lunches throughout the week after we ate the initial 3 with Lance’s birthday dinner.

Ingredients
1 pound pasta, such as penne
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
3 teaspoons cajun spice, such as Emeril’s Essence
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin slices
¹⁄₂ large red onion, cut into half moons
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pints small tomatoes, quartered or halved
2 cups chicken broth
¹⁄₂ cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Cook pasta as directed on packaging. Drain well.

2. Sprinkle half of Cajun seasoning over chicken pieces and toss to coat.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in heavy skillet over high heat.  Add half chicken and cook, without stirring, until browned on one side.  Stir and continue cooking until cooked through.  Remove chicken to clean plate.  Repeat with remaining chicken. 

2. Add remaining olive oil and butter to skillet.  Once butter is melted, add bell pepper, onion, and garlic.  Sprinkle remaining Cajun seasoning over vegetables and cook over high heat until vegetables brown.  Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes.  Remove vegetables to plate with chicken. 

3. With pan still over high heat, add wine and chicken broth.  Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring to deglaze the pan.  Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream.  Stir in cream cheese until melted.  Continue stirring until sauce begins  to thicken, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Season sauce with salt and pepper if necessary. 

4. Add chicken, vegetables, and pasta to sauce.  Stir well to combine.  Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired. 

Comments
I found this recipe on a cooking blog but the instructions were pretty poor.  Thankfully, the blogger had linked to her source, so I was able to use the original from Pioneer Woman.  This was a tasty dish although the sauce was reluctant to thicken.  The sauce did thicken up for leftovers which Art and Lance greatly enjoyed during the week.  Unlike my last attempt at Cajun Pasta, this was really delicious and not too spicy at all!

Ingredients
³⁄₄ pound flank steak, sliced into thin strips
1 egg white
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Oil, for frying, I prefer peanut
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic - I used this stuff
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cornstarch
¹⁄₂ teaspoon sugar
¹⁄₄ teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon sherry
¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
Rice, for serving

Instructions
1. Combine beef, egg white, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in medium bowl.  Mix well and set aside. 

2. Combine soy sauce, chili paste, 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cornstarch, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic in small bowl. 

3. Heat oil for frying in Dutch oven over medium or medium-high heat.  Working in batches, fry beef strips until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per batch.  Drain on paper towel-lined plate. 

4. Heat wok or skillet over high heat.  Add sauce mixture to wok and cook until it becomes thickened and bubbly.  Add in beef and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.  Remove beef and sauce to large bowl and set aside. 

5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok or skillet still over high heat.  Add broccoli, sherry, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until desired crispness has been reached, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Serve broccoli with beef mixture over rice. 

Comments
This recipe is from Blogchef and I found it to use with the flank steak Art pulled out of the freezer for the week’s meals.  I, um, sort of screwed up the sauce since I missed a key word in the original recipe.  Oops!  Even with a messed up sauce, this recipe was yummy and a delicious meal.  It’ll be even better next time when I don’t screw it up.  It is a bit spicy, but not so much so that I couldn’t deal with it!

Ingredients
1 can Pillsbury Grand biscuits
1 pound ground beef
4 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 taco seasoning packet
Desired toppings such as lettuce, fresh salsa, sour cream, etc.

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350*F.  Separate biscuits and place each biscuit into cup of regular muffin tin.  Press dough into tin and spread to tops of muffin cups.  Place tin in oven and bake until golden brown, 13 to 17 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, heat skillet over medium heat and brown beef.  Once meat is cooked through, add taco seasoning and ¹⁄₄ cup water.  Simmer until liquid is absorbed. 

3. Once biscuits are done, remove from oven.  Press center of biscuits down with back of spoon if necessary then fill cups with seasoned meat.  Top as desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from Serendipity Mommy.  These are basically tacos in biscuit form instead of tacos and they were pretty tasty.  We enjoyed eating them and it was an easy meal to bring together.

Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
4 cups tomatoes, chopped
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garam masala
¹⁄₄ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
_
For the kofta:_
1 cup extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cornmeal
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ajowan or caraway seeds
6 cloves garlic, peeled and stemmed
1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons cilantro
Olive oil, for frying

Cooked rice, for serving

Instructions
1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté until soft.  Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, garam masala, turmeric, and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and form sauce, about 20 to 30 minutes. 

2. Place tofu, chickpeas, cornmeal, seeds, garlic, jalapeno, salt, and cilantro in food processor bowl.  Process until smooth and mixture pulls away from sides of processor bowl.  Form into small golf ball-sized balls. 

3. Add oil to skillet, about ¹⁄₄-inch deep.  Heat over medium heat.  Fry balls, working in batches, until golden brown on all sides.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towel-lined plate. 

4. Serve sauce on top of rice with Kofta balls on top. 

Comments
This recipe is from Food-Fitness-FreshAir.  It’s one of the tastier things I’ve made recently and it’s vegan as well!  I doubled the Kofta ingredients and this made a great meal for the three of us.  I probably could have quadrupled everything so that we could have enjoyed more leftovers, but I didn’t think of that until it was too late.  I’m looking forward to making this again in the future.