Sausage-Stuffed Tomatoes

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I am on a pseudo-diet. I thought hey let’s have some chicken with a reasonable amount of goat cheese and baked tomatoes. Low enough in calories right? Well yes in theory….then the dilemma of what to stuff the tomatoes with arose. Usually I stuff them with leftover chicken, but….we were having chicken as the main. In the spirit of dieting, I suggested to D that I just stuff them with garlic, spinach, shallots and arugula pesto. Somehow this turned into sausage or prosciutto or some other man food being included. Final result: baked tomatoes stuffed with Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage, Monterrey Jack, Pesto, Garlic and Shallots. Topped off with fresh torn basil. D was happy and, I have to admit, the man food tasted good! In the spirit of dieting I used chicken sausage so we were all happy. Hey, chicken sausage counts as diet food right?

Sausage-Stuffed Tomatoes

Serves 4 (at half a tomato each)
2 large cluster tomatoes, halved and seeded
One shallot, minced
One clove garlic, minced
1.5 tablespoons pesto (arugula or basil)
One half of a Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage (or other sausage of choosing)
1/3 cup of shredded Monterrey Jack (I used MJ because I had it, Fontina or Mozzarella can also be used)
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

Use oil to grease a baking dish or sheet.  In a pan, heat oil and add shallots and garlic. Cut the sausage casing and empty half of the filling into the pan and saute with the garlic and shallots. Once mostly cooked remove to a bowl and allow to cool for a minute or two. Combine salt, pepper, cheese and pesto with the sausage mixture – mix well. Stuff the mixture into the tomatoes (making sure to get the yumminess all the way down in the bottom cavity of the tomato) then sprinkle top with salt and pepper as desired and place on the baking sheet.

Bake for fifteen – twenty minutes on 375, remove, top with basil and serve.

*Feel free to coat the top with bread crumbs if you like.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

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One of the few ways you can get me to eat a chicken breast. I love sauteed spinach and I love goat cheese and spinach salads so this is how this little gem came about one night. I wanted a piece of chicken that I would enjoy, whilst adding extra greens to the plate, and I wanted a richness that the goat cheese lends well.

Filling

  • Shallots, sliced – one or two large
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3-4 heaping handfuls of spinach
  • Small handfuls of dehydrated cranberries
  • 1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
  • Salt and Pepper,
  • White wine – just a splash
  • Proscuitto or Pancetta thinly sliced (optional – only use if you have or want a touch of saltiness)

Chicken

  • 2 Chicken breasts
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cayenne
  • Thyme

**If you would like to bread these go right ahead – if I have the time or enough calorie wiggle room I usually do Panko -Parmesan – basil crust, regular bread crumbs with grated Parmesan or Pecorino. You can also smother with Fontina 10 minutes into baking if you really want to splurge.

Heat olive oil in a skillet, once hot add the shallots and garlic with a pinch of salt (if using cured pork add in at this point as well). Once glassy, splash a bit of white wine in the pan and allow to cook off. Add spinach and allow to wilt slightly. Remove to a bowl, add salt as necessary and pepper as desired. Crumble goat cheese and add cranberries and mix well.

On a clean surface prepare the chicken in one of two way:
1) Pound chicken thin, apply filling over entire surface and make a roulade
2) slice breast down middle and make a pocket (do not cut all the way through both sides), stuff filling into pocket and sealing with a toothpick

After chicken is stuffed – or rolled – season with salt, pepper, cayenne and thyme to taste and bake on 350 (I think for about 20 minutes – not sure I always just take it out when it is done).

Remove from oven and top with any remaining spinach. I like to make a small bit of Shallot – White Wine Sauce to go over the chicken but it is not mandatory. Squeeze with a bit of lemon for a nice kick and serve with steamed veggies and cous cous or long grain wile rice (tonight it will be stuffed baked tomatoes with arugula pesto).

Scalloped Potatoes – Twice – Yikes

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Friday night. I have the flu. D and I go to my mom’s house so that she can take care of me and the boys can have man time with horseshoes. Mom tells me that she is making one of my favorite English meals – Bubbles and Squeak. 30 minutes later a phone call delivers the horrifying news that corned beef has been recalled and is incredibly hard to find in America (and that if it is found, we may contract some disease). Well crud! That was literally the only thing I wanted in the world. Plan B was pieced together from what she had already bought at the store preparing for Bubble and Squeak and their dinner the next night – steaks. Daddy was thrilled because he loves steak and potatoes. My Heart was broken. Somehow this whole “Andi is sick and needs to lay down and be taken care of” turned into Dalt and Daddy pleading with me to make scalloped potatoes and me scrounging through my parents pantry and fridge to acquiesce. Then, the very next day, D and I decided to stay the night again and I had to make an additional dish for me (I do not eat pork and that was on the menu for the evening) so we ended up at the Super S – which was like  a culture shock for me – and the pasta I was making turned into Dalton saying, ” You know if you wanted to make scalloped potatoes again, I would eat them.” So, for the second time in two days, I made scalloped potatoes – these were different than the night before, I have included both recipes. D was so excited about his leftover potatoes – Daddy only had me leave him enough for one small lunch serving so the rest went into a Ziploc for D. Alas, they were left behind (and yes this means that I have to make scalloped potatoes again in the near future to make up for it – those are going to have oven-baked onion rings on them).

Friday Night

  • Chicken Broth
  • 4 red potatoes – sliced up to a quarter inch thick
  • Mozzarella, Shredded
  • Cheddar Cheese (aged 2 years or more). shredded
  • Monterrey Jack, Shredded
  • Sherry
  • Shallots
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme – to taste
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • 2 percent milk, Half and Half, or Cream
  • Mushrooms
  • Bacon Bits

In a stock pot, bring water to a boil (I like to use a bit of better than broth bouillon for extra flavor). Once a rolling boil has been achieved, add sliced potatoes and boil under fork tender. Strain and return to pot.

Melt butter, Saute garlic and minced shallots with flour and crushed red pepper. Once a light roux is formed, add sherry and cook until alcohol is just cooked out. Add a bit of broth and the milk and allow to thicken. Season with desired amounts of cayenne, salt, pepper, and the thyme. Add in cheeses a handful at a time allowing time for the cheese to melt into the mixture. Keep on low heat.

In another saute pan, heat butter or oil and then add mushrooms and sliced onions. Cook until glassy.

In a buttered, oven-safe dish begin to place one potato round down to cover bottom of pan. Spoon some of the cheese mixture over the bottom layer and spread to cover well. Add sauteed mushrooms, onions, and some bacon bits on top, then repeat this process (potatoes, cheese mixture, mushroom mixture) until the potatoes are gone and the layers are complete. Top the top layer with some shredded cheese and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake in the oven on 350 until bubbly and brown on top. I like to add a little bit of chicken broth around the sides to just keep the dish moist. Top with green onions (if you have – which I did not this night) after removal from the oven.

Saturday Night

It is a little interesting that one sauce seems more authentic than the other. This one uses a can of cheddar cheese soup and some freshly shredded cheddar cheese (I did not have either the night before) in addition to the ingredients from the first night. I also used Green Onions. I omitted as many mushrooms because I needed to save some for my dad for breakfast the next day.

To make this version, follow previous instruction adding the cheddar cheese soup to the cheese/milk mixture. Chop green onions and sprinkle in layers along with bacon, onion, and mushroom mixture. Everything else is fairly similar. In this version you can reduce the amount of flour that you use because the soup will thicken it.

Grilled Steak and Cheese

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Grilled Cheese…Yes. Steak…Yes. Happy Belly….Yes.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Bread – four slices, one side of each piece lightly buttered or oiled
Sliced Monterrey Jack
One cup of Arugula Leaves, washed and torn
Sliced Rib-eye, seasoned with Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning, Salt and Pepper (for two sandwiches a half pound is fine)
Pesto
Chipotle Aioli

For the Sandwiches

Sear the Ribeye 3-4 minutes on each side until brown. Remove from pan and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.Thinly slice the ribeye.

Turn a panini maker on, allow to heat (sandwich can also be grilled in a skillet or on a griddle pan).

Spread Aioli and pesto on one side of each piece of bread (you can either put the pesto on first and then spread Aioli or only do Aioli on the inside and but the pesto on the outside of the sandwich or in a small side bowl as a dipper).

Place cheese on one side of bread. Then layer sliced Ribeye and arugula and cover with other piece of bread.

Put into panani maker and grill for about 4 minutes.

Excellent served with Tomato Basil Soup.

Parmesan-Basil-Panko Crusted Chicken

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I really need to find a shorter name for this chicken. Ergo, for now I will be calling it Andi’s Favorite Chicken – because for a long time when I would not eat chicken, this is the only way I would prepare it. It is super easy and healthy and adds a nice texture to dishes like risotto or pasta. You can buy Panko in the Asian aisles at HEB, Central Market, or Whole Foods as well as Asian shops. If you cannot find it – you can sub bread crumbs of your choice.

Andi’s Favorite Chicken

  • Chicken Breasts (you can cut into tenders for quicker cooking or portion control or leave in breast form).
  • One Egg, beaten (depending on how much chicken you use you may need additional eggs)
  • Flour to coat
  • Salt – liberal pinch
  • Pepper – if you are me then use half of the bottle, if not use as much as you like
  • Cayenne – a pinch
  • Parmesan – shredded, about a cup per two breast or six tenders – add more if needed
  • Fresh Basil torn- at least one bunch (I generally use as much as I can get my hands on)
  • Panko (Japanese Bread crumbs) – about a cup per two breasts or six tender – add more if needed

Preheat oven to 375

Beat egg in a bowl. Combine flour, salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne on a plate. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture then dunk in egg, coating well.

On a plate, combine shredded Parmesan, torn basil, fresh cracked pepper, and panko and mix well. After removing the chicken from the egg, coat with the panko mixture well. Place chicken on a greased baking sheet (one with holes will help the bottom get crispy) and bake until the crust is golden and chicken is done. About 15 minutes (for tenders, cooking time for breasts is longer).

*If you do not have eggs and do not want to go to the store, you can use olive oil as the coating liquid

Salmon with veggies and Ginger-Lime brown Rice

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This is a version of a take out favorite of mine from a Japanese place. One day I just figured…hey I can make that myself! I am willing to bet mine is healthier, plus I get more for the money and the satisfaction of cooking it. You could add veggies to this if you would like – I have used edamame before with success. Crispy shallots (as a garnish) are a great addition for texture. Remember when making this that brown rice can take a while to cook – between 45 minutes and an hour. Just an FYI so you can plan accordingly.

  • Serves 2 plus leftovers
  • One cup Brown Rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 5 large mushrooms (white, cremini or baby bellas – or a mixtures) sliced
  • One small white onion or two large shallots, sliced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger or 1 tablespoon of minced ginger by The Ginger People
  • Half bunch of green onion, cut into one inch pieces
  • One to two broccoli stems
  • about a half pound salmon (this is 4 oz per person)
  • Sriracha to taste
  • Ginger Lime Sauce – The Ginger People – to taste
  • Sesame or Peanut Oil
  • Sesame Seeds – Optional
  • Crispy Shallots

Cook brown rice in chicken broth. Steam Broccoli.

Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and onion and saute (properly season). Add mushrooms after about 3 minutes and continue cooking until mushrooms are brown but not overcooked. Add green onions and saute about 2 minutes. Add Salmon (that has been properly seasoned – I like to use salt, pepper, and turmeric) and sear until desired doneness. Add several tablespoons of ginger lime marinade mixed with Sriracha and stir in broccoli and rice. Mix well and top with crispy shallots and sesame seeds and serve.

Black Bean-Corn Salsa

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This is a versatile dip. You can add this to seven layer bean dip, use as a regular dip along side salsa, queso or guac, add it into tacos or enchiladas, etc. When I make enchiladas I serve them with a huge helping of this on the side – I am not sure why I do not put it inside the actual enchilada as it inevitably get mixed in and eaten with the enchilada. I suppose it is enchilada nostalgia.If you want to make shrimp enchiladas leave out the black beans and tomatoes. This is also the ONLY thing that I will eat bell pepper in. All of the ingredients listed below should be added in quantities according to taste preferences.

Black Bean-Corn Salsa

Black Beans
Red onion – small dice
minced garlic formed into paste (no more than 2 cloves is necessary)
Red Bell Pepper – small dice
Sweet Corn
Tomato – seeded, juiced, and diced
Lime Juice
Avocado
Red wine vinegar
Spices: powdered garlic, cumin, cayenne, adobo, salt
Cilantro to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add seasoning as desired.

Enchilada Calzone

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I am pretty sure this Calzone is THE reason why you should experiment with food. This came about after I had made homemade pizzas and my sister was about to make enchiladas. Somehow, Aly and I came up with a plan to have an transcontinental enchilada pizza cook-off. I ended up making a calzone because it was what I felt like doing. It was fantastic and made more food than you can imagine – maybe next time I will make individual calzones. Either way – enchilada calzone is here to stay. This is very closely tied to my enchilada recipe (which unfortunately will not be going onto my blog because well – I want to be the only one besides my mom – and now Dalton – who knows the secret) and tastes just as good which is saying something. One tip – to save on time I generally buy my dough during the week and make it one the weekends if I plan on making pizzas. You can use Pillsbury Pizza Dough – I use this for other calzones or foccacia. If you have a favorite pizza place, I highly recommend buying the dough from there – they should sell it in ball form and all you have to do is roll it. If you live in Austin, buy your dough from Rounders. It is incredible and four bucks gets you a ridiculously large pie – I think the small is something like 14 inches.

Enchilada Calzone – serves at least 6

Pizza Dough (recipe is based on 14 in)
1.5 – 2 cups Rotisserie Chicken, shredded (any shredded chicken will do – if you have leftover breast – go for it)
Black Bean-Corn Salsa, about 1.5 cups plus more for servingGreen Chile Pork Enchilada Sauce
Sour cream, about 1/5 cup to one can sauce
2 cups Jack and Cheddar Cheese mixed

Serve with Brilliantly Garlicky Guac

Roll pizza dough into a triangular or half moon shape. Place half of dough onto cooking apparatus (ie stone or baking sheet) with other half hanging off.
Combine chicken, cheese, and salsa in a large bowl and mix well. Spoon some of the sauce onto the Calzone face. All over, cover the surface with a layer of the sauce. Then mix sour cream with remainder of sauce and mix into chicken mixture. Spoon chicken mixture onto one half of the calzone surface. Once finished, fold the empty portion of dough over the mixture and smush the edges together. If you want to make it pretty, you can go around the edges with a fork, mashing with the prongs to give it lines. Bake on 400 for about 20 minutes or until the dough looks finished. If possible bake on a pizza stone or a pizza maker with hole in the bottom (the latter is my preference as it gets the bottom of the crust crunchy as well).

Remove and sprinkle with a little extra shredded cheese. Serve with Guac.