Mushroom Mac & Cheese

When I saw this recipe on Annie's Eats I knew that I wanted to try it, but that I would never be able to make the exact recipe. Even though Redner's is great for carrying the non-standard ingredients that I need, they don't always have what I need on the week that I need it. Example: Gruyere cheese. The recipe calls for shredded Gruyere. That would be like finding a winning lottery ticket 5 minutes before the drawing. I also knew that I wouldn't be able to find all of the fresh herbs that the recipe called for either.

So I decided to make do with what I could find and see how it turned out.
 




Mushroom Mac & Cheese

Adapted from: Annie's Eats
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Ingredients:
3/4 box elbow macaroni
6 tbs. unsalted butter, divided
1 lb. mushrooms, roughly chopped (baby bella/cremini)
1/2 small onion, diced 
2 tbs. minced garlic
1 tbs. white wine
3 tbs.  all purpose flour
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
6 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded
6 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tbs. bacon bits (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Annie's recipe calls for a whole box of pasta (which I made but was just too much for the dish), a shallot instead of onion, 2 tbs. of all the fresh herbs, no paprika, white wine vinegar, whole milk, shredded Gruyere and shredded white cheddar. Honestly, I didn't even look for the white cheddar, I just grabbed a bag of the finely shredded cheddar and went with it.

Directions:
1. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to directions for al dente. Drain the pasta and set it to the side.
2. Melt 2 tbs. of butter into a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped mushrooms and onion and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated from the pan.
3. Remove from heat and add in the white wine. Set to the side. Preheat the oven to 350.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tbs. of butter over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour to form a paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until the mixture is golden. Stir in the herbs and cook for a few more seconds. Whisk in the milk and cook until until the sauce begins to thicken and simmers. Remove from the heat and add in the cheeses. Whisk until completely smooth.
5. Add the mushroom mixture into the cheeses and stir until combined. I found it easier to add the noodles into the pot and stir until they were coated with the cheese. Pour into the greased baking dish.
6. Melt the last tbs. of butter (I used the microwave to save another dish) and add the panko breadcrumbs to it. Toss until coated. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the pasta.
7. Put the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is browned. Let sit up to 15 minutes before serving.

Lime & Cumin Pork Chops and spiced corn

This is another Rachael Ray recipe so I was kind of hesitant as to how it would turn out. Luckily, except for the pork chop being a bit dry, it wasn't bad at all and the corn was amazing.

Lime & Cumin Pork Chops with baked potato and spiced corn
Servings: 4
Adapted from: Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals

Ingredients:
3 pork chops
3 large potatoes
10 oz. frozen corn kernels
1 red pepper
1 jalapeno
1/2 small onion
1 tsp. cumin
3 tbs. lime juice
2 tbs. minced garlic
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup light cream
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. butter
1/4 tsp. Old Bay
salt, pepper, cilantro and parsley for garnish/to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Dice the red pepper and onion. Remove seeds and membrane from the jalapeno. **Wear gloves when handling the jalapeno. It takes forever to get the juice off your hands.  In a medium skillet, add the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Once melted, add in the red pepper, onions, corn and jalapeno.
3. Stab the pork chops with a fork or knife. Squeeze lime juice over the pork chops, spread the garlic on top of the pork chops and season with cumin, salt and pepper. Place pork chops in a baking dish and put into oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Once the vegetables are softened, whisk in the chicken stock and light cream. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Wash potatoes, stab with fork and wrap in paper towels. Put the potatoes in the microwave and used your preset option for 3 potatoes, usually 11.5 minutes.
6. Slowly add the panko bread crumbs to the corn mixture until it starts to thicken up. Leave over medium heat until the mixture is thick and creamy. Add in the Old Bay and mix well until combined.
7. Remove pork chops from the oven and let rest for 1-2 minutes while you are plating everything else.
8. Enjoy!

Savory Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

It is sad to admit, but I have never made a pot roast before. My mom always made them really tough so I wasn't a big fan. I also had no idea what type of meat to buy. Then I found this recipe on Campbell's.com and figured it was worth a shot to make it. I mean, it is Campbell's, I'm pretty sure they know what they're doing.

Savory Pot Roast w/ Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Adapted from: Campbell's
Servings: 8

Ingredients - Savory Pot Roast
2 tbs. vegetable oil
2-4 lb. boneless bottom round pot roast
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/4 cup water
1 pouch dry onion soup and recipe mix
2 cups baby carrots
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 tbs. all purpose flour
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tsp. meat tenderizer

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Season the roast with pepper, garlic and meat tenderizer on both sides. Add the roast and cook on all sides until browned.
2. Add soup, water and onion soup mix to the meat and stir to remove clumps from the soup.
3. Add carrots and celery and cook for 2-3 hours, covered over low heat.
4. Transfer meat and vegetables to a platter and cut with an electric knife.

Ingredients - Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2/3 cup milk
3 tbs. butter
1 jar gravy

Directions:
1. Boil potatoes in salted water until potatoes are fork tender. 
2. Mash potatoes with milk and butter until lumps are gone.
3. Heat gravy in a small saucepan until hot.
4. Serve over potatoes.

Cheesy Garlic Risotto

So if you read the weekly meals you'd know that I was supposed to make chicken ratatouille and chile salmon with baked potatoes.

Well, I'm sick again so Monday was fend for yourself day. Tuesday I planned on making the ratatouille but the grocery store still didn't have any eggplant and Tom really isn't a big fan, so I seasoned the chicken with chicken seasoning, garlic and pepper and it was fend for yourself sides night. Since baked chicken isn't all that interesting I figured there was no need to blog about it.

Today I did make the salmon, but I wasn't happy with the recipe at all. It just tasted like fishy fish. So before I blog about it, I'm going to make it again with an all day marinade to see if it improves the taste. The thin pieces of the fish had the marinade and weren't bad, but the thicker parts were just crappy. However, it is in the picture because risotto in a pan doesn't look quite as well as risotto on a plate.

I also realized tonight that there weren't enough baked potatoes to make them tonight and tomorrow and Tom suggested risotto. Since I didn't have any mushrooms for the mushroom risotto that I always make, I figured I'd create my own cheesy risotto.

Cheesy Garlic Risotto
Servings: 3
Source: my brain!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup arborio rice
1 small onion, diced
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 green onion stalk, diced
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. cream cheese
1 tsp. butter

Directions:
1. Warm the chicken broth over low heat.
2. Add the oil to a pan over medium heat and cook the garlic, onion, and green onion for 5 minutes.
3. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated with the oil and takes on a pale beige color, about 1 minute.
4. Add the white wine and cook until the rice absorbs the wine. Add in the chicken broth in parts, no more than 1 cup at a time and stir occasionally until its absorbed into the rice.
5. Once all of the chicken broth is absorbed, add in the cheeses and butter. Stir occasionally until everything is melted. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

And by the way, I realize that I'm a crazy risotto making lady. But I'm okay with that because risotto is damn good!

Pan Seared Scallops with Mushroom Risotto and Garlicy Green Beans

You could expect to read this on a restaurant menu, right? That's one of my favorite things about cooking; making something that sounds complicated and intricate when its really just simple ingredients that create an awesome meal.

If you read my first risotto post, you'll know that I think everyone should learn how to make risotto because well, its not difficult at all! It takes a bit of time, yes, but its definitely not rocket science. Hell, I even think that with the right cooking utensils, some close supervision and a better kitchen, even my mother could make risotto. And that speaks volumes!

Also, you may have noticed that I don't blog about just the main course for dinner. Why? Well, because I can usually figure out what to do with the chicken, steak, pork, ground beef on my own, but the side dishes are where I'll sit there and flip through my recipes trying to figure out what to make for sometimes 30 minutes. So, I like to be a well rounded blogger and include the side dishes. Does it make the blog longer, sure, but at least you get an idea of an entire meal instead of just 'cream cheese chicken' because really, what does one serve with cream cheese chicken?

Pan Seared Scallops

Source: google and allrecipes.com reviews

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:
1 lb. bay scallops
sea salt
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Rinse the scallops in cold water. Scallops are usually packed in an ingredient that keeps them white. You want to wash that off.
2. Put scallops on a paper plate and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Season liberally with salt.
4. Add olive oil and butter to a pan (unsalted works best, but if you don't have it, don't worry) over medium-high heat. Wait until the pan just begins to smoke.
5. Add the scallops to the pan. Now DON'T TOUCH THEM! I know its hard to resist the temptation to peek and see if they are searing or not, but trust me, just leave them there.
6. In about 2-3 minutes (2 if you have tiny scallops) its okay to lift them up and see if there is some searing going on there. If they are at the pretty caramelized color, turn them over and repeat the process.

A scallop is cooked through when its still squishy to the touch. If its firm, you've overcooked it.

Mushroom Risotto
Servings: 3-4
Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock
3 tbs. olive oil, divided
1 package mushrooms (I use Shitake or Bella)
1/4 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbs butter
2 tbs Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Pour the chicken stock into a small pot and put over medium-low heat. You're just going to warm it up.
2. Put 1 tbs. olive oil in a large pan and put it over medium high heat. Dice the mushrooms and add in. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.
3. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and put into a small bowl or on a plate, just keep them nearby.
4. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and the onion. Cook until the onion is soft.
5. Stir in the rice and toss it around until it is coated with the oil. Add the white wine and stir until it is completely absorbed by the rice.
6. Add the chicken stock to the rice in parts, no more than 1 cup at a time and wait until the rice has fully absorbed the stock (and it looks like its going to stick) to add in more.
7. Once all of the stock is in the rice and absorbed, put the mushrooms, butter and Parmesan cheese into the risotto and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt.

Garlicy Green Beans
Servings: 2-3
Source: my brain, again

Ingredients:
2-3 handfuls green beans, ends trimed
1 tbs. minced garlic
1 tsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Melt butter over medium high heat.
2. Add in garlic and let cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add in green beans and salt and pepper.
4. Cook, covered for 5-7 minutes or until green beans are soft.

To cook as an entire meal, start the green beans and scallops when you add in the second cup of chicken stock to the risotto. If all goes well, you should have everything done at the same time.

"Grilled" Chicken with Cajun roasted potatoes and corn

For the most part, you can't exactly grill when you live in an apartment. Sure, somewhere on the grounds here there are grills for public use but they are no where near my apartment and in my opinion, rather unsanitary even if you cooked your food on aluminum foil.

So what is an apartment dweller to do? My recommendation - buy a George Foreman. However, in the need to save space, I decided that I wanted a grill plate/pan instead. So for Christmas Tom bought me a Nordicware Reversible Grill Griddle.

Tonight, I finally decided to try it out. Having never cooked on one before, I figured I should google some reviews to see exactly what to do. Well, I found out that my lovely cooking utensil really wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It had crappy reviews, was called the stickiest non-stick product ever, and even the manufacturer website advised to use it on low heat to avoid smoking.

Really? Who in the world grills over low heat? Regardless, I decided to try it out anyway. I shellacked the puppy up with about a quarter ton of Pam cooking spray, put it over low heat and toss my chicken tenders on it and turned on the exhaust vent in preparation. Well, chicken cooks slowly over low heat. As in a turtle could walk a mile in the time it takes for one side of the chicken tender to even turn white. But, since I was roasting potatoes, I decided to hell with it and I'd just wait it out.

20 minutes later, with some barely there grill marks on my mostly white chicken, I gave up and toss the chicken in a pan to let it brown. So while I didn't exactly 'grill' or the chicken, I browned chicken and created some grill marks on it, so I'm going to say I grilled the chicken. You okay with that?

Grilled Chicken w/ Cajun roasted potatoes and corn
Source: my brain

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts cut into strips or 1 package chicken tenders
3-5 red potatoes, cut into chunks
2 tbs. Cajun seasoning
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 canned corn
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and then cut up the potatoes.
2. Put potatoes in a large bowl and add olive oil, salt, pepper and 1 tbs. Cajun seasoning. Toss to coat.
3. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish covered in foil. Stick in the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until potatoes are fork soft and slightly browned on the edges.
4. Preheat griddle, skillet or whatever you're using. Season chicken with salt, pepper and the remaining Cajun seasoning. Cook over medium high heat until browned.
5. Melt 1 tbs. butter in a sauce pan. Drain canned corn and add to pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Simple enough, huh? Obviously you can be as creative as you want and add in different spices or vegetables or whatever. I'm just on a mission this week to blog each meal I make, so my lovely readers get to enjoy this rather boring and basic meal. =)

I'll probably try out the grill pan again, on something else, but I have a feeling that it will eventually meet its fate in the trash and we'll just register for a George Foreman grill and hope that one day we will have the counter/kitchen space to house it.

Cheesy Bacon Chicken w/ Cajun Roasted Potatoes

I know, I know, two posts in one day is kinda ridiculous. However, I made the Apple Chicken last week and never got around to posting it. So here I am with today's dinner too. Its another one I created after eating a few different meals at restaurants. It's a healthier version of Outback's Alice Springs Chicken mixed with Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken. Yeah, I know, confusing right?

Cheesy Bacon Chicken w/ Cajun Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4-6 red potatoes
2 tbs butter 
2 tbs. lime juice
2 tbs. Cajun seasoning
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tbs. dried cilantro (or 1/4 cup fresh, chopped)
1 to 1 1/2 cups reduced cheddar cheese (or Mexican Blend, Taco, whatever really)
1/4 cup bacon bits

Directions:
1. Line a 9x13 and 8x8 baking pan with aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Rinse potatoes and cut into bit sized pieces. Place in the 9x13 dish.
3. Melt 1 tbs. butter and pour over the potatoes.
4. Season potatoes with 1 tbs. lime juice, 1 tbs. Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tbs. garlic powder and 1/2 tbs. cilantro. Drizzle 1 tbs. lime juice over the potatoes.
5. Put the potatoes in the oven.
6. Place the chicken breasts in the 8x8 baking dish and cover with the remaining 1 tbs. of melted butter.
7. Season with the remaining spices and lime juice.
8. Approximately 10 minutes after the potatoes have been in the oven, add the chicken to the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes more, until potatoes are soft and chicken is cooked through.
9. Remove the chicken from the oven and sprinkle cheese and bacon bits over the breasts and return to the oven for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I usually serve this with canned corn in the winter and corn on the cob in the summer.

Other Options:
Serve sour cream and salsa on top of the chicken.
Substitute the bacon bits for sauteed mushrooms.
Substitute Cajun seasoning for Creole, Jerk, Caribbean, or anything else really.
Increase or omit the lime juice.
Use chicken tenders and put chicken pieces and potato chunks along with vegetables onto skewers.

Yeah, you pretty much have a ton of options that you can do with this basic recipe. Let me know what you create!