Season To Taste

Chilly weather makes me crazy for chili! I love all sorts— black bean, red bean, vegetarian, turkey, beef…you name it.  Years ago I discovered a recipe for white chili with chicken that I’ve made over and over again.  The other night, I realized I hadn’t planned very well for the week’s meals, and I was left with nothing to make for dinner.  To the pantry I went, and found I had a few cans of cannellini beans and some onions.  In the refrigerator I found a red bell pepper and a few sprigs of parsley hiding in the back of my vegetable drawer, and in the freezer I had a package of chicken breasts.  Perfect—I’d make a variation on the great white chili recipe I’ve loved for years! 

 If you haven’t noticed—my recipes often have a theme of utilizing whatever I have on hand to create something delicious.  This is not to say that I don’t plan plenty of meals.  However, I think this is the type of situation many people find themselves in many evenings: “What the heck am I going to make for dinner?” This is usually followed by “I REALLY don’t want to go to the grocery store!”  This is a perfect example of how a well-stocked pantry can come to the rescue on one of those nights.  It is also a good illustration of how you can make variations of different recipes based on what you have available.  The original version of this recipe did not use any red bell peppers, and instead used a jalapeno pepper.  It also called for cilantro, but I didn’t have any…so parsley would have to do!  Feel free to experiment with different ingredients, either as substitutions or to jazz up a recipe.  If it doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t worry.  The more you get comfortable in the kitchen the more likely you will be to start creating your own versions of recipes. 

To read more about a well-stocked pantry on my other blog, The Secret Ingredient Online, click here.

White Chicken Chili with Beer

Serves 4

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 -15 oz cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1 bottle of beer

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

olive oil

salt & pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and saute onion and garlic until softened.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook for an additional minute or two.

Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 7 minutes.

Add about 3/4 of the bottle of beer and all the beans, lower heat slightly, and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and beans are heated through.

Add parsley and serve topped with cheddar cheese.

Lately I’ve been having a hankering for my mom’s cooking.  In the past month, I’ve made her meatloaf with mushroom gravy, her homemade mac and cheese, and her famous “Chicken Waikiki Beach”.  Tonight, I was in the mood for her Chicken Pizzaiola (”peets-aye-ola”).  I think it is actually my grandmother’s recipe, to which she likely made some updates along the way.  They both always made this dish in a huge, electric skillet.  Since I do not have an electric skillet (and no, mom, I don’t have room for one either!), I decided to do some updating of my own and do this entire dish in the oven.  Sure, it would have more closely approximated the cooking method to do it in a big pan on my stove top, but that would require more attention than I was willing to give it at that point in the day.  I’ve always been a big fan of low-maintenance dishes, and this is probably one of my favorites.

The ingredients are simple—chicken, potatoes, onions, garlic, oregano and tomato sauce.  My mother and grandmother always used bone-in chicken pieces…a combination of breasts, legs, and thighs.  To cut the calories a bit, which come in large part from the skin and dark meat, and more importantly, to cut the cooking time, I opted for skinless, boneless breasts.  I’m the first to admit that chicken, or any meat, on the bone is very flavorful.  However, I think the full-on meatiness of the breasts is enough to make up for a little loss in flavor.  Besides,  I never have been a fan of having to pick through all those bones just to get a nice bite of chicken on my fork!

Be sure to cut the potatoes relatively small so they will cook quickly.   The breasts will not take long, and you don’t want to dig into a perfectly cooked piece of chicken only to have the potatoes underdone. 

Mom’s Chicken Pizzaiola

Serves 4-6

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise

1 lb potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 - 8 oz cans tomato sauce (or  3 cans if you like it more saucy)

1 tablespoon oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly spray a large baking dish or pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the chicken breasts into the pan so they are not touching. 

Add the potatoes, sliced onions, and garlic to pan, and spread around the breasts.

Season everything with salt and pepper.  Pour the cans of tomato sauce over the top of the entire dish and sprinkle with oregano.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and potatoes are fork-tender.

On Sunday I was in the mood for something homey…some sort of comfort food.  I’d had pasta the night before, so homemade macaroni and cheese was out, and I’d just made a roasted chicken earlier that week.  After scanning my pantry and fridge, I decided I was in the mood for pot pie.  But as much as I love traditional pot pie, with its flaky crust and creamy sauce, I thought we’d all be better off with a healthier, updated version. 

 I started with some skinless, boneless chicken breasts and a variety of vegetables.  Since I have small kids, who can sometimes be picky, I thought it best to choose veggies I know they’d eat:  carrots, peas, and corn.  Next, instead of a white, cream-based sauce, I opted for a lower-calorie, healthier tomato-based sauce for my pot pie.  Any prepared sauce will do…everyone has their personal favorites.  Just to add a touch of creaminess to the mixture, I tossed in a little half-and-half, which really transformed the entire dish. 

When it came to the crust, I chose to omit the bottom crust entirely, partly to cut back on fat and calories, but also to save time.  A flaky pastry crust may taste good, but can be tricky to prepare.  By using a multigrain baking mix, I prepared a biscuit-like crust to top my pot pie, and sprinkled it with a little parmesan cheese to give it a little extra flavor.

 This dish is really easy to prepare, and is absolutely delicious.  My whole family loves it….and I was almost disappointed when there were no leftovers! 

Healthy Family-Style Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 4

 1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 medium carrots, diced

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 ears of corn, cooked and removed from cob (or about ¾  cup kernels, thawed if frozen)

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into a ¾” dice

1 cup prepared tomato sauce

¼ cup half and half

For crust:

2 cups whole wheat or multigrain pancake mix

2/3 cup of milk

1-2 t sugar

2 T parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large skillet or saucepan, sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic in a about 2T of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove veggies to a bowl.

In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of oil and add diced chicken.  Cook about 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink.

When chicken is cooked, add the cooked vegetables back into the pan and add tomato sauce and half and half.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.   Pour into a 9″ deep dish pie plate.  Set aside.

Preheat  oven to 425 degrees.

In another bowl, mix the multigrain pancake mix with 2/3 cup of milk and sugar.   Dollop biscuit mixture on top of chicken and vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until biscuit is golden and cooked all the way through.

One of my mom’s specialties was her homemade macaroni and cheese.  Ironically, it wasn’t something she grew up eating.  In the Italian-American neighborhood where she spent her childhood, I’m pretty sure no one made, ate, or probably even gave any thought to classic American macaroni and cheese.  It just wasn’t part of the food culture.  However, when she left that area and headed to a less ethnic, more “middle-American” part of the state, she joined the ranks and began experimenting with mac and cheese.

Over time, my mom definitely changed her recipe a few times.  For many years she used a mixture of Velveeta  and cheddar, which melted beautifully and made for a very creamy finished product.  Then she began omitting the Velveeta and substituting all different combinations of other cheeses.  Early on, she used whole milk, which at some point became 2%, then 1%, then finally skim.  The macaroni itself never changed (always elbow shaped pasta), nor did the topping, which was always made from a combination of breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and paprika.  Through its many incarnations, it was always delicious.

These days, I try not to overindulge in massive amounts of pasta and cheese, but every so often when I’m feeling in the mood for comfort food, homemade macaroni and cheese is one of those recipes to which I always return.  Like my mom, I’ve made changes along the way, from using different shaped pastas (my kids like spirals), to different combinations of cheeses, and even some “add-ins” here and there.  I particularly like the idea of adding some sort of vegetable and/or protein to the mix, to amp up the nutritional value a bit.  This recipe is one of my favorite combinations.  Riffing on a classic Italian combination of peas and prosciutto, I use peas and diced, boiled ham.  The additions add texture and a great pop of color to the finished dish. 

It’s not exactly my mom’s mac and cheese, but I think she likes it just as much!

Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 4-6

12 oz macaroni (elbows, spirals, penne, etc)

1/2 cup onions, diced

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

1 dried bay leaf

2 cups skim milk

1 tablespoon corn starch

dash of Worcestershire sauce

dash white vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder (plus more for sprinkling)

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (plus more for sprinkling)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup diced ham

1/2 cup Panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs

paprkia

salt and pepper

Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

In the same pot used for the macaroni, heat canola oil and saute onions until transluscent.  Add bay leaf and cook for another couple minutes.

In a mixing cup, whisk together milk and cornstarch and add to pot.  Simmer for a few minutes, then add Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, salt & pepper.  Remove bay leaf and continue to simmer for about 2-3 minutes. 

Remove milk from heat and add cheeses.  Stir until a smooth sauce is acheived.

Add cooked macaroni, peas, and ham to the pot and stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a __ quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour in macaroni mixture.

Top with bread crumbs, an additional sprinkling of garlic powder and parmesan cheese, and a bit of paprika.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until top is browned and crispy, and the macaroni is bubbly.

Like most foodies, I subscribe to a number of cooking magazines.  As I read through them each month, I’ve gotten into the habit of ripping out pages with recipes I want to try.  Into a folder they go, but only the lucky ones make it back out.   The really appealing recipes are usually stuck on my refrigerator until I can get to the store to buy the necessary ingredients, and I often make them within the week.  If they are a hit, into the recipe box they go.  A miss goes into the trash. 

Occasionally, I hit up the “to try” folder for a little inspiration…and that is how this recipe came to be.  By the looks of it, this was a recipe my mother ripped out of a Sunday supplement and passed along to me. ” Udon Noodles with Shrimp”.  It had been kicking its way to the front and back of my folder for at least a year, and finally sounded like something I was in the mood to make.  The only problem was that  I didn’t have shrimp, and I didn’t feel like making a trip to the grocery store.  The shrimp became salmon, which I had stashed in my freezer, and the stir fry sauce took on a life of its own when I realized I was out of a few other ingredients too.  In the end, it turned out really well….it was healthy, colorful, and had a nice kick.  I removed a few portions of it before adding the spicy sauce, since I knew my small kids wouldn’t tolerate the heat, and they gobbled up the noodles, veggies, and salmon (or “pink chicken” as I call it) before I picked up my chop sticks! 

Spicy Udon Noodle Bowl with Salmon

Serves 4

¼ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Asian chile paste (available at specialty markets or in the Asian aisle of the grocery store)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

3 carrots, sliced

1 bell pepper, chopped (red, orange, or yellow)

½ medium red onion, chopped

1 cup broccoli florets

1 ¼  lb salmon, skin removed and cut into ¾” cubes

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

8 oz Udon noodles

In a measuring cup, whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, chile paste, sugar, rice vinegar and sesame oil.  Set aside.

Fill a large, wide pan with water and bring to a boil (such as a chef’s pan or everyday pan).  Add Udon noodles, cook until tender (about 5 minutes), drain and rinse quickly with water.  Set aside.

Return the pan to the stovetop and heat canola oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute.  Add vegetables and stir fry for about 5 minutes, until crisp-tender.  Remove to a bowl, return pan to heat and add salmon cubes.

Cook for 5-7 minutes, until salmon is cooked through and firm to the touch.  Return veggies to pan, add udon noodles, orange juice mixture, and stir quickly over high heat.  Add fresh herbs and serve immediately.

Today, I continue my conversation with cookbook authors and fellow food bloggers Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati.  Their first book “Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s” is a must-have for anyone who is a fan. 

STT: What audience did you have in mind while writing your cookbook and blog?

Deana: We envisioned busy moms like us as our primary target.  However, we’ve been pleasantly surprised to hear from men who have discovered our book.  So it seems that our cookbook really appeals to both genders.  We’ve received emails from people in all walks of life, from busy professionals, to stay-at-home moms, to retired couples traveling the country in an RV.  It seems what everyone shares in common is a love of Trader Joe’s and limited time to cook.

STT:  When you are developing recipes, what is your main goal, besides incorporating TJ’s ingredients?
Wona: We want to make it possible for busy people like us to put dinner on the table in minutes.  So, making it easy and fast is really important.  We also like to eat healthy, so we try to make our menus varied and interesting by using fresh ingredients and different combinations of flavors.
Deana:  It’s also been great getting our kids involved in the kitchen - they love to help and they even come up with their own recipes.  For a while, my son was even insisting on photographing his plate of food before eating!  I think it’s so important to instill the fun of cooking and the habit of healthy eating in kids at a young age.  And when recipes are short and easy, you really can include them.

STT:  How do you test the recipes?

Wona: First, we test the recipes ourselves multiple times, and then the recipes have to be husband- and kid-approved.  Finally, we enlist the help of testers across the country, and our testers include complete novices as well as two trained chefs.  They test to make sure they understand the recipe, can find all the ingredients, and like the results.

STT:  Do you have a favorite recipe from the cookbook? 

Deana:  I think that the Black Bean Soup and the South Seas Chocolate Mousse are my current favorites.  I’m not a huge fan of sweets but I am completely hooked on good dark chocolate.  This mousse is made with light coconut milk, so it’s a lower fat version that tastes so creamy and rich. 

Wona: The 2 recipes my kids ask for over and over are Turkey Chipotle Chili and Spicy Szechuan Tofu (fondly called “Tofu Squares” in our home; I may have misnamed this recipe because it really isn’t spicy — even my 2-year-old gobbles it up).

STT: What’s up next for you? 

Deana: We are really excited about a new website we will launch in a couple of months, where Trader Joe’s fans can exchange their own recipes and share ideas for using their favorite TJ’s items.  They will even be able to print out a master grocery list they can take to TJ’s.  So many people have asked us for a second cookbook, such as a vegetarian cookbook - we’re considering a few different themes.  

Thanks to Deana and Wona for a great interview, and for sharing one of their favorite recipes! 

Chipotle Turkey Chili

On a cold night, warm your body and soul with a big bowl of homemade chili.  Refried beans thicken the chili, giving it long-cooked texture and flavor in just minutes.  Chipotle salsa adds a kick of heat, while a splash of barbecue sauce balances the spice with a touch of smoky sweetness.

1 ¼ lb. ground turkey (one package)
1 medium onion, chopped, or 1 ½ cups bagged Freshly Diced Onions
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 (28-oz) can Diced Tomatoes
1 (15-oz) can Organic Black Beans
1 (16-oz) can Refried Black Beans or Refried Pinto Beans
½ cup Chipotle Salsa
2 Tbsp barbecue sauce, such as All Natural Barbeque Sauce
Sour cream (optional)
Fancy Shredded Mexican Blend cheese (optional)

• Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions 5 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until brown, breaking it up as it cooks. Add ground cumin and cook 1 minute longer.
• Add remaining ingredients. Refried beans need to be broken up and stirred into the chili until dissolved.
• When chili comes to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

•    Garnish with sour cream and cheese.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Hands-off cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

 I am a huge fan of one-pot-cooking, mostly because I hate doing dishes.  All that standing in front of the sink and continually bending to the dishwasher is enough to put me in traction, so I avoid it as much as possible.  Therefore, a large percentage of the meals I make are done either on the outdoor grill, or in one “pot”.  Perhaps when my kids are old enough to do the dishes I will change my mind, but for the time being, I’m a one-dish-wonder.

One of the simplest, most satisfying meals around is roasted chicken.  Much of the time I prepare my whole chickens “beer can style” on my outdoor grill, but when I’m in the mood to stay indoors, I turn to my oven.  What is best about roasting a chicken is that it is a very low-maintenance meal.  It pretty much takes care of itself in your oven, so as long as you give yourself a good hour for cooking time, you can read a book while it cooks. 

There is a lot of debate about how to properly cook a whole chicken.   Some people cook it breast-side up, so the skin gets nice and crispy.  Others cook it breast-side down so the juices all run into the breasts, instead of away from them.  Some truss the legs, some don’t.  Should you place the bird on a rack, or not?  The list goes on and on, and every home cook has his or her favorite fool-proof method. 

I keep things as simple as possible in order to minimize my prep time.  I simply season the bird, inside and out, with salt and pepper, rub some olive oil on the skin, and place it breast-side-up on a rack in a metal roasting pan (so the underside can crisp up).  If I happen to have a lemon lying around, I’ll quarter it and stuff it into the cavity.  The same can be done with an apple or even an onion.  Then, I cut up some carrots and potatoes and toss them into the pan alongside the chicken.  Hit them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and you’re good to go.  Protein, veggie, starch….all in one pan.

Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

Serves 4

1 -  5 lb whole chicken

3-4  medium carrots, roughly chopped

3 medium potatoes, roughly chopped

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken and place on a wire rack in a roasting pan.  Generously season the bird inside and out with salt and pepper.

Rub about a tablespoon of olive oil over the outside of the chicken.

Toss the vegetables in the roasting pan around the chicken.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast in oven for approximately 60-75 minutes, or until internal temperature (taken near the inner thigh) reaches 160 degrees.  Chicken should no longer be pink and juices should run clear. Vegetables will be softened and nicely caramelized. 

Allow bird to rest for approximately 15 minutes, then carve and serve.

So, it is finally time to make my applesauce!  We picked our apples, I bought a shiny, new food mill, and now I’m ready to roll!  I had already hauled out my great big stock pot, in which I planned to slowly stew my apples.  But as I was sorting through boxes of cookbooks I’d collected for my annual charity cookbook sale, I came across a book on slow-cookers.  I had one of Oprah’s “aha moments” and decided to forgo the stock pot for my crock pot!  Why not?  I could just toss in the apples, leave them there, and not have to worry about leaving my stove on for hours (because that always sets off the gas alarm in my kitchen, and with young kids, I don’t like the idea of a flame being on for so long). 

As mentioned in my previous post, the beauty of a food mill is that no peeling or coring is required before cooking the apples.  Simply cut them in half (or quarters if the apples are particularly large), and place into the crock pot with a little water or apple cider.  After a few hours, the apples will break down and become very soft, at which point they go into the food mill.  With a few (dozen) turns of the crank, smooth, delicious applesauce streams out of the base of the mill, leaving all the seeds, fibrous core, and skins behind.  At that point you may add sugar, but I found the batch I made didn’t even need it…so be sure to taste before adding any sweeteners. 

So what if you don’t have a food mill, and don’t want to shell out the cash for one?  No problem!  It will take a bit more prep time, but you’ll get the same result.  You’ll need to peel and core each apple before adding it to the slow cooker.  It will require slightly less cooking time since the heat doesn’t have to work through the skins and cores.  Once the apples are softened, you can use a potato masher, food processor, or even a big fork (for a chunkier result)  to finish the dish. 

Crock-Pot Applesauce

Makes about 4 cups

8 medium apples, cut in half

3/4 cup water or apple cider

Sugar (optional)

Cinnamon (optional)

Place all ingredients in a slow-cooker and set temperature to high.

Allow to cook for approximately 3 hours, or until apples are very soft and hot.  You may want to stir the apples around a couple times during cooking.

Place a food mill over a large bowl.  Transfer the apples, a little at a time, to the food mill and process until all the apple pulp has been pressed through the sieve.  Repeat until all apples have been processed.

Test the applesauce for sweetness, and add sugar, ¼ cup at a time until desired sweetness is reached.  Add 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon if desired.