Budget-Friendly

Brussel Sprouts in Shallot Wine Sauce

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I happen to love brussel sprouts even when they are plain, but even those finicky sprout eaters will love these. I mean they have pancetta, apples, and are doused in shallot-garlic white wine sauce. Best part is that they are still a healthy alternative to loading your veggies with butter without sacrificing any of the flavor. You can roast or steam the sprouts first; I steamed them since these were last made on thanksgiving and the oven was full of butternut squash and turkey and dressing. Either way you choose to do them, simply toss them in the sauce afterward and you are done!

Brussel Sprouts in Shallot Wine Sauce

Serve Five to Six

One pound Brussel sprouts, cleaned and trimmed
One half red apple, diced and squeezed with lemon
Four ounces pancetta, diced
Eight large cloves garlic
Six Large shallots
One Cup White wine (or half cup wine with half cup broth)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
One tablespoon butter (optional – really only for the Paula Deen’s out there)

Steam or roast brussel sprouts until 95 percent cooked. In a large saute pan, heat a dab of garlic olive oil in the pan and fry up the pancetta. Remove and reserve on a napkin. Add the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and a bit of salt to the pan. Once glassy, add the white wine (or broth) to the pan and reduce by half. Add butter if using near the end to create a bit of richness. Toss pancetta, apples, and brussel sprouts together with the sauce in the pan. Grind fresh black pepper and serve immediately.

Spicy Veggie and Chicken Minestrone

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Recently, I made minestrone from a special diet cookbook. This was a first for me and, after making it, I cannot understand why. I sent that soup home with its intended eaters and immediately decided to make a large batch for myself for the week. This made a ton of food (I froze half) and was healthful and satisfying. Feel free to adjust depending on what you have to use up, after all the soup is designed to use up everything in season in an Italian’s kitchen. I wanted to use whole wheat Gemelli, but had regular Penne on hand so that was what went in. Feel free to use your favorite pasta, rice, grain or even gnocchi.

Spicy Veggie and Chicken Minestrone

serves 8-10

One Frozen Parmesan Cheese Rind
One-half pound pasta of choice
Three cups shredded chicken
One bunch Swiss Chard or Kale, washed, stemmed and cut into strips
Two Cups Zucchini, diced
Two cups Yellow Squash, diced
Three Cups Onion, diced
Two Cups Celery, roughly diced
Two Cups Carrot, peeled and roughly diced
One head garlic, minced
Four tablespoons crush red pepper
Two tablespoons each: oregano, fennel seed, black pepper, thyme (use more or less according to taste preference)
One Ham Hock
One can kidney or cannellini beans
Two quarts good quality chicken stock
Two boxes of crushed tomatoes with juice
Two cups frozen peas

Heat about two tablespoons olive oil in a large dutch oven. Once hot, add onions and garlic and saute until glassy (with a good pinch of salt). Add celery, zucchini, carrots, squash, crushed red pepper, and all spices cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add ham hock, Parmesan rind, tomatoes and broth (adding additional broth as necessary). Simmer for about an hour, then add chard , peas, shredded chicken, cooked pasta, and beans. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Simmer another 10 minutes or so and serve with crusty bread and a sprinkling of Pecorino or Parmesan cheese.

Wintery Steak Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

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My friend Susanna, who has perpetual leftovers, has been regaling me with stories of the wonderful dinners she has been enjoying with all the leftover steak from this weekend. It really gave me a hankering for a good steak salad. A lot of steak salads will be more southwestern (read charred bacon and corn, avocado, red onion) and, to be honest, at first I wanted to go that route – I even bought an avocado. Then I started feeling the need for a more comforting salad and picked up some butternut squash, just in case. Two days after the intended date, I created this manly out of stuff I already had minus the steak which I had purchased Monday; if you do not have any steak (fresh, leftover, or frozen) feel free to use chicken or crispy pancetta. You can throw whatever you have in here (I would have used spinach and arugula but ran out). This salad is hearty, healthy, tasty, comforting, and just darn good for winter. I added about a fourth-cup of garlicky bulgar, quinoa, and wild rice for some extra substance and because it was in the pantry – feel free to leave out (it is perfectly wonderful either way).

Note: This is a great weeknight dinner for the busy mom. It is high in nutrition, has great flavor, is very easy to make, and is healthy.  All in under thirty minutes.

Wintery Steak Salad

Serves Three

Half pound skirt steak (marinated as desired – I use Montreal, S & P, and Worcestershire)
One or more recipes Roasted Butternut Squash
One-half Gala Apple, sliced thinly
Small amount of Goat Cheese or other good soft cheese
Five cups Arugula, squeezed with a bit of lemon
One-Third cup basil pesto, mixed with one to two tablespoons red-wine or raspberry vinegar (to taste) and a dash of lemon
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Near East Whole Grain Blend Garlic (optional)

Prepare butternut squash and Whole Grain blend (if using) according to instructions. Marinate steak and allow to come to room temperature before cooking. Prepare the dressing whilst everything is cooking. Over a medium-high heat a bit of olive oil. Once hot, cook the steak for about four minutes on each side. Adjust cooking time to desired doneness and thickness of the meat; you will want to sear the meat to brown and caramelize the outside and keep the inside juicy – I like my steak mooing so I cook it accordingly (and give D the end pieces since he likes it more done). When the meat is cooked, remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for five minutes. In this time, divide arugula, butternut squash (inclusive of garlic and shallots), apples, cheese, and rice among three plates (or two plates and a Tupperware). Cut steak against the grain into thin slices or cubes and add to the salad. Dress as desired and crack black pepper to taste. Mix well and enjoy.

Shepherd’s Pie

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I am half English and grew up eating (and loving) Shepard’s Pie. Every family has their own version of this comfort food! Since I have started cooking, I have created my own version of Shepard’s Pie and I am not sure my Dad is on board with it quite yet (as a good Brit, he does not boast the chili-belly that I inherited from my mother who was raised in Venezuela). I use both lamb and beef, my mother only used beef, generally called Cottage Pie, because she does not care for lamb. You can use whichever you prefer. One day soon I will make it the old-fashioned (and delicious) way by making a stew with the meat, but for now I typically stick with this quicker version for the weekdays. There are a million variations to this and you can try whatever you like (I can’t wait to). You ca:  use mashed sweet potatoes for higher nutrition; use garlic mashed potatoes; make cheesy potatoes, you can use mashed potatoes, parsnips, and turnips; add whatever veggies you would like (or have on hand).  Shepherd’s Pie can literally be whatever your heart desires.

I tend to use lamb because it is leaner (and also the authentic Shepherd’s Pie meat); also, I like to top it with garlic mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. In my mashed potatoes, I sub a good amount of chicken broth for the milk to lower the calories and alleviate dairy-related complications. I also like my meat layer to be pretty saucey so that you can mix the juice with the potatoes.  So this is the version you are getting.

Shepherd’s Pie

For Meat Layer 

One tablespoon Olive oil
One large onion, diced
Four ounces pancetta, small dice (optional)
One large carrot, peeled and chopped
Six cloves garlic, minced
One pound ground lamb (or substitute half with another ground meat)
One cup beef broth (can sub chicken)
Worcestershire
Small handful of sun-dried tomatoes, minced (optional)
Small dash of red wine (optional and to taste)
One to two tablespoons tomato paste ( I like to use about 1.5 and I also like to use sun-dried tomato paste)
Season to taste with the following: Italian seasoning; garlic; salt; white pepper; crushed red pepper flakes, fresh thyme and rosemary (optional)
Two cups frozen peas

For Potatoes

Two pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Three tablespoons unsalted butter
One-Third cup milk (any fat content)
One-half Cup Chicken Broth (adjust more to reach desired consistency)
Kosher salt to taste
Four to Six Cloves Roasted Garlic (can sub garlic paste or just garlic powder)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
One-half Cup Aged Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
One cup Green onions
Sprinkle of Paprika

Note: If you have a large, oven-proof stove-top dish, feel free to use it to make the meat layer and then be the baking vestibule (then you wont lose any flavor).

Preheat oven to 375°F.  In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then add the pancetta and brown. Then add the onion, garlic, carrot and saute for a few minutes. Add meat and cook until brown for a few minutes. Add the Worcestershire, Wine, Broth, Sun-Dried tomato paste, herbs and seasoning and simmer about 10 minutes. Add the peas, stir well and reserve.

Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk, broth, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread them over the meat mixture, then crosshatch the top with a fork. Sprinkle mashed potatoes with paprika (and cayenne or Sriracha if desired). Bake for about 15 minutes, then remove and top with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes more (when crust is golden, cheese is melted, and meat stew is boiling). Once you remove the pie, top with green onions (or Chives) and let cool for a few minutes. Serve and Enjoy!

*You can add crispy shallots as garnish as well for a bit of texture.

Chicken, Spinach and Zucchini Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

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A departure from my usual enchiladas, but still just as tasty! They are actually really easy if you have a few hours to let the stew slow-cook or make it in advance. I consider these healthy enchiladas, take that for whatever it means to you.

Chicken, Mushroom and Zucchini Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

For Stew

Two pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
Four bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), seasoned to preference
Two bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), seasoned to preference
Seven jalapeños, stemmed and halved lengthwise
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
One cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Ten green onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
One head garlic, roughly minced
One and one-half White onion, roughly diced
Four cups (or more if needed) Chicken or Veggie Stock
Two Tablespoons Cumin Seeds
Two or Three Cups Spinach
One Tablespoon each: Red Pepper Flakes, Adobo, Oregano (taste and adjust according to preference)
One large avocado

For Enchiladas

Two cups shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
Two cups Spinach
Two Cups Shredded Chicken
Pinch Salt
One cup shredded zucchini (or diced)
Tortillas of choice (I used corn and Roasted Jalapeno)

For Garnish (Optional)

Lime for Garnish (if necessary)
Avocado Slices
Chopped Green Onions
Fresh Cilantro
Half cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted with seasoning of choice  (I like Cayenne, Salt, and Adobo)
Three tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Heat oil in a large dutch oven. Add cumin and toast for about a minute. Add chicken and brown for a few minutes on each side. Add garlic, onions, tomatillos, jalapeños, and salt and stir. After about five minutes, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about an hour. Add additional seasoning and simmer another half-hour. Adjust seasoning as needed. Remove chicken and reserve. In a small skillet, heat a small bit of oil and add the cilantro, spinach and green onions. Cook until softened, then combine both the tomatillo sauce and the cilantro/green onion mixture and the avocado in a blender or in the dutch oven to emulsify.  Bring sauce to a boil and then medium low, simmer here for about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, shred (or pull) the chicken from the bones and reserve in a large bowl. Add shredded cheese, spinach, and shredded zucchini to the bowl and mix well. Using tortillas of choice (slightly whetted and zapped in the microwave to increase pliability), add the chicken mixture to the bowl and then roll tortillas sealing with a toothpick.

Spoon about a cup of the sauce over the bottom of an enchilada pan, then place the assembled enchiladas into the pan. Smother with sauce and top with a decent sprinkling of shredded cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbling on 385 degrees. After removal, top with the toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds and serve with sour cream -black beans and Brilliantly Garlikcy Guac.

Tomatillo-Pulled Chicken

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It has been a while since my last post. Thank you grad school and work and job-hunting!! In addition to my lack of posting, home-cooked meals have become increasingly scarce. When I do provide a home-cooked meal, I have increasingly noticed that my beloved dutch oven is generally the cooking medium (though I am not sure how much of this trend is the cooler weather, my need for a new pan, and paucity of time). I have cooked this twice in the past month for a three reasons; the first being I am out of enchilada sauce and have to make my own.

The first time I made this was a lake weekend that D and I were enjoying just the two of us. My dad was out-of-town, so we invited my mother who flaked while saying “you should come here…” Normally, we would have been happy to oblige; however, I had two different slow-cookers going at the time. D really wanted to go because, well, he loves my parents house. We all know how the story ends right…reason and sanity overrule desire and we do not try to move about 3 gallons of hot liquid dishes in the trunk of a car for an hour. Maybe that is how your story ends…in Andiland reason seldom prevails and we scrounged up the three largest Tupperware we could find, threw Foster Brown in the backseat and 1.5 hours later arrived at my mom’s house (after stopping at the grocery to get the remaining dinner supplies). After arrival, I re-started the cooking process and taste-tested and added stuff. The original plan for dinner had been to make tomatillo-pulled chicken, let it hang out and get all delicious, then pull the chicken out to make chicken and spinach enchiladas and use the tomatillo liquid as the sauce. Great in theory; in reality, it was about 10:00 before the chicken was done and I was tired and hungry. Ergo, We had tacos with all the ingredients involved.

This story brings me to the third reason I have made this twice in one month (besides being delicious, healthy, easy, affordable and amazingly delicious). I REALLY wanted to follow through on my original idea of enchiladas. Last Friday, we had a lovely double date with friends – one of whom is gluten-free. I threw out dinner suggestions risotto and tomatillo pulled chicken enchiladas (with corn tortillas). After I started salivating over tomatillo chicken and how awesome it was before, I had our decision. It turned out really good, albeit different from my usual enchiladas. If you are looking for healthy enchiladas, look no further. Feel free to leave out the zucchini if you wish, I just like sneaking nutrition into everything I can.

Here is the only problem: I really do not remember what or the amounts of anything that I put in either of these so the following recipe is an educated guess. No matter how you serve this, the toasted Pepita seeds are an excellent way to add some texture and a nice dash of flavor to either tacos, enchiladas, or just as a stew. This entire recipe is [very] loosely based on a Whole Foods recipe for Guatemalan Stew.You can use leftover liquid as salsa, tostada topping or as a nice sauce later in the week.

Tomatillo-Pulled Chicken Stew

Stew

Two pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
Four bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), seasoned to preference
Two bone-in, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), seasoned to preference
Seven jalapeños, stemmed and halved lengthwise
Salt and pepper to taste
One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
One cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Ten green onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
One head garlic, roughly minced
One and one-half White onion, roughly diced
Four cups (or more if needed) Chicken or Veggie Stock
Two Tablespoons Cumin Seeds
One Tablespoon each: Red Pepper Flakes, Adobo, Oregano (taste and adjust according to preference)

Garnish

Lime for Garnish (if necessary)
Avocado Slices
Chopped Green Onions
Fresh Cilantro
Half cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted with seasoning of choice  (I like Cayenne, Salt, and Adobo)
Three tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Corn tortillas

Heat oil in a large dutch oven. Add cumin and toast for about a minute. Add chicken and brown for a few minutes on each side. Add garlic, onions, tomatillos, jalapeños, and salt and stir. After about five minutes, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about an hour. Add additional seasoning and simmer another half-hour. Adjust seasoning as needed. Remove chicken and reserve. In a small skillet, heat a small bit of oil and add the cilantro, spinach and green onions. Cook until softened, then combine both the tomatillo sauce and the cilantro/green onion mixture in a blender or in the dutch oven to emuslify. If you would like to thicken the sauce with avocado (or make tomatillo-avocado sauce), add desired amount of avocado to the blending medium. Bring sauce to a boil and then medium low, simmer here for about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, shred (or pull) the chicken from the bones and reserve in a large bowl. If serving as stew, return chicken to pan and garnish with the listed items. Serve with warm corn tortillas. The picture below is of the tacos we ended up making (pursuant to the story before). I chopped tomatoes and avocado, then made tacos with the stew and the garnish. They were fantastic.

Pad See Ew

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Pad See Ew, literally stir-fired soy sauce, is a common Thai dish of rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, meat stir-fried in a soy sauce broth. I have a hard time refraining from ordering this in Thai restaurants (along with Tom Kha and Gaeng Mussaman) in the interest of broadening my culinary horizons. Last night was the first night I have made homemade Pad See Ew, and apart from needing a touch more sugar, I was thrilled with the outcome! This may have to be a regular in the rotation…Additional perks are that the dish is simple, quick, economical, and fairly healthy (if you are not tracking your sodium intake and use white meat chicken).  You can use any meat you would like, I opted for white meat chicken.

Most recipes will call for both dark soy and light soy. If you have a Chinese market near you, this will not be a problem. Dark soy is less salty and much thicker than light soy. You can use regular soy if you like and overlook this, but it is not a bad idea to have some on hand. Oyster sauce can now be bought at most grocery stores (in the ethnic aisle). Same goes for fish sauce (although an Asian market can provide better quality and good recommendations). All these ingredients keep for ages. If you can find fresh flat noodles (again Asian market), use those – and allow them to sit on the pan for several seconds to impart a nice texture – if not, boxed rice noodles are fine. When cooking rice noodles, you need to soak them for about thirty minutes in boiling hot water. After pouring the water over the noodles make sure to separate the noodles to avoid sticking.

Pad See Ew

Serves 3-4

For Marinade

One Chicken Breast
Five tablespoons Soy Sauce
One tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
Five tablespoons Mirin
Pinch Brown Sugar
Half Tablespoon (more to taste) Chinese Five Spice Powder

Mix all together and cover chicken, marinate for 20 minutes on each side, remove and cut into pieces. Reserve.

For Stir Fry

Three tablespoons dark soy sauce
One Tablespoon soy sauce
One tablespoon Oyster Sauce (one tablespoon or less)
One tablespoon Brown Sugar
Dash of Rice Wine Vinegar (or Mirin or Sherry Vinegar)
One large egg
One bunch Chinese Broccoli (aka baby broccoli or broccoli rabe)
Six garlic cloves, chopped
Three tablespoons Sriracha (more or less to heat preference)
One half small white onion (not traditional – just needed to use it)
Two shredded carrots
Squeeze of fresh lime juice (optional)
Eight ounces flat rice noodles
Two tablespoons Peanut Oil

Tip: this is easier if you have everything ready to throw in the wok. Before you start, make sure you have allowed adequate time for the noodles to soften (20-30 minutes); Chicken to marinate (can be skipped if desired otherwise up to an hour) and be sliced or cut; sauce made; and all veggies chopped. I like to do an assembly line that goes: oil, garlic, chicken, veggies, egg, sauce, noodle, garnish.

Make a sauce by mixing the oyster sauce, both sauces, sugar, sriracha and vinegar; reserve.  Heat peanut oil in a wok over a high heat, add garlic and onions and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken slices or pieces and continue to stir fry for about four minutes. Add the broccoli and carrots and continue stir frying (de-glaze with some broth if necessary). Make a small well in the wok and crack the egg into the center, immediately begin to scramble it. Add sauce and continue to stir fry very briefly. Make a large well and add the noodles to the pan. Allow to rest for about 30 seconds then mix all ingredients very well (now is a good time to check and see if you need more sauce, more sugar, chili sauce or lime juice). Garnish with fresh cilantro and green onions and serve immediately.

Tom Kha Gai

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Last night, D and I had Thai night. I was happy he agreed because I was dead set on having Tom Kha (but did not want to go all the way north to Titaya’s to get it). Tom Kha Gai  is not a joking matter. If a Thai place has lackluster Tom Kha, I will never again eat there and you better hope you did not recommend it to me. This is hands down my favorite soup to eat and I would eat it everyday if I had my 18-year old body back  (pho, roasted tomato and traditional ramen/udon are close behind). I really hope, and think I rightfully suspect, that Heaven boasts a never-ending bowl of Tom Kha. My homemade Tom Kha, while close, is not quite on par with Titaya’s (FYI best Thai in Austin) – but it is a damn good comparison. The only real difference is that mine is a bit healthier: I use low fat coconut milk and only about three-quarters of a cup of regular fat to save about 400 calories.  This switch does affect the soup slightly – it will not be quite as thick and creamy and will be a tad less sweet, but really – it tastes pretty awesome!

The shopping: there are not a ton of ingredients in this, but some can be hard to track down (if you can buy large quantities and store appropriately for a pantry meal). Whole Foods, Central Market and specialty Thai stores will have the ingredients you need. If possible, try to get your Kaffir Limes either from your own plant or from a Thai store (who will generally have their own tree) because they have better and more potent flavor than store bought ones.  You can buy several extra stocks of lemon grass, cut into three-inch pieces, and store in a freezer bag for months. Do not sub dried lemon grass for fresh, it is far inferior. Coriander is cilantro; ergo coriander root is the root of the cilantro bunch you pick up at the store. I have never found this fresh in a non-Asian market – you can sub ground coriander or coriander seed with fresh cilantro. Additionally, try to find fresh galangal (it is also jarred in some specialty stores); if you cannot, sub ginger.

If you have a well-stocked pantry, this soup is a super quick way to have a delicious, flavorful, health fortifying meal (the ingredients are used in Asian countries to heal the body and stave off illness). The flavors are surprisingly complex. You can use chicken or shrimp, or leave them out altogether if you do not have any on hand.

Note:  I have been making this soup (I also use a smaller portion for sauce) for years. It may not come out right every time, but have patience, eventually you will learn the flavors and how to tweak them. Too sour or spicy: Add a bit of sugar. Too acidic: add some more coconut milk. Too Sweet: add some acid and fish sauce. Many times the outcome of the soup will be the victim of sub-par and commercialized ingredients (which is why if you can find an Asian market, it will be your best bet). All that said, you most likely will never have a terrible outcome and it sure is fun getting it just right!

Tom Kha Gai

Serves Three

One Can Light Coconut Milk, Plus a quarter to a half can Regular Coconut Milk
Two cups Good Chicken Stock (preferably homemade sub boxed if necessary), use more if needed
One teaspoon of brown sugar (or palm sugar), using more as necessary
Five lemongrass stalks, cut into three-inch pieces and brusied slightly (use more if the potency is a bit off)
One white onion, quartered and roughly chopped
Four cloves garlic, crushed
Two pieces coriander root (or good pinch seeds/powder with a decent handful of cilantro)
Five Thai chili peppers – can sub Habaneros (use less according to heat preference)
Two inch chuck of galanga or ginger
Ten Kaffir Lime Leaves
Sriracha, to taste
Pre-cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
Ten Cremini Mushrooms, quartered
Two tablespoons fish sauce
Fresh Lime Juice, to taste

Garnish

Chopped Basil (not traditional, I just needed to use it up)
Chopped Green Onion
Chopped Cilantro

Heat a small bit of oil in a large stock pan, add onions, garlic, peppers, galanga/ginger, lemongrass, sugar, salt, and coriander (root/seed/or powder) and saute until slightly fragrant. Add coconut milk and broth, bring to a boil, then simmer for twenty minutes or so. Strain solids and broth, then return to pan and taste the soup and add ingredients as necessary/desired. I usually add additional lemongrass stalks and kaffir lime leaves (in addition to the amount listed in ingredients) to the soup – this is sometimes not necessary depending on the quality of ingredient, but I always leave it as an option. Feel free to add some onions back into the soup. Add sriracha and allow to cook for about ten minutes, then add mushrooms and some fresh cilantro. After about five minutes, add chopped chicken and lime juice to taste. Laddle into bowls over steamed basmati rice and garnish with freshly chopped basil, cilantro, and green onion. Serve Hot.

Bonus: even better the next day!!