Chicken and Penne Salad

Chicken and Penne 

I made this dish in March during my spring break, and was motivated to make it while editing and rewriting the last sixth grade cookbook I'd be publishing, as I am changing grade levels for the next school year.  New challenges, new experiences and all of that was buzzing through my mind when I created this dish.  I needed comfort food.  On top of that, this dish was easy to prep and cook and I realized, it can serve up to six people if you use a whole pound of pasta, but you could make it for two or even one person with little to no leftovers; the possibilities for it are boundless! And the good thing?  It is loaded with flavors for a primarily sauceless pasta.  Let me tell you how I made this. 

Ingredients

1 pound Penne, or, your favorite pasta 

6 leaves basil, rolled and sliced chiffonade

Few sprigs fresh flat-leaf Italian Parsley, chopped

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

3 tablespoons grape seed oil or olive oil

3 tabs butter

1/3 cup fresh finely grated Parmesan

Chicken Thigh Marinade

1 baking pan lined with foil

In a large bowl:

1/4 cup grape seed oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 cloves garlic, sliced into discs

1 small shallot, freshly grated or finely chopped

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

*2-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs*

*1/4 cup pancetta, sauteed crispy*

Whisk all of the ingredients in the large bowl together thoroughly. Pour half into the baking pan. Add the boneless skinless chicken thighs. Drizzle the other half atop the thighs. Marinate for thirty minutes or more, if possible, in the refrigerator.  Remove twenty minutes prior to cooking. 

Next, I brought 4 quarts of liberally salted water to a roiling boil while grilling (on an indoor grill plate) the chicken thighs, open side down first, in three tablespoons of rippling grape seed oil. Once there is a bit of caramelization on the thighs, finish them on lower heat so they will be tender and very moist in the interior. Nobody likes dried up chicken thighs. 😁

Set the chicken aside on a cutting board to rest a few minutes when done. While the poultry is resting, stir up the penne pasta to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook until just after al dente, about two minutes after the box directs you. Save a half coffee cup or measuring cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside. 

Turn off the heat to the pot and strain the pasta into a colander. Add the butter to the pot and melt. Add the tomatoes, shallot, crispy pancetta, garlic and 2/3 of the herbs to the pot and pour the hot, wet pasta atop that. Add the reserved pasta water.  Use a wooden spoon and stir to mix the ingredients thoroughly. You want the butter to coat the pasta.  What flavor!  The hot pasta will cook the tomatoes and wilt the herbs to deliver their flavor. Delicioso!

While the flavors marry in the pot off of the heat, use a sharp culinary knife and slice the chicken thighs horizontally. 

To plate, simply add a healthy row of pasta across a serving platter and top with the chicken slices.  Garnish with the rest of the herbs and the grated Parmesan cheese.  Serve either family style, as I just mentioned or, per person plating. Whatever your family likes!

Buon Appetito!  

Remember, this plate shows only a fraction of what was left over.  If you are having company over, this will serve six hungry or "Hangry" people! Throw in a little garlic bread or focaccia and you have it made!

You can also cut the recipe in half to serve two hungry people!!!!

As always, Thank You, Grazi! for your time and viewership.  I truly appreciate You All!  

Now, Please Go Cook For Someone You Love!!!  

~Martin

In-House Cook

Hoisin Pork Shoulder Steak and Noodle Stir Fry

Hoisin Pork Shoulder Steak & Noodle Stir Fry

Hello Friends!  It has been quite a while since I have blogged a recipe.  I had to take time away from blogging and devoting quality time to cooking for a few months.  Painful as it has been to be away, I have not stopped cooking some great meals occasionally!  This meal, for example, just came to me based on what I had fresh in the frig and also in the freezer. This meal is full of flavors of Asia my way, and incorporates inexpensive ingredients and meat. Let me tell you all about it!

Pork is the least expensive cuts of meat in the supermarket these days, so utilizing good quality cuts of pork has become part of my shopping experience.  Pork cutlets, pork shoulder steaks, king cut bone-in or out chops and unseasoned ground pork are all part of my kitchen repertoire. For this recipe I used pork shoulder chops that are actually part of the pork shoulder "butt" roast.  I'd marinated it for thirty minutes before searing.  Let's get to my simple marinade. 

In-House Cook's Simple Hoisin Marinade:

3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce 

2 tablespoons Kikkoman Chile Citrus Ponzu

1 tablespoon Mirin

2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped or grated

   (grated gives strong, pure flavor)

1/4 cup vegetable or grape seed oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons chile oil or toasted sesame oil

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Lay foil in a large baking pan and pour one half of the marinade in the pan.  Lay out the pork steaks.  Pour the remaining marinade over the steaks. Lift the steaks to make sure they are well-coated on both sides. Let the meat marinate for at least thirty minutes. 

*Note:  If you use pork shoulder steaks, as I did, and love to use, these have bones in them. I marinate them bone-in and seldom cut the meat off the bone before searing them to maintain flavor. You can, however, use a paring knife to remove the steaks from the bone if that makes cooking easier for you. 

In-House Cook's Asian Spice Blend:

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 rounded tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons Chinese 5-Spice

1 teaspoon ginger powder or fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin or seed

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon Allspice

*There are myriad spices you could use. This is my stir-fry go-to. If you do not have fresh onion nor garlic, add dried ground garlic or jarred minced garlic and dried onion powder or diced dried onion. Pantry meal recipes are not picky and the same flavors marry well with my Asian, Mexican and BBQ Spice Blends. 

Stir Fry Sauce

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

1-2 teaspoons Garlic Chili sauce

3 tablespoons Shoyu or Citrus Ponzu

*There are many other sauces you could add, but for my taste palette, this works for me.

If you do have fresh onion and garlic, and ginger, use whatever fresh ingredients you have on hand. I love to use fresh whenever I have it, but, being a single income teacher who is paid once per month, I have to make a buck stretch, and dried spices stretch that buck very well.  I am not proud, nor a snob about it.  😃

I did have onion and garlic and fresh Fresno chiles, and I sliced the onion into crescents, finely chopped the garlic, except for a few discs which I'd seasoned the vegetable oil with prior to searing the pork steaks, and sliced the Fresno chiles into rings. 

I preheated a large skillet with three tablespoons vegetable oil with the garlic discs over medium-high heat and removed the garlic once the oil began to ripple and set them aside. I added the steaks and seared them three solid minutes per side and removed them onto a plate to rest. They are not done cooking; you will finish them soon. I added the onion, garlic and Fresno chiles and sauteed them for about two minutes, stirring constantly. I reduced the heat to low and, using a paring knife, I sliced the meat from the bones of the pork steaks and sliced the meat into bite-sized pieces. 

I returned the skillet to high heat (not medium high this time) and added the sliced meat to the skillet along with the sauces. Mind you, you could easily use a wok for this, as would be traditional!  To the mix, I'd added a package of Ichi Ban noodles with 1/4 of a cup of water, along with some fresh cilantro I'd had on hand. I snuggled the noodles to the bottom of the skillet to allow the noodles to boil for three minutes.  I then tossed the ingredients together until the water had boiled off and the sauces thickened.  

If the sauce does not thicken, add a teaspoon of corn starch mixed in a jar or bowl with a little water and drizzle it over the mixture.  Stir it in thoroughly. 

 Plating is as simple or complex as you wish. For styling purposes, I used one of my white fancy plates, and started with noodles and topped that with the onion, Fresno chiles and pork and garnished with fresh cilantro (also known as Coriander). 

Personally, I love the crispy, burnt bits, which are full of tons of condense flavor.  That's just me. 

You could serve this easily with rice or just as is!  Whatever your family likes is best!  If it is a pantry meal, whatever you have on hand!  Spaghetti noodles serve just as well as ramen noodles!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and I hope you try it!  Preparation is key.  If you do not have time to marinate the meat, slice the pork steak from the bone and slice into pieces, saute it on high for three minutes, adding the stir fry sauces I noted above. 

Thank You for your time, Friends, for sticking with me after all this time, and for your readership and viewership!  Please stay tuned for more!  I am grateful for YOU ALL!!!! 💓

As always, Go Cook For Someone You Love!!!

~Martin

In-House Cook

Steak and Potatoes In A Bundle

Steak and Potatoes in a Bundle

Busy Mom's and singles know well that time is the enemy in our every day hectically busy lives, and feeding our families or ourselves takes a lot of time in which we could be doing other things. I am not averse to getting fast food when I just have no time nor energy to invest into cooking.  Gasp!  I know.  Guiltyyyyyy!  I am trying to turn that around, though, folks.  I am learning new tricks that free up a ton of time that lets the oven do the work.  This is one of those dishes.  I wish I could take credit for the idea, but no, I cannot, but I sure love the idea. It is dinner in a foil pouch, like fish in a bag with veggies, butter and herbs.  This is a hearty steak and potatoes in a foil bundle.  I went a little over the top and wanted to see how it would turn out; due to time constraints, I helped the process along a bit. I will not next time!

The following is my insanely long list of ingredients...

2 flat iron, flank or ribeye steaks
salt and pepper
1/2 - 1 pound of washed, cubed potatoes
6 sprigs fresh rosemary, oregano and thyme 
chive and garlic butter, 6 tabs
splash of wine


Yes, that was a joke. 

Simple, easy, flavorful and delightfully delicious.  Any busy parent or single will thrive off this idea in many ways using chicken, fish, lamb and pork.  The possibilities do not end there! 

I preheat the oven to 350-degrees. 

I seasoned two flat iron steaks with a quarter teaspoon salt and black pepper and briefly seared them in a skillet over high heat with two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, about two minutes per side. I let the steaks rest about five minutes while I washed and cut new potatoes and Yukon golds into wedges.  

Resting steaks. 

I sliced the steaks into cubes after placing a layer of foil over a rimmed baking pan.  I also placed one 24-inch sheet of foil length-wise over the baking pan and one cross-wise over the bottom sheet.  I added three tabs of butter seasoned with chives and garlic to center where the two sheets cross, added the half pound of wedged potatoes first, some sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, then placed the cubed steak atop the potatoes.  I seasoned with salt and pepper, about a quarter teaspoon each, over the steaks, and placed a few sprigs of fresh rosemary atop the steaks, including three new tabs of butter and a splash of chardonnay.  Now, here is the hard part so pay close attention! 

I folded the foil into a bundle and placed the baking pan into the oven for eighteen minutes.  

After eighteen minutes at 350-degrees, I removed the package, opened it up  little and let it steam for a few minutes. The splash of wine steamed the steak and herbs and helped blend the flavors together. The aroma when I opened the bundle was mouth-watering and made me swoon. It will do the same for you!

The steak was medium rare, which was soft and moist and delicious.  If you enjoy your steak a bit more done, then add a more oven cook time. 

I added a hefty scoop of meat and potatoes to a small plate, drizzled some of the butter wine sauce atop that, and sprinkled the top with grated parmesan.  The cheese added a delightful salty bite.  Delish!!!

And that is all!  So easy, simple and full of flavor!  This frees you up to do something for your family or for yourself.  Enjoy!

As always, Thank You for your visit, your time and consideration!  Now, please, go cook for someone you love!

~Martin

In-House Cook

Lasagna Blanca

Lasagna Blanca with Garlicky, Creamy, Cheesy Herbal Sauce

I was going to make large pasta shells stuffed with a ricotta, cheesy, garlicky sausage filling but changed my mind to lasagna. I will tell you why shortly.  Lasagna, in a large pan or small one, like the 8" by 8" I used, is a wonderful, hearty and easy lunch treat, easily sliced and packaged.  I have been a little under the weather lately due to sinus pressure and so was not in the mood to prep onions and things that required a lot of prep, though I did use lasagna noodles one boils, rather than the ready to use noodles.  I also wanted to share my bechamel sauce scheme to make life easier to layer the dish, as well, a little unorthodox, but easy and just as flavorful.  

Shall we get started on this splendid pantry meal?  

Being that this is a pantry meal recipe, please do not think you have to follow it exactly.  I was not feeling up to chopping onion and basil leaves and the like, so I used many dried, powdered spices and dried onion bits.  If I had been feeling just fine, I would be more than thrilled to use all fresh aromatics and herbs.  So in trying to repair my dignity, I did use fresh oregano and thyme. 

Ingredients List

1 pound Italian Turkey Sausage

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups of buttermilk

3-4 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup chardonnay

7 sprigs fresh thyme

7 sprigs fresh oregano
1 level tablespoon of smoked paprika

1 tablespoon and 1/2 tbspn Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tabs butter
salt and pepper, 1/4 teaspoon each
1 rounded tablespoon dried onion bit or, 1 medium onion, chopped
1.5 tablespoons minced garlic, fresh or jarred

Bring a large pot with 4 quarts of well-salted water to a roiling boil and boil 10-12 lasagna noodles. 

Line one 8" x 8" pan with foil and rub with extra virgin olive oil, or spry with non-stick spray. Add three or four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and seasonings except half a tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Crumble thoroughly and cook thoroughly.  Remove the turkey sausage with a spider and try to keep the renderings in the high-sided skillet.  

Remove the turkey sausage and reserve the renderings. 

Add the butter to the skillet over medium-high heat and melt.  Add the buttermilk, garlic, wine and flour and the remaining seasonings.  I added a few more fresh leaves of thyme and oregano, too.  This step is in place of making the roux in a traditional manner. Use a whisk to make sure the flour does not clump.  I am not a fan of heavy cream or half and half, so I prefer to use buttermilk.  Also an ancient family secret. You use whatever you prefer, which is great! I love making recipes my own, and I love when people make my recipes their own, changing it up to meet their palettes. 

Now, reduce the heat when the mixture beings to boil and thicken to medium heat.  It will continue to bubble, but on a lesser scale. 

The roux will start to thicken as you stir, and the aroma will be incredible!

Now, add a quarter of the cheeses to the mixture (like you would for mac and cheese) and incorporate thoroughly.  

Add some of the garlicky, cheesy mixture to the bottom of the foil-lined pan and place overlapping layers of noodles across the pan, three or four. Add cheese atop the noodles.  Add more of the roux atop that.  Repeat until you have used up the twelve noodles.  I left them longer than the pan and folded them inward to keep the cheese in rather than cutting them off.  I knew that it would be a really full pan.  I knew the baking process would also diminish some of the height.  You do what feels bests for you!

Now, top the lasagna blanca with parmesan and more Italian seasoning and fresh herbs if you have any remaining.  Bake at 375-degrees f for thirty minutes. The top will get golden brown and smell insanely delicious whilst it bakes!

Let cool about twenty minutes, at least, to allow the cheeses to "set" or harden a little so it does not ooze all over.  But what a delicious ooze!

Serve with whatever sides you wish!  See my personal Caprese served in ramekins for a salad idea in my next blog post!  

Thank You, as always, for your time and consideration, friends!  I am grateful that you stopped by!

~Martin
In-House Cook

Bacon Cheddar Burger with North African Spices, Oven Fries and Harissa Mayo Spread

Mediterranean Spiced Bacon Cheeseburgers with Harissa Mayo Spread and Oven Fries

There is nothing more fun than getting together with friends and family (or, friends who are like family) and pitch in together to whip up some good old hamburgers and fries.  But, you Know me, I like to spice it up!  So Thursday night, I created a spice blend based on North African spices and spices I love for the burgers. Because I was a guest and some of the others are not fond of "spicy"*, as in hot* I toned the heat way down*. 

Here is my spice blend:

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

2 tablespoons smoked Paprika

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon fennurgreek leaves

1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon Chappli spice mix

1 teaspoon granulated onion

1 teaspoon All Spice

I grind all of the spices together in a spice grinder after gently toasting in a small skillet. A little heat draws out the oils in leaves and seeds and wakes up the flavors in pre-ground seeds, roots and chiles. 

The above spice mix makes a solid half cup, possibly just a little more.  I added 1.5 rounded tablespoons of the spice mix directly the meat, sprinkling it all over the meat before mixing. 

Speaking of that, here are my additional ingredients for the meal, altogether:

1 pound lean ground beef or sirloin
1 pound ground chuck, 85% lean
1 pound thick sliced bacon, about 12 slices
1 bag, or, two pounds new potatoes, washed and sliced into fry wedges
3 large dill pickles, sliced into boards
1 rounded tablespoon Harissa red chile sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
1 small clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons oil (vegetable or grape seed)
salt and pepper
sliced cheese (I used a smoky yellow cheddar)

I made the burgers and Anne (Annie) made the new potato oven fries. She sliced the new potatoes and tossed them if vegetable oil, salt and pepper.    Teamwork is best and fun!

I added three tablespoons of mayo to one tablespoon of Harissa and the minced garlic, a little salt and pepper.  This was the spread for the burgers!

I added the spice mix and three tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, mixed the ground beef, and formed four large burgers.  I poked a hole in the center of each burger so it would grill evenly.  

We even grilled the bacon!  A burger without bacon is second rate, so sayeth I!!!

Afterward, we grilled the burgers, slathered on the spread and put our burgers together with sliced garden fresh roma tomatoes from Anne's mom's garden and boards of dill pickles.  Such a hearty, aromatic and flavorful meal! 

It may be autumn, but it is not too late to get out there and grill up a fantastic meal!

As always, my friends and gentle readers, Thank You for your time and consideration!

~Martin

In-House Cook

Turkey Verde Chili

The last two weeks prior to the end of my teaching quarter, I do not eat very well due to grading, test scoring, data input and writing report cards. So now, to cleanse all of the fast food badness (which I love) I am on a mission to make healthy food these next two weeks of autumn break.  My first dish is Turkey Verde Chili, a healthy meal for lunch or dinner, even breakfast, served with an egg on top!  Serve it without any meat and it is still protein and fiber packed for the vegans in your life!

Let's get to it shall we?

The best thing I did when prepping this chili recipe was to make my own salsa verde.  I added two white quartered onions, nine garlic cloves, four serrano chiles to one pan and four large Anaheim green chiles, 7-9 halved tomatillos and a couple of lime halves to a second pan, all tossed in vegetable oil, salt and pepper. 

After I roasted the veg and aromatics at 400-degrees for 18 minutes, turning the onion and chiles at 9 minutes in, I removed the veg from the pan onto a plate to cool.  I put the Anaheim green chiles in a paper bag to steam, removed their charred skins and placed half of the roasted ingredients into my food processor, processed it with two tablespoons of lime juice, removed the batch and repeated.  The salsa turned out thick, which I was perfectly fine with. 

I was fortunate that, after adding two more tablespoons of lime juice and two tablespoons of Mirin, the flavor balance was incredible, smokey, savory, sweet with a bite of heat on the back of the tongue at the end of tasting. Delightful through and through!

Let's get to the rest of the rest!

Further Ingredients:

2 cans rinsed dark kidney beans

1 can rinsed black beans

1 can rinsed kernel corn

1-2 cups chicken broth, low sodium

2 pounds ground turkey

4 tablespoons lime juice (see the salsa)

2 tablespoons mirin (see the salsa)

4 springs fresh thyme, leaves pulled 

2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves pulled

3 tablespoons vegetable or grape seed oil

Spice Mix:

2 tablespoons smoked Paprika

1/2 teaspoon pasilla chile powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper each

Add the three tablespoons of oil (I use vegetable oil or grape seed oil due to its lack of flavor, so as to feature the other ingredients' flavors) to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.  When the oil begins to ripple, add the two pounds of turkey. Add the salt and pepper, crumble and brown.  

Just before the turkey is completely browned, add half of the spice mix.  Stir in thoroughly.  Add half of the chicken stock, bring to a boil and add the beans and corn. Add the rest of the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  

Add the salsa verde and stir in thoroughly, along with the rest of the spice mix and fresh herbs.  If the chili is too thick, add a little water until its consistency is just a little loose.  Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for thirty or more minutes.  

Serve in a bowl with whatever garnishes you prefer. Oh!  And then ENJOY!

I'd added a little finely grated Jack cheese.  The flavor will be full, warm, a truly delightful autumn chili that is healthy and filling.  

As always, my gentle readers, I appreciate your time and readership/viewership!  I am always grateful for your visits. 

Now, Go Cook for Someone You Love!!!

~Martin

In-House Cook