Saffron Rice, Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Bells and Stuffed Chicken

Saffron Rice, Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Bells and Chicken

The last several months have seen me eating more for convenience than for health, which was the completely wrong and inappropriate thing to do, in my case.  I am determined to change that. The last few meals this last week have been balanced between flavor and healthy. This dish finds a happy balance between the two, and I loved it.  This dish will serve one, like it did me, but can serve upwards of six, easily, if you serve one stuffed bell pepper per person. Stay tuned tomorrow for what I do with the leftover rice, sausage and cheese mixture!

This dish is also great by itself, without the chicken. It can be served, too, without the cheese and sausage, to make it purely a vegan or vegetarian dish.  But c'mon, cheese and sausage are fun for those without a restricted dietary plan! But I love this because it is so versatile. You could substitute rice for couscous or quinoa, too!  Please scroll back through my recipes as I have made this with couscous.  Regardless of what you stuff the bell with, it is a delightfully tasting meal. 

Let's get started!

Ingredients for the Stuffed Bells

3 - 6 bell peppers, different colors

1 - 1.5 cups rice

pinch saffron

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 scallions, finely chopped angularly

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 rounded teaspoon Herbs de Provence

1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon thyme

1 tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar

2 tabs butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + 1

3/4 pound Italian sausage

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

pinch salt and black pepper

In a sauce pan or small pot, add two tabs of butter and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. When the butter melts and begins to foam, add a teaspoon of garlic and half a teaspoon of Herbs de Provence, stir thoroughly. Add the rice and coat the rice with the herbs, garlic and butter.  You are toasting the rice. Once the garlic starts to turn golden, add 2.5 cups water and stir.  Add the saffron and stir until the buttery, herb and garlic water boils. Cover, and reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer for twenty minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer on low for ten or so minutes more. The saffron aroma will fill you kitchen with wonders!

Meanwhile, saute the sausage in a medium skillet with a good tablespoon of evoo, breaking it up and adding a little thyme, onion, scallion and garlic to add some flavor. Add the White balsamic and let it cook off.  What an amazing aroma! When the sausage is done, remove the sausage and place it in a large bowl. Reserve the renderings in the skillet. 

In addition, while the rice is cooking, butterfly the chicken breasts and open them like a book. In the center, add a small (about a rounded tablespoon) of onion, scallion, garlic and the Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses. Close the book and secure it with toothpicks.  Now, I thought I had toothpicks, but I didn't, so I had to deal with the cheese oozing out.  Did not do so bad, though.  I had three chicken breasts to stuff and fold.  I placed them in the same skillet the sausage had been in, renderings and all, because, helloooo, flavor! over medium-high heat.  I gently seared one side of the chicken and carefully flipped to the other side and oven finished low and slow at 350-degrees for twenty minutes.  

When the rice has finished, add it all to the large bowl with the sausage. To that, add the rest of the onion, scallion, garlic, Herbs de Provence, thyme and cheeses. Use a large spoon to mix it thoroughly. 

Now, prep the bells while this delectably delightful mess is marrying its flavors together.  Slice the lumps, possibly known as the "pericarp", at the bottom of the bells so they sit flat. Slice off the top and stem and seed the bells.  Be sure to wash them inside and out. Reserve the tops. If you like, dice up the bottom rounds and add them to the rice mixture. My cat decided that she liked them so she ate them. Weird, sweet cat. 

In a small skillet (or large one, depending on how many you are feeding), spray a good round of non-stick spray. I use an olive oil spray. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees, providing you are not cooking chicken or any other protein with the bells. 

Add a little mozzarella to the bottom of the bell and, using a spatula, add a good heaping mound of the rice mixture to the bell.  Smoosh it down and add more until there is a good mound above the rim of the bell.  The cheese will melt and sausage cook down more and the mound will decrease.  

The filled bells go into the skillet awaiting the preheated oven.  Mind you, I had the bells and the stuffed chicken in the oven at the same time. 

Sprinkle some thyme, pepper and Herbs de Provence atop the rice mixture stuffed bells.  Note: I did not add salt because Parmesan is already salty and I am try to limit my sodium intake, substituting salt with products like Parmesan. Top that with some finely grated Parmesan and oven bake for twenty minutes, again, at 350-degrees.  

A FB friend asked me a good question:  "Do you have to cook the bells at 350-degrees or can you speed it up?"  Of course you can speed things up!  You could cook them for 10 - 12 minutes at 400-degrees!  If you are a busy household and family cook and you have a time budget, by all means, crank up the heat!  Just monitor so it does not burn. Boom. 🎤

i allowed both the bells and chicken to rest a few minutes before serving simply, with basil as garnish. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe, as I sure did. It is wonderful to devour and savor and enjoy. Share this recipe and my blog, please, with your friends! Thanks!

With that, I Thank You for your time and consideration!  I am always grateful for your readership and viewership!  Thank You, All!!!

Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!!!!!  Shoo!  Go!  The BEST ingredient is love!  Go show your loved ones how much you love them. Cook!

~Martin

In-House Cook

Vegetarian Verde Chili

Vegetarian Verde Chili

My posts have a tendency to alienate vegetarians and vegans, which I apologize for, and I am working on changing the recipes I will be writing this summer. Some will have meat, some will not. My goal is to prep and cook the comfort foods I love but reducing calories, reducing fat, and portions (for singles and couples, but with the capability to serve up to six or more people). And, as I age, my body "tells" me when I have had enough meat, and this dish is one of those where it was time to go meat free.  

This verde chili is vegan, for the most part, except for the cheese I'd topped my servings with. Otherwise, all of the ingredients were non-dairy, non-meat. 

You can make your own vegan salsa verde by roasting onion, Anaheim green chiles, garlic, halved limes, tomatillos and serrano or pasilla chiles and blend them in a food processor, or, to save time, unless you have the time, simply purchase a couple of large bottles of your favorite salsa verde. I like mine tangy, so I add lime juice and fresh cilantro to the salsa I purchase. I have made my own fresh salsa verde; please scan the blog posts.  Thanks!

Now, the best part of this recipe, other than the eating, is how easy it is to prepare!*  Let's get started, shall we?

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

1 16-ounce can corn kernel in water

2 cans rinsed red kidney beans

1-2 cans rinsed black beans

2  4-ounce cans fire roasted, diced green chiles

zest of one lime and the juice of two limes

2 large bottles of salsa verde

2 fresh lime leaves (optional)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

*fresh thyme and/or oregano for garnish or cooking

3 tablespoons grape seed oil

1/4 cup mirin

Spices

1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika

1 tablespoon fresh or dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano

1 rounded tablespoon cumin seed or powder

1 teaspoon salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chile molido (ground chile)

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

Note:  I have no idea what has happened to the next four photos. They seem to have disappeared and I do not know why. To view them, please go to my In-House Cook FB page. They are all there.  Thank you, and so sorry for the inconvenience! I will investigate this.   Martin/In-House Cook

Rinse the beans and corn. 

Now for the hard part.  Ready?  It is very complicated, so please pay close attention. In fear of pain and sharp objects, please know that I am just joking. 

Add the grape seed oil to a large pot over medium-high heat.  When the oil ripples, add the onion and a pinch of salt.  Saute the onion about three minutes and add the garlic. Saute three minutes and add the diced green chiles. Stir to mix well. Add the beans and corn, the lime zest and juice, mirin, chopped cilantro and add the two jars of salsa verde.  Stir thoroughly.  As the mixture comes to a boil, add all of the spices and incorporate well. Stir thoroughly and reduce the heat to low. 

Stir in all the spices and zest and juice well. 

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for thirty minutes to two hours. 

You could also put everything into a slow cooker and turn it on low for eight-to-ten hours without sauteing anything. How easy is That?

I prefer the interactive cooking process and monitoring and tasting all along the way, but if you are a busy person or parent, this is a perfect meal to throw in the slow cooker, head off to work or whatever important things you do and serve to your family at the end of the day. It is also perfect for pot luck, as everyone will be able to partake of it. You will be the star of the show!

I serve my chili in a bowl and this chili, being chunky, I included a folded flour tortilla to use as a scoop, but you could certainly use chips or simply, a spoon. I topped mine with finely shredded Oaxaca cheese (very tedious to finely shred Oaxaca) 😀 and a fresh sprig of oregano to tie in the verde theme. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe and its delicious simplicity!  If you make it, please let me know what you think!  Gracias!

As always, Thank You for your time and consideration!  I am grateful for your readership and for viewing. 

Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!!!

~Martin

In-House Cook

Keeping up on things....

Hello My Friends!  Since my return, I have striven  diligently to keep up on things, here, on my site.  That includes keeping an eye on the ads "AdSense" posts on my site.  They are random ads, and while some I find okay, there are some that I absolutely do not.  I have some control over the ads that get posted, but the algorithm sometimes hiccups and posts ads I do not approve.  Please know that I will deliberately check the ads daily and remove and report those that I find offensive or inappropriate to my site.  

Thank You for your patience with this and please enjoy to those ads you do find fun and appropriate!

Respectfully, 

Martin Phillips

In-House Cook

Pantry Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala

It's Wednesday.  Payday is Friday. Or Saturday, help! You cannot go to the grocery store until payday, and all you have in your freezer is chicken breasts, and in your pantry, canned sliced tomatoes and rice, and in the frig, scallions and cilantro.  What do you do? Pantry Tikka Masala, of course!

This is a good time to talk about stocking up your spices and pantry with items for times just like this. Single people will understand this situation, but I suspect families of teachers and state employees will, too. I keep my pantry stocked with diced tomatoes, sliced tomatoes and tomato puree at all times.  I keep spaghetti, ramen, quinoa, couscous and rice in my pantry, as well.  As for spices, I keep a base of dried spices, such as smoked paprika, Turmeric, thyme, rosemary, oregano, cumin seed and powder, granulated garlic and onion, clove, star anise, chile molido and other ground chiles as well as dried chile pods. I also keep saffron*, ground ginger, herbs de provence, red pepper flakes, Chinese 5 Spice, Allspice, cardamom, Moroccan spice, Caribbean spice, cinnamon and more. In addition, because I love Middle Eastern spices, I also keep on hand a bag of spices and leaves which I can grind myself into Garam Masala. I also go to my neighborhood Pakistani store and buy a variety of prepacked spice mixes, such as Chappli, Tikka and Curry. 

Back to my pantry Chicken Tikka Masala.  While you can purchase jarred Tikka Masala sauce, which I have used previously, I had only the spices on hand. I also did not have yogurt, a staple in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, so I went without. You can use buttermilk as a substitute for yogurt, if you have that, to marinate the chicken breasts before cooking. 

With that, whew! i seasoned the three chicken breasts with the Tikka spice mixture and a little extra oregano (my favorite secret ingredient) top and bottom and all around, and allowed it to sit for several minutes uncovered. 

Prep the following for slow cooking: 

1 large onion, chopped into crescents

3 cloves garlic, sliced + 1, chopped

few fresh sprigs of cilantro, chopped + garnish

16 ounces chicken stock or water (2 cups)

+2 cups of chicken stock

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1- 1.5 cups Basamati rice, or your favorite rice

1 14.5-ounce can of chopped tomatoes

Spices: Tikka spice mix, fenugreek leaves, Turmeric, ground ginger, All spice, Moroccan spices, *saffron (for the rice)red pepper flakes, a teaspoon of each, except a rounded teaspoon of the ground ginger. 

I purposefully have not included salt and pepper because the Tikka spice mix has plenty of sodium. 

In a large pot, add three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil ripples, add the three chicken breasts. Sear about three solid minutes per side without turning; have the hood fan on high, because, as the spices heat up, it will let off a lovely and powerful aroma. If you are not used to it, it may take you aback. After the six minutes of searing, remove the chicken and set it aside.....

Meanwhile, in a high-sided sauce pan, add a round drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.  When the oil ripples, add a tab of butter and add 1 - 1.5 cups of rice and one diced garlic clove.  Sautee the rice until coated with the oil and butter mixture and the garlic has blossomed in aroma while toasting the rice.  Next, add a pinch of saffron (see above) and the chicken stock. Stir while the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for thirty minutes (for one cup of Basamati rice). 

When just about done, remove from the heat. No need to cover. 

Saffron scented rice with my secret ingredient: dried oregano. 

Now for the easy part! In the large pot in which I'd seared the chicken, heat off, add another round of extra virgin olive oil.  Place the large onion crescents on the bottom and place the chicken breasts atop those. Add the garlic atop the chicken, the rice atop that, add the tomatoes atop that, and add the balsamic and two cups chicken stock, plus one full cup of water. Stir in the ingredients thoroughly, without disturbing the chicken breasts.  Some of the onion will invariably float to the top. 

*Note, I'd added some Mexican scallions to the mix. The larger onion remains at the bottom under the chicken. 

Add the remaining spices, ginger, allspice, oregano leaves, fenugreek leaves, 2 tablespoons Tikka spices, granulated onion, Turmeric, salt and pepper. 

Once the fluids have been added, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for two hours, uncovered for thirty minutes afterward. Remove from the heat after the last thirty minutes, uncovered, to meld. After several minutes, use two forks to shred the chicken in the mix, or, remove the breasts to shred. The chicken may fall apart, however, so you may not even get it out of the pot.  😀  There will be some loose liquid in the pot and I certainly did not mind it.  It added condensed flavor to the meal. 

Just to ward off comments about the rice, normally the mixture would be served over rice.  But this was a pantry meal and I included the rice in the pot and I am so glad I did.  The rice added texture and the saffron flavor was a true gift to the dish. I had messaged a friend from India who told me to take a chance and add the rice to the pot.  The risk was so worth it!  Thank You, Mr. K!!!!!!

I served the pantry Chicken Tikka Masala in a bowl garnished with fresh cilantro. The aromas are like incense and the flavors, heavenly. If you love spices and a little heat, this dish is truly for you! With three chicken breasts or a package of thighs (see a future recipe for thighs), this full recipe easily serves six people heartily. Great for leftovers! Serve with Naan or even stuff a pita!  Be creative and make it your own!  

As always, Thank You for your time and consideration and viewership!  Your being here means a great deal to me!  I hope you enjoyed this dish, and please know, it is not nearly as complicated as I make it seem. The prep and cooking prior to the low and slow cooking is only a few minutes. You could certainly prep this a day ahead of time and use a slow-cooker the next day. I hope you make this and let me know what you think!  Thanks!

Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!  

~Martin

In-House Cook

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