Recipes

Caprese Pie

Ingredients
1 unbaked pie shell
12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 -3 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
¹⁄₄ cup fresh basil, chopped or chiffonade
Salt and pepper
Balsamic vinegar, for serving

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425*F.  Place the pie shell in a pie plate, poke holes in the pie shell, and bake for 15 minutes.  

2. Reduce heat to 400* F.

3. Layer the bottom of the pie shell with half of the mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle cheese with salt and pepper and half of the basil.  Layer half of the sliced tomatoes over the basil.  Repeat these layers with the remaining cheese, basil, and tomatoes.  If you have any extra basil, add it to the top of the pie.  

4. Bake for 45 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tomatoes start to shrivel.  Serve hot from the oven or at room temperature.  Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar if desired.  

Comments
I ran across this recipe online and knew I had to make it.  I love tomatoes, I love caprese, and I love pie!  I did make a few modifications to the recipe to get the recipe that you see here.  This was fantastic and all three of us enjoyed it.  I used a combination of red and yellow tomatoes and separated them by layer.

Internet - Kitchen Girl Jo

Slow-Roasted Eye Round Roast Beef

Ingredients
1 boneless eye-round roast (3 ¹⁄₂ to 4 ¹⁄₂ pounds)
4 teaspoons kosher salt, or 2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Sprinkle all sides of roast evenly with salt. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate 18 to 24 hours.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225*F. Pat roast dry with paper towels; rub with 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle all sides evenly with pepper.

3. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until starting to smoke. Sear roast until browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

4. Transfer roast to roasting pan, preferably one with a v-rack. Roast until meat-probe thermometer or instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 115*F for medium-rare, 1 ¹⁄₄ to 1 ³⁄₄ hours, or 125*F for medium, 1 ³⁄₄ to 2 ¹⁄₄ hours.

4. Turn oven off; leave roast in oven, without opening door, until thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 130*F for medium-rare of 140*F for medium, 30 to 50 minutes longer. Transfer roast to carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice meat crosswise as thinly as possible and serve.

Note: I aim for somewhere between medium and medium-rare when I make this, so I cook it until it reaches 120*F and then leave it in the oven until it reaches 135*F.  Step 1 is crucial to making this delicious and tender.  

Comments
This recipe is from an issue of Cook’s Illustrated and it’s amazing.  Eye Round is a relatively cheap cut of beef and this turns it into something wonderful and flavorful.  The leftovers make fantastic sandwiches as well.  It does take quite a lot of time but with cooking and the salting, so be sure to plan ahead the day before.

Shown here with Horseradish Cream Sauce and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Cook’s Illustrated 2008

Peach Crisp

Ingredients
2 ¹⁄₂ pounds ripe peaches, sliced (about 8)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¹⁄₂ cup butter, melted

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Lightly grease an 9x9 inch baking dish.

2. Place peaches in baking dish.  

3. Mix remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and sprinkle over peaches.  

4. Bake 45-50 minutes until topping is golden.

Comments
This recipe is from the mother of my childhood best friend.  For the past 14 years it has been the recipe that makes me look forward to peach season.  As soon as I can get them, I make this.  It’s fantastic with ice cream or just plain.  Either way it’s hard to stick to one serving.

Person - Mrs. Meehan

Moroccan Chicken

Ingredients
For Moroccan spice paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon paprika
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons turmeric
3 tablespoons olive oil

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Instructions
1. Mix spice paste ingredients together in a small bowl or grind in a spice grinder.  Due to the turmeric, the spice blend will stain.  

2. Place chicken in a large bowl or container.  Spread spice paste over the chicken and chill for one hour.  

3. Grill or sauté chicken until done.  I used a grill pan on high heat and cooked the chicken for 8-9 minutes per side.  

Comments
I found this recipe on Recipezaar while looking for something to serve with Quinoa with Squash, Garbanzo Beans, and Cumin.  The two recipes use most all of the same spices and this chicken complemented the quinoa dish perfectly.  It was very spicy and flavorful.  

Shown here with Quinoa with Squash, Garbanzo Beans, and Cumin.

Internet - Recipe Zaar

Pancetta and Sesame Coated Turnips

Ingredients
16 very thin pancetta slices (Italian bacon; about one 3-ounce package)
2 large turnips or 4 small turnips, peeled, each cut into 8 or 4 wedges for a total of 16 wedges
1 large egg
1 ¹⁄₂ cups sesame seeds
Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions
1. Wrap 1 pancetta slice around 1 turnip wedge, covering most of turnip. Repeat with remaining pancetta slices and turnip wedges.  The pancetta should unroll which makes this easy.  

2. Line rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper. Whisk egg in medium bowl to blend and place sesame seeds in another medium bowl. Dip each pancetta-wrapped turnip wedge into beaten egg to coat, then dip into sesame seeds, turning to coat generously on all sides. Place on prepared baking sheet.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour enough vegetable oil into heavy medium saucepan to reach depth of 2 inches. Attach deep-fry thermometer to side of pan and heat oil to 350°F. Working in batches, add sesame-coated turnip wedges to oil, and deep-fry until sesame seeds are golden, about 1 minute (turnips will be very crunchy).  (I did this in my Le Creuset over high heat.)  

4. Transfer turnips to paper towels to drain. Arrange turnips on rimmed baking sheet and bake just until turnips are beginning to soften, about 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Comments
I found this recipe on Epicurious.com while looking for something new and exciting to do with turnips.  I’m pretty sure if you wrap anything in bacon, coat it in sesame seeds, and fry it, that it will taste delicious.  Turnips are no exception.  These were very tasty!

Internet - Epicurious

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients
2 pounds ground meat
2 large onions, chopped
2 heaping tablespoons wet mustard
¹⁄₄ cup brown sugar
12 ounces tomato paste
12 ounces water
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Hamburger buns

Instructions
1. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add meat and onions.  Sauté until meat is fully cooked and onions are soft.  Drain.  

2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for a while, at least 30 minutes.  

3.  Serve on hamburger buns.

Slow cooker variation: Sauté meat and onions as above and then add all ingredients to your slow cooker.  Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours.  

Comments
This is another recipe from my mom and it’s a family favorite.  I’ve modified it slightly because it’s hard to find HFCS-free ketchup.  Apparently this is known as barbecue if you’re from the Midwest.  (Note: Since first posting this HFCS-free ketchup has become super easy to find!  Thanks Hunts!  I still make this with tomato paste, though.)

Person - Mom

Quinoa with Squash, Garbanzo Beans, and Cumin

Ingredients
1 large can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (Large cans are 29 ounces.  Feel free to use a 15 ounce can if you’re not a lover of chickpeas like I am)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
7 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons paprika
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds yellow squash, sliced
4 green onions, chopped
¹⁄₄ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions
1. Combine garbanzo beans and lemon juice in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil and garlic.  Stir to combine. Let marinate at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.

2. Mix cumin, turmeric and paprika in a small bowl.  

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons of spice blend and quinoa; stir until fragrant, about 1 or 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water and salt; bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 16 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add squash and remaining spice blend, working in batches if necessary and sautéing until tender and slightly browned.  

5. Add squash, green onions, and parsley, then garbanzo bean mixture to quinoa. Toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold.  

Comments
This is inspired by a recipe I found on Epicurious.com.  Due to comments on the recipe I increased all of the spices in the recipe and sautéed the quinoa before adding water.  I also used yellow squash instead of zucchini because that’s what I happened to have to work with.  This is one of the beautiful things about cooking, it’s so easy to modify recipes based on what you happen to have in your kitchen and what’s in season or available.  

I’ve been wanting to try quinoa for a while and finally got around to picking some up at my local health food store.  Then it was just a matter of remembering that I had it and finding a recipe while in the midst of meal planning.  Art declared that he could eat the whole bowl of this by himself and we all greatly enjoyed the dish.  

Shown here with Moroccan Chicken.

Internet - Epicurious

Sesame Noodles

Ingredients
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons white sugar
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 pound soba or whole wheat thin spaghetti
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
¹⁄₂ cup green onions, chopped
¹⁄₂ cup cucumber, diced

Instructions
1. Place the first five ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves.

2. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and drain well.

3. Pour the sauce over noodles, add remaining ingredients and toss well.  Serve warm or cold, as desired.  

Note: If you’ve got other vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, or sugar snap peas, feel free to dice them and add them in with the green onions and cucumber.

Comments
I ran across this recipe on The Crepes of Wrath and, since I was looking for something other than rice to serve with a Chinese chicken dish, I figured I would give it a try.  This is a nice, simple recipe that would be very simple to add other ingredients to in order to make it more robust or a complete meal in and of itself.  I enjoyed it quite a bit and leftovers have been calling to me from the fridge since last night.

Shown here with Shredded Chicken with Sesame Mustard Sauce.

Internet - Crepes of Wrath

Shredded Chicken with Sesame Mustard Sauce

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For steaming liquid
2 tablespoons sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 green onions, cut into 2-inch sections
2 slices fresh ginger

For sauce
4 teaspoons tahini
3 tablespoons shallots or garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
5 teaspoons hot steaming liquid
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons dry mustard, mixed with 2 tablespoons of hot steaming liquid

Instructions
1. Place chicken in a steam-proof dish. Add sherry, soy sauce, sugar, oil, green onions, and ginger, and toss well to coat the chicken. Steam for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked. Turn off heat, remove chicken, and allow to cool. Reserve steaming liquid for use in next step.  (I use a 8x8 baking dish on a rack in a covered Wok for this step.)  

2. To make sauce, place tahini, shallots, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add the hot steaming liquid, and mix until tahini dissolves. Add oyster sauce, oil, soy sauce, and sherry and combine until mixture is smooth. Add mustard mixture and combine until well blended.

3. Hand shred chicken and add dressing. Mix thoroughly; making certain chicken is well coated. Serve.  

Comments
This recipe is from The Chinese Way by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo.  It’s very spicy thanks to the dry mustard!  I serve it with rice, or noodles, or even tortillas with cucumber and green onions.  

Shown here with Sesame Noodles.

The Chinese Way

Smothered Yellow Squash and Zucchini with Chicken, Pasta, and Basil

Ingredients
1 pound small pasta, such as wagon wheels
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds medium yellow squash and zucchini, cut crosswise into ¹⁄₈-inch-thick slices (I used 8 small zucchini and yellow squash, if you’re using larger vegetables, cut them in half lengthwise before slicing)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

Instructions
1.  Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta as directed on package.  Drain.  

2.  Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken for 5-10 minutes a side, depending on thickness of breasts, until done.  Cube chicken to be roughly the same size as your pasta and squash slices.  Toss with pasta.  

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking, and then add half of squash and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer browned squash to a bowl, then heat remaining tablespoon oil and sauté remaining squash in same manner. Return squash in bowl to skillet.

4. Add garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add broth, salt, and pepper and simmer briskly, covered, until squash is tender and most of liquid is evaporated, 6 to 7 minutes.

5. Mix squash mixture with pasta and chicken mixture.  Stir in basil.  Serve immediately.  

Note: Top with feta or goat cheese if desired.  

Comments
This was inspired by a recipe from epicurious.com but modified based on comments left on the recipe.  It’s a nice, simple pasta dish with a lot of great flavors.  I used mini-wagon wheels for the pasta, but this would work well with any small pasta shape that stirs well.

Internet - Epicurious