Food goodness

*Crockpot recipe courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens Ingredients: 2Tbsp finely shredded lemon peel 1Tbsp ground sage 1Tbsp seasoned salt 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 8 small chicken legs, thighs, or 4 combination leg-thigh pieces 1/4 c. butter 4 c. quartered or sliced mushrooms (any kind) 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced sourdough baguette cut into cubes (approximately 8 cups) 1 c. shredded carrots 1 c. chicken broth 1/4 c. chopped and toasted walnuts (optional garnish) 3 Tbsp chopped flat leaf Italian parsley (optional garnish) Lightly coat the inside of a 5 1/2 - 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Reserve 1 tsp of the lemon peel. In a small bowl combine the remaining lemon peel, sage, seasoned salt, and pepper. Remove 3/4 of the mixture and rub on the chicken pieces. Place the chicken into the slow cooker. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet and add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook and stir for 3 - 5 minutes or until just tender. Stire in the remai

from Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Get Real Meals 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) 1 pound button mushrooms, stems discarded, cleaned 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 4 6- to 8-ounce chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces salt and pepper 1 1/2 c. frozen pearl onions, defrosted 3 c. chicken stock 3/4 c. heavy cream 1 c. frozen peas fresh parsley, chopped zest of 1 lemon 1/4 c. plain bread crumbs 1/2 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 2 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces Heat a large skillet over med. heat with 2 Tbsp. EVOO. Add the mushrooms and brown, about 4 minutes. Add the thyme, garlic, chicken, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Add teh onions and cook 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and cream, cook for 5 minutes. Add the peas, parsley and lemon zest. Toss to combine and cook for 1 minute while you make the topping. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and cheese. Transfer the chicken mixture to an oven save baking dish and evenly sprinkle the t

I'm not sure why they call it pie when it looks like cake, or actually, like cobbler. All I know is that it's quick, easy and good. 1/2 c. butter (you can use 1/4 c. if you're cutting down on fat) 1 c. sugar 1 c. flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 c. milk 1 can fruit (peaches, pineapple, cherries, etc.) Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter (in oven) in 9x13 pan. In bowl, mix sugar, flour, baking powder. Add milk, pour over melted butter. DO NOT MIX. Drop fruit by spoonfuls into batter. Bake 30-40 minutes. I also add cinnamon or nutmeg to the top, after I drop the fruit. And I sometimes drizzle some of the fruit juice on the top, too.

Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens magazine 8 hard boiled eggs, peeled 10 medium leeks 6Tbsp. butter 2Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1 1/2c. milk 1/2c. shredded white cheddar 1/4c. grated Parmesan 1/4tsp. cayenne pepper salt and pepper Preheat oven to 450. Quarter the eggs lengthwise. Arrange in a single layer in a broiler safe 1 1/2 - 2 quart round dish, or 10 inch round quiche dish. Set aside. Remove green portion and roots from the leeks. Half the leeks lengthwise. Cut into strips lengthwise, or chop into half circles 1/4 inch thick. Place leeks in a colander that is set inside of a larger bowl of water. Agitate the leeks in the colander to insure that all sand and grit is removed. Take colander out of water bowl. Hold the colander under the faucet for a final rinse. Lay leeks on paper towels to dry. Heat 4 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet. Add leeks and cook until tender, approximately 4 - 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Once cooked, spread evenly over the eggs.

(from Food Network) This is a really easy recipe. The sauce is really tasty, and the horseradish gives it a nice kick. Ingredients: 2 T extra-virgin olive oil 4 salmon fillets, pin bones removed salt and pepper, to taste 1 pint sour cream 2 bunches dill, chopped juice of 2 lemons 1 shallot, minced pinch red pepper flakes 3 T horseradish Coat a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. When hot, add the fillets to the pan, skin side down, then season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until the skin is nice and brown. Turn the fish over and cook for 3 minutes on the other side. While the salmon cooks, make the sauce...In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, dill, lemon juice, shallot, red pepper flakes, and horseradish. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce over the salmon. Tips and Notes: - I forgot the shallot when I made this last night. It still turned out great. - You can probably cook the salmon any way you'd like, rather than pan-searing it li

One of my esteemed coworkers had this for lunch the other day, and it looked so good that I demanded the recipe. (It would be a good summer potluck recipe too, for whoever was looking for those earlier.) 1 lb. cheese tortellini 1/3 c. olive oil 1/4 c. lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced 1 can marinated artichoke hearts 1 med. red onion, chopped 1 can black olives, sliced 4-6 oz. feta cheese 2 t. Dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste Cook pasta; dran and cool. Combine oil, lemon juice, mustard and garlic. Mix with pasta and remaining incredients. Chill and serve.

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (3 pieces) or, 1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs, if you prefer dark meat Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 portobello mushroom caps, halved crosswise and thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 1/2 cup beef broth or stock 1 (28-ounces) can crushed tomatoes A handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 pound egg ribbons or egg fettuccini, cooked to al dente Crusty bread and grated Parmigiano or Romano, for passing Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the extra-virgin olive oil and brown chicken breasts or thighs for 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and season with salt and pepper. Return pan to stove, reduce heat to medium and add the remaining. Add crushed pepper, sliced mushrooms, and garlic. Season with salt (salt is a magnet for drawing out liq

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, sliced diagonally 1 (8 1/2-ounc) jar sun-dried tomatoes, julienned (1 cup) 2 tablespoons garlic, minced 1 pound fresh angel hair pasta 1/4 cup fresh basil 1 (8 1/2-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, quartered and drained (1 cup) 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted (1/4 pound) 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons dried oregano Salt and pepper, to taste Boil water for pasta in a pasta pot, fitted with a strainer. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken strips until no longer pink -- about 3 minutes each side. Add sun-dried tomatoes and garlic to skillet. Saute for 2 minutes. In the meantime, add the fresh pasta to boiling water, cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Now add the basil, artichoke hearts, olives and feta cheese to the skillet. Saute 1 minute then stir in the cream. Strain the pasta and transfer to a large pasta bowl. Add the chicken saute

from The Best American Recipes 2004-2005 4 oz cellophane or thin rice noodles 8 c. water 1 chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into pieces 2 c. chopped celery 1 large onion 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 Tbsp fresh minced lemongrass 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger 1 chile pepper, seeded and minced 4 scallions, chopped 1 c. shredded bok choy or kale or Chinese cabbage 1/4 c. Asian fish sauce 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 1 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro Put the noodles in hot water to soften, about 3 minutes, then drain. Cut the noodles into 2-inch sections. Set aside. Combine the water, chicken, celery and onion in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and strain the stock. Discard the vegetables. After the chicken cools, remove the meat from the bones. Discard the skin and bones and add the meat to the stock. In the stockpot, add oil, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and chile pepper. Saute over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Return

I'm thinking maybe it'd be helpful to all of us with very busy lives to sort of create some shopping primers to help keep your fridge/pantries stocked with things that will make cooking easy. I'll start, but feel free to create a "Fill your pantry" list of your own with must-haves. Alright, if you can't tell, we live for Asian-inspired food. I love Mexican and Italian food, but not the way I love Asian food. So, I thought I'd put together a little list of things it's helpful to have in your fridge/pantry for cooking Asian foods. Get thee to an Asian food store, my friends, and explore some new foods (if you haven't already). If you live near me (or want to come and visit), I'd be happy to take you myself and help you figure it out. When you're at the Asian store, buy: Sesame oil Dark soy sauce (buy the Kikkoman's, it's fine. But also get some good dark soy sauce, like Silver Swan. They taste different, and it's worth having two

Courtesy of Rachael Ray Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil 3 slices of bacon, chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped 2 cans of black beans, drained 1 Tbsp. ground cumin 1 - 2 tsp. hot sauce *optional 2 - 3 Tbsps. chopped cilantro leaves or scallions ** see below Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add extra virgin olive oil and bacon. Allow fat to render for 2 minutes, then add onions, jalapeno, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 can of beans to the pan and use a potato masher to mash the beans. Add the second can of beans and season mixture with salt, pepper, cumin and hot sauce. Enjoy! ** I added 1 can of diced tomatoes (drained) and 1 can of green chiles. It was awesome!

Courtesy of Rachael Ray Ingredients for Beef Fajita Burgers: 1 1/3 lbs. ground sirloin 2 Tbsps. Worchestershire sauce 1Tbsp. chili powder 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 2 - 3 Tbsp. thyme 1 Tbsp. grill seasoning (McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning recommended) several drops of hot sauce grated onion Combine all ingredients. Divide into 4 portions and shape into patties. Ingredients for Chicken Fajita Burgers: 1 1/3 lbs. ground chicken 1 Tbsp. ground chili powder 2 - 3 Tbsps. thyme 1 Tbsp. grill seasoning (McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning recommended) several drops of hot sauce grated onion Combine all ingredients. Divide into 4 portions and shape into patties. Heat a grill pan or larger skillet on medium high heat. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil in the pan. Cook beef burgers approximately 4 minutes on each side for medium doneness. Cook chicken burgers approximately 6 minutes on each side for doneness. Serve on a crusty bun with Seared Peppers and Onions. Seared Peppers and Onions extr

This is for dinner tomorrow (the chicken, I don't have the stuff for the salad) and it looks good. Appears to be another one of those "looks harder than it actually is" recipes. From Food Network Kitchens Making it Easy Chicken 1/2 c. prepared falafel mix Vegetable oil for frying 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I'll be using thighs) Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Salad 3 kirby cucumbers, diced 1/4 c. mint leaves, roughly torn 1/4 c. fresh dill fronds, coarsly chopped 1/4 red onion, diced 1 small garlic clove, minced 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1 lemon 1/2 c. plain yogurt For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400. Place a small rack on a backing sheet. Put the falafel mix in a pie plate or shallow bowl. Heat about 1/2 inch oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and coat in the falafel mix, shaking off any excess. Carefully place the chicken smooth side down, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook until nicely br

Yum. This smelled good, and it tasted good, too. I'll write the recipe as is, but I think I'll probably add more curry the next time, and maybe some ginger. From Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker 1 Tbsp. peanut oil 2 large carrots, sliced on a diagonal 1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tbsp. curry powder 1 tsp. ground coriander 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced 8 oz green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained 2 c. vegetable stock 1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed 1/2 c. canned unsweetened coconut milk Sat Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, curry powder, coriander and cayenne and stir to coat. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, green beans, chickpeas, tomatoes and stock, cover and co