Pork Chops with Sundried Tomato Pesto Crust

I had no idea I would be making this tonight. I knew I had pork chops, but didn't know what to do with them. I always have this problem when I have chops. I looked for recipes online, but I kept getting recipes that paired the pork with apples. Blech. I mean I love a cold apple just like anyone else, heck, I even like apple pie. But for some reason the thought of baked apples on there own make me gag. And pairing it with pork, even worse. Please don't take offense if you are one of the gazillion people who enjoy this pairing, I am the weird one I'm sure.

So while I was having no luck in the recipe dept. I did come across a chicken recipe with sun dried tomato pesto. But then I lost it. But I figured, it's a pesto, I can make that without a recipe. So I did. And I spread it on the top of my chops. It was a brilliant idea, because those chops were the best I've had in a while. I served them on top of the polenta below.

This meal was very quick to make too. I think it was about 30 minutes from start to finish. Just call me Rachel. No, just kidding. Please don't. : )

Pork Chops with Sundried Tomato Pesto Crust

4 1" thick center cut loin chops

salt and pepper

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/4 cup wine

1/4 cup chicken stock

Pesto

1 cup basil leaves

1/4 cup pine nuts

4 oz. (1/2 a jar) of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup or more olive oil

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Prepare the pesto by adding everything but olive oil to a food processor. While processing add olive oil through the feeder tube until it smooth but not runny.

Prepare the chops:

Heat butter and oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium high heat. Season pork chops on one side (the unseasoned side with be topped with the pesto), and add to skillet. Sear a few minutes on each side making sure they form a nice crust. Remove chops and add wine and stock. Scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan and let reduce by half (5 minutes or so). Meanwhile spread the pesto on top of the chops. When liquid has reduced return chops to pan and bake in oven for 25 minutes. If the top starts to get to black cover with foil.

Creamy Polenta with Fontina

Yum, Italian grits, lol! At least that is what I think of them. I have just started my love affair with polenta. Sure I have had it plenty before, but recently I have actually been craving it. It is really a versatile dish, there are hundreds of ways to dress it up. I am already planning a couple of new ways to prepare it. I added fontina cheese and parmesan to this batch, and it was fantastic. Next time I make polenta this way I will probably add more herbs. But since I was pairing it with my pork above, I decided to leave it simple and creamy.

Creamy Polenta with Fontina

1 1/2 cups corn meal

6 cups chicken stock/broth

1 cup heavy cream/half and half/milk

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

3 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 cup cubed fontina cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large sauce pan bring chicken stock and cream to a boil. Pour polenta into the pot whisking as you go. Turn heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in butter and cheeses and cook about 5 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Baklawa

Oh Baklawa. One of those desserts you cannot just have a piece of. The delicious syrup over the buttery layers of phyllo stuffed with delicious nut meats. I used a basic recipe from my Baker's Odyssey cookbook, but I altered a bit to my liking. It only called for walnuts, but I used half walnut and half pistachio. I also used rose water instead of orange flower water since that is all I had.

Preperation is a bit tedious, I'll admit. But in the end, who cares? The delicious little bites of heaven make you quickly forget how long it took you to baste every sheet of that dough. I love how this recipe make a whole 9 x 13 pan. You will most definitely have a bunch leftover to feed your friends, or just nibble on during the week. This was the dessert I served for my Lebanese Cuisine for my lunch club. And yes ther is some leftover, which I'm sure won't last a couple more days. My menu for this little feast consisted of:

Hummus

Baba Ganoush

Tabouleh

Stuffed Grape leaves

Kibbee Sounieh (baked)

Spinach Fattayer (pies)

Yogurt

Toasted Pita

Baklawa

I was pleased how everything turned out. And I felt like I was back home in MI. Thanks to my Jiddy and Papa, for helping with the recipes. Mwah!

Baklawa

(a Bakers Odyssey, pg. 140)

Syrup:

3 cups sugar

2 cups water

2 Tbs. orange flower water ( I used Rose Water)

1 Tbs. lemon juice

Filling:

1 lb. walnuts ( I use half walnut, half pistachio)

1/2 cup sugar

1-2 Tbs. orange flower water (again I used rose)

1 lb. (one pkg.) phyllo dough thawed

3 sticks butter (clarified)

Combine the sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring to boil over med. heat. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Remove syrup and stir lemon juice and rose water in. Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.

Filling:

Chop nuts, sugar and rose water in food processor until they are small pieces but not ground. refrigerate until ready to use.

Brush the bottom and sides of 9 X 13 pan with clarified butter

Lay one sheet down and fold over to fit if needed. brush lightly with butter. repeat until you have used one package of phyllo(usually a carton comes with two individually wrapped portions).

Take filling and spread evenly over phyllo. Repeat the layering process with the remaining phyllo.

When finished layering score phyllo length wise into 5 strips. Then cut diagonally in 6ths to make diamond shape. Use a sharper knife to cut all the way through after scoring.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350. After 30 minutes lower to 30 minutes and bake another 35-40 minutes. If it is starting to brown early cover with foil. Take out of oven and pour COLD syrup over hot baklawa (do not add hot syrup)

Before serving garish with crushed walnut or pistachio. Let sit a couple hours before serving.

Kibbee Mehlieh- Fried Kibbee Balls

Okay, so I'm not really sure how to spell the "fried" part in English, so I did the best I could phonetically. These are a special treat for me considering they are fried meat balls and I don't eat them very often. But if I ever have any kibbee nayi and stuffing left over from making a baked kibbee, I like to make a couple of them rather than throw away or freeze the leftovers. I made the baked kibbee for my lunch club and ended up with a bit of stuffing and nayi left over, so I decided to make these football shaped goodies. They are so tasty and crisp. Many Lebanese restaurants serve them as appetizers. So I usually order them. Hey, it's not very often I get them so I eat them when I can. : )

Basic Kibbee Nayi and Stuffing

Take about 2 Tbs. of kibbee and make a ball in your hand. Push your finger in the middle and make an indentation large enough to fit stuffing. Add some of the stuffing (hashwit). Close the ends into a point like a football. Cook in hot oil for a minute or two. Sahtein!

Moutabal Bathinjan- Baba Ganoush- Eggplant dip

Another favorite of mine. I love eggplant. Grilled, sauteed, broiled, fried, and made into a dip. this recipe is very similar to making a hummus, but instead the star ingredient is eggplant. Very easy to make and great to use as a spread on pita sandwiches, vegetables, or just scooping up with some great pita. You can play around with this recipe to your taste. I don't have very exact amounts because everytime I make this it varies. I'll post a general recipe, but make sure in between pulsing the mixture in the food processor you are tasting. Add as you go along, don't add all at once.

Moutabal Bathinajan- Baba Ganous

1 large eggplant pricked with a fork and leaf of stem removed (not the stem itself)

2 Tbs. tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt

pepper

2 galic cloves halved

fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees and while waiting to heat up line a baking pan with foil. Roast eggplant until skin is starting to blister. Turn every once in a while to avoid burning. this should take about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the eggplant.

Remove the eggplant from oven an let cool. Halve the eggplant or remove skin and chop the flesh. transfer to a food processor and add a tbs. of tahini, couple tbs. of lemon juice, one garlic clove, salt and pepper. Process a minute and taste. Add to it as you see fit. Serve with toasted pitas, or however you wish.

Fattayer Sabanegh- Spinach Pies

Keeping to my "L" club theme of Lebanese cuisine, I decided to make another favorite. See, when I think of eating Lebanese food, I can't just have one meal. It needs to include all the mezze, or small dishes to go with it. I love these pies, the tang of the lemon in the spinach combined with the slight crunch of the pine nuts make them heavenly. Think of these as a Lebanese calzone, without cheese or tomato. Although, using this basic ajeen (dough) for a calzone might not be a bad idea.

Fatayer Sabanegh

Basic Ajeen (savory dough)

4-5 cups flour

1 package yeast

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

1/3 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups water at room temp (use more if needed)

2 tsp. olive oil

3 Tbs. melted butter

Add yeast and sugar to a small bowl and pour in water and mix together. Wait about 10 minutes until yeast mixture starts to foam. In another large bowl add flour and mix in salt. Make a well and add olive oil and yeast mixture. Add remaining water and mix with a wooden spoon until loosely combined. transfer to a floured surface and knead the dough until elastic.

Put back into clean large bowl that has been oiled with the 2 tsp. of olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap, then a kitchen towel and let rise for about an hour or until double in size. When doubled, punch down and separate into balls a little smaller than a baseball. Set aside for 15 minutes and let rise slightly.

Filling:

3 boxes frozen spinach, (thaw and place in cheese cloth and squeeze as much juice as possible)

1 large onion finely chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

2 Tbs. sumac

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts

Heat a large skillet over med. heat. Add olive oil and let heat a couple minutes. Add onions and cook about 5 minutes. Add pine nuts and cook until toasted. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook about 5 minutes more. Set aside to cool.

Fill the pastry:

Take ball with floured hands and pat into a circle. Roll with rolling pin until fairly thin.

Add filling and pinch to make an isosceles triangle. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Brush with butter after 15 minutes to make it shine. Take a Tbs. or more of filling and put on top of dough. Since you are making a triangle I suggest you put the filling in the shape of a triangle as well. Pinch together to make an isosceles triangle and set aside and cover so they don't dry out.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Brush with butter after 15 minutes to make it shine.

Warak Enab- Stuffed Grape Leaves

It was my turn to host lunch club so I thought I'd throw together a Lebanese feast. I started with the grape leaves, since they would take the most time (If you are making 50 that is).

I swear, I could eat these everyday. There is something about the flavor, and the size that makes me eat more than I should. But, I don't feel bad because they really are not that unhealthy. I like to eat them as is, others prefer to top with some type of yogurt sauce. Either way, they are a great snack, app, or meal in itself.

Warak Enab-Stuffed Grape leaves

50 + grape leaves stemmed and rinsed

1 lb. ground lamb or beef (lean)

1 1/2 cups long grain rice uncooked

2 tsp. allspice

salt and pepper

1 tsp. coriander

dash or two of garlic powder

2 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley

Juice of 2 lemons (or 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup lemon juice (for pot)

3 garlic cloves chopped (for pot)

2 lemons sliced (for bottom of pot)

2 Tbs. olive oil

water to cover leaves

heavy plate

bowl of water

After stemming leaves rinse well to remove the brine. Let dry. In the meantime, prepare the filling by adding meat, rice, allspice, coriander, garlic powder,parsley, juice of lemons, salt and pepper. Mix well using hands. Take about a Tbs. of meat filling and make a little cigar. Place at the bottom of leaf and roll up like a burrito.

To prepare the pot:

Add olive oil to a large heavy pot. Lay several grape leaves (I use the ones that are broken or torn badly) on the bottom, and lay the lemon slices on top.

Arrange grape leaves in a circular pattern and then alternate layers, seam side down. Do not put to close, or to far apart. Sprinkle chopped garlic between layers. Add water, place plate on top to weight the leaves down, and add a bowl of water on top of that to add even more weight. This will prevent the leaves from coming undone. Heat water to a boil, turn down heat and let simmer for 45 minute. Remove carefully with tongs and enjoy!

Cheesecake Pops-------Daring Baker's

My 3rd. daring baker challenge!!!
So proud of myself! But....Whew. I barely made the dead line! Actually.. I made the cheesecake for these pops last week, and rolled and put the sticks a day later. I then froze them until I was ready to decorate.
I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I wanted to get some of the work out of the way. Otherwise, the procrastinator (hence posting last minute) would never get them done on time. I did decorate about 7 of them to take to some of my coworkers last Friday, but I only did the turtle pops, and I wanted to showcase a variety when I updated.

I had no problems with this recipe, other than it took about an hour rather than 40 minutes to bake, but really, no biggie. I used a 10" pan as directed (Wilton, found at Michael's, and got 50% off, woo hoo!) and the cheese cake came out perfectly, not jiggly like others had mentioned when they initially took it out of the oven.

I really loved this recipe. So easy to fit any occasion and very impressive (I impressed myself!)

They were fun to make and I will definitely keep these in mind when I have a function to host

.

The Recipe:

Cheesecake Pops

(Recipe taken from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor)

Makes 30 – 40 Pops
5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed
Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks
1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
(Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible)

Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional
Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.
Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.
Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

Thanks to Elle and Deborah for a great recipe, I had fun making them!

Check out the other DB's creations at the daring bakers blogroll.

Salisbury Steak with Caramelized Onions

I have been on a comfort food kick this week, and this is comfort food at it's best. It is odd because the weather here has been very warm and in warm weather I crave a lighter fare.

This isn't like school cafeteria salisbury steak, you'll find no mystery meat here. Lean ground beef, caramelized onions all simmered in wine and beef gravy. I thought about serving this cafeteria style, with mashed potatoes and green beans, but decided to make barley instead. I am glad I did, I love the texture of barley and it paired wonderful with the beef-y-ness of the steaks.

Salisbury Steaks with Caramelized Onions

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

1 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley

1 1/2 Tbs. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried (divided)

1 tsp. coriander

1 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram (divided)

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 c. bread crumbs

2 eggs

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

2 Tbs. flour

1/2 cup red wine

2 c. beef stock or broth

Salt and Pepper (to your taste)

Put ground beef in a bowl and add garlic powder, parsley, coriander, marjoram, thyme, slat and pepper and bread crumbs. Break eggs in another small bowl and whisk, add to beef mixture.. Cut onion in half and process one half in a food processor until very fine. Add to onion to beef mixture and mix everything together until smooth. Shape into oval patties about 1-1 1/2 thick.

Heat a large heavy skillet over med. high heat and add olive oil. Sear patties on each side about 2-3 minutes per side, or until a brown crust forms. While the patties are cooking slice the remaining onion and mince the garlic. Remove patties from pan, add 2 Tbs. of butter, 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. marjoram, salt, pepper and onions. Cook onions for about 5-8 minutes, or until caramelized. Add garlic and cook a minute more. Add flour to the onions and stir until smooth. De glaze the pan with the wine and cook until liquid is absorbed. Add beef broth and bring contents of the skillet to a simmer. Put the beef patties back in pan and simmer for 15 minutes. (if gravy isn't thick enough add some corn starch to water and make a slurry, pour in skillet and stir) Serve over mashed potatoes, barley, rice, egg noodles etc.

Bean Bacon and Vegetable Soup

This was not a recipe I planned on making tonight. Since I was a bit on the lazy side I decided to save the chicken I planned on making for another night. decided instead to throw together a quick soup. And throw it together is what I did. I knew it would start with onions. So I chopped up those. I looked in the fridge and found carrots and celery so I chopped up those too. I also minced up some garlic, and found some frozen peas.

In the pantry I found two kinds of beans and half a box of ditilini pasta, and a couple potatoes. Those went in as well. I decided it needed something else, something to give it flavor so I decided to crisp up some bacon and throw it in. I added some herbs, and spices and the rest was history. Not to shabby a soup either, matter of fact, it was delicious.

Bean Bacon and Vegetable soup

1 medium onion chopped

2 stalks of celery chopped

2 medium carrots chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup frozen peas

2 potatoes (med. sized) diced

8 slices bacon cooked crisp and chopped

2 cans beans (I used cannelini and garbanzo) drained and rinsed

2 cups small pasta (I used ditilini)

8-10 cups chicken stock or broth

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. oregano

Salt and Pepper

2 Tbs. olive oil

In a large pot heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves. Cook until onions are soft and transluscent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add stock, and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer about 20 minutes.

A Different Fried Cheese

Today Chad and I were bums. Didn't get up until around 11:30, watched a couple of movies until about 3. When we finally ventured out we hit the grocery store. I saw that string cheese was on sale, so I bought it with the intention to make fried cheese. When we were in Destin we had this fried cheese at a local restaurant, and Chad had asked if I would make it for him. Well today was his (and mine) lucky day. Since we were being bums, and this is an easy peasy snack, I decided it was a perfect time to make them. I picked up the egg roll wrappers and that was all I needed. Next time I'm going to play around and add more ingredients. They were very good the way they were, but I know I can take them to another level. They are a nice little snack and cook up quickly. Serve with a marinara dipping sauce or another of your liking.

Fried Cheese

Egg roll wrappers

Mozzarella cheese (string, or block cut length wise)

oil for frying

Wrap lay cheese on wrapper with the point of the wrapper hitting the middle of the cheese. Roll up burrito style and seal edges with water. Heat oil to about 350 and fry until golden.

Lol, I think this is the simplist recipe I have ever blogged.

Chocolate Chip Caramel Macadamia Nut Cookies

Yes, I know. It is a mouthful, but having a mouthful of one of these cookies is heavenly.

While shopping at my local Publix last week they had this huge sale bin full of various baking items. All of them for 50 cents. I rummaged through it and put 2 boxes of brown sugar and these:

I love the size of them and without having to unwrap individual squares of caramel, it's definitely a time saver. What was even better, is that when I checked out at the register they were only 25 cents, Score!

I know I wanted to bake cookies with the caramels, so I browsed the net for a standard recipe that I could tweak. I came across this one. I decided to go with it because I liked how many cookies the recipe yeilded. I was sharing these with my coworkers, and after a couple days of state testing, we all need a little treat. I didn't tweak much really, just replaced the pecans with macadamia nuts, added Reeses pb chips ( Why not? I had about 1/2 cup on hand), replaced 1/2 of the granulated sugar with brown, and added 1/2 tsp. of vanilla to the butter, sugar egg mixture.

They baked in 15 minutes, and came out beautiful. The coworkers were pleased. : )

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar (used half cup)

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (increased to one cup)

2 large eggs

6 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped coarse (used 1/2 cup chips and added 1/2 cup pb chips)

18 caramels such as Kraft, chopped coarse (about 1 cup)

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (used macadamia nuts)

(Added 1/2 tsp. vanilla)

Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in flour mixture.
Stir chocolate, caramels, and pecans into dough and drop rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool cookies on baking sheets on racks until firm. Cookies keep in airtight containers 5 days.

Elly's Soutzoukakia

Thanks to my Nestie friend and fellow food blogger Elly, I had a fabulous dinner tonight. I know the name isn't the easiest to pronounce (for us non Greeks that is) but it sure was easy enough to prepare. This dish provides all the comforts. Football shaped meat balls in tomato sauce spiced with cumin. The simple ingredients is what drew me to the recipe in the first place. Well, that and the mouth watering picture on her blog. I followed the recipe with some minor exceptions. I didn't have a 15oz can of the tomato sauce so I used 8oz tomato sauce and tomato paste. I also used beef broth + water (about a cup more ). And I used double the garlic and cumin. Hubby liked it as well. Definitely a meal I'll make again. Thanks Elly!

Elly's Soutzoukakia

(Elly says Opa!)

1 lb. ground beef1 small onion, finely minced or grated (reserve 2-3 Tbsp).

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried oregano1 clove garlic, pressed

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley or 2 tsp. dried

1 egg1-2 Tbsp. bread crumbs (optional, my grandmas don't add them)

olive oil

1 large (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 can water

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 (good) pinch sugar

salt and pepper

corn starch slurry (optional)

Mix together the beef, onion, garlic, salt, oregano, parsley, egg, pepper to taste and breadcrumbs (if using). Form the mixture into elongaged oval-shaped meatballs.
Heat olive oil in a pan and pan-fry the meatballs until they are browned on all sides (you don't have to cook them through). Remove. You can probably bake the meatballs instead if you want, but simmer the sauce longer and maybe use a little beef broth in place of the water to add some depth to the sauce.

To the pan, add the 2-3 Tbsp onion (and more oil if necessary) and cook until translucent. Add the tomato sauce, water, bay leaf, cumin, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a low boil and add the meatballs. Simmer about 10-15 minutes. If you want a thicker sauce, add a corn starch slurry at the end.
Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.

I had mine over rice and dh (plate above) had his over potatoes.

Polenta Sausage Mozzarella Lasagna/Casserole

Holy cow this was a comforting dish! When I saw this recipe here I immediately put it on our menu for this week. The picture said enough for me. But when I got to reading the ingredients, I was hooked, I just love fresh oregano. I actually made my own polenta instead of using the packaged stuff, but I'm sure that would have saved a lot of time. I had to wait quite a while for my polenta to set up. But it was worth it in the end. I was thrilled to use my favorite brand of sausage, Rinaldi. My sweet Papa brought me and my brother a case of it from MI when he came for a visit. (yay!)

I tweaked the recipe a bit so I wouldn't have to go to the grocery. Instead of using bell pepper I used a poblano and omitted the red chili flakes. I also added Parmesan cheese to the polenta, and used shredded mozzarella instead of the fresh. I would watch the polenta carefully when putting under the broiler, mine almost burnt but thankfully I caught it in time. This recipe can easily be adapted to your liking by adding, or omitting ingredients.

The best thing about this recipe is I'm going to have plenty left over to enjoy later. I may even freeze a couple slices to eat while Chad is out of town. : )

Polenta Sausage Mozzarella Lasagna/Casserole

(Simply Recipes)

5 1/2 Tbsp olive oil1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano ( I used 2)

1 med yellow onion, halved lengthwise then cut into wedges (I diced)

1 medium bell pepper (red, green, orange or yellow), cut lengthwise into thin slices (I used poblano and diced)

2 cloves garlic, minced (used 3)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (omitted)

1 pound Italian sausage (removed from casings), sweet or spicy

2 pounds of prepared polenta cut 1/2-inch slices if using prepared polenta in a tube ( I made my own using the package directions and adding parmesan. I used 1 1/2 cup and 7 cups chicken stock and 4 Tbs. butter)

1/2 pound (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella sliced in 1/4 inch slices (I used shredded + more parm.)

1 Preheat oven broiler on high. Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a 2-3 qt saucepan on medium heat. Add tomatoes and oregano, simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes

2 While the tomatoes are cooking, in a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, stirring and breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Cover the pan and cook until vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked through, about 5-8 more minutes. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

3 While the sauce is cooking, coat the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan with a 1 Tbsp oil. Add the cooked polenta (or slices) to the pan. Coat the top of the polenta with the remaining 1/2 Tbsp oil. Broil the polenta about 4 inches from the heating element until golden brown and crispy, about 10-15 minutes.

4 Pour sauce over broiled polenta, then arrange Mozzarella slices over the top and return the casserole to the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Makes 6 servings.

Lemony Chicken Piccata

I love going to the grocery store and seeing chicken on sale. Especially if it is thin cutlets that I like. They cook so much quicker and are perfect for dishes like this one. I just love the tanginess of this dish, it is so fresh and light. The capers give it a wonderful saltiness and the parsley at the end give it wonderful color. I served this over some angel hair with arugula and parmesan. I ended up using a bit of the pasta water to add to the angel hair at the end to make it creamy.

Perfect dinner for spring!

Chicken Piccata

(Cooks Illustrated)

2 large lemons
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), preferably kosher or Bell and Evans, rinsed, dried thoroughly, trimmed of excess fat ( or buy them already sliced thin : )

Table salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons) or 1 small garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth 2
tablespoons small capers , drained 3
tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof plate on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees.

2. Halve one lemon pole to pole. Trim ends from one half and cut crosswise into slices 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick; set aside. Juice remaining half and whole lemon to obtain 1/4 cup juice; reserve.

3. Sprinkle both sides of cutlets generously with salt and pepper. Measure flour into pie tin or shallow baking dish. Working one cutlet at a time, coat with flour, and shake to remove excess.

4. Heat heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes; add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl pan to coat. Lay half of chicken pieces in skillet. Sauté cutlets, without moving them, until lightly browned on first side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Turn cutlets and cook until second side is lightly browned, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat and transfer cutlets to plate in oven. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to now-empty skillet and heat until shimmering. Add remaining chicken pieces and repeat.

5. Add shallot or garlic to now-empty skillet and return skillet to medium heat. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds for shallot or 10 seconds for garlic. Add stock and lemon slices, increase heat to high, and scrape skillet bottom with wooden spoon or spatula to loosen browned bits. Simmer until liquid reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and capers and simmer until sauce reduces again to 1/3 cup, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and swirl in butter until butter melts and thickens sauce; swirl in parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.