Table for More: Balti Chicken

One of the best Indian chicken dishes I have ever had!  It does require quite a few ingredients, but it is SO worth it!

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 3 cups chopped tomatoes or 1.5 cans
• 1 green bell pepper, cubed
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 hot peppers (jalapenos, red chilies, green chilies)
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

• Heat oil in a large pan.
• Add onions and cook until transparent and soft.
• Stir in tumeric, coriander, cumin, chili powder, and water.
• Cook until non-liquidy – about 3-4 minutes.
• Add chicken and cook until browned on sides.
• Add tomatoes and salt.
• Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
• Stir in bell pepper, garlic, and hot peppers.
• Cook uncovered until tomato juices are evaporated and chicken is thoroughly cooked.
• Serve hot!

Serves: 4 servings (freezes well)

Table for More: Spicy Sausage Soup

This is a deliciously flavorful and spicy crock pot meal.  Have I told you about my love affair with the crock pot?

Ingredients:

• 3 sausage, bratwurst, or kielbasa links, sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 1 carton chicken broth
• 1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes (or Ro-tel!)
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 tbsp parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

• Brown sausage in a skillet.
• Add onion, pepper, celery, and garlic.  Saute until slightly tender.
• Transfer ingredients to the crock pot.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Cook on low for 8 hours.

Serves: 4-6 servings (freezes well)

Table for More: Italian Wedding Soup

In honor of our recent engagement, we decided to make Italian Wedding Soup.  It’s one of my favorite soups and this is a fantastic recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp basil, shredded
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp green onions, sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups spinach, torn
• 3/4 cup orzo (rice shaped pasta)
• 1 lemon, zested

Directions:

• Mix ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, basil, parsley, and green onions.
• Shape into small (about 3/4″) meatballs.
• Pour broth and water into large saucepan and bring to a boil.
• While boiling, drop meatballs into broth one at a time.
• Stir in spinach, orzo, and lemon zest.
• Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Pour into mugs or bowls and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Serves: 6-8 servings

Table for More: Mexican Chili

Remember that recipe for Mexican Pork I shared last week?  Well, here’s Part 2!  I had so much of the salsa-like mixture leftover after eating the pork, and I needed to do something with it.  I used it as the base for chili.  This will definitely be a do-over set of recipes.

I served my chili over a baked potato.  But this could be a stand-alone dish or served over rice or cornbread.

Ingredients:

• About 4 cups salsa-base (see below for substitute)
• 2 cans chili beans
• 1 cans kidney beans
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp ground corriander
• Splash of hot sauce!
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Put all ingredients in the slow-cooker.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Serve over potatoes, rice, or cornbread… or enjoy it on it’s own!
• Sprinkle with shredded cheese or a dollop of sour cream.

Serves: 6-8 servings

Note: If you did not make the pork first (and therefore do not have the salsa base), substitute with this:

• 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Table for More: Mexican Pork

I needed to use up some peppers, onions, and pork.  So I threw it all in the slow cooker and cooked it down.  This was delicious!

Ingredients:

• 4-6 porkchops (bone-in or boneless)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Directions:

• Put pork in the slow cooker.
• Cover with all other ingredients.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Serve over rice.

Serves: 4-6 servings

Table for More: Red Curry Shrimp

Ali, a wonderful friend of mine, passed along this delicious recipe!  It was absolutely divine!  I served it over pasta because we had a lot of rice this week.  It’s all good.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. shrimp
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 c. water
• 2 tbsp red curry paste
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (can sub. soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup drained pineapple tidbits
• 1/3 cup fresh basil

Directions:

• Heat 1/2 cup of coconut milk in large skillet, stirring often for 2-3 minutes.
• Add curry paste.  Cook 1-2 minutes, pressing and stirring to dissolve.
• Stir in remaining coconut milk, water, fish sauce, sugar, and pineapple.
• Bring to a gentle boil for several minutes.
• Add shrimp and basil.  Cook 2-3 minutes until shrimp are done.
• Serve over rice and garnish with basil.

Serves: 4 servings

Table for More: Beefy Noodle Bake

Enjoyed this with Wade a few nights ago.  We experimented with the ingredients and it turned out pretty good.  Total comfort food here!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 box of short pasta (I used tri-color rotini)
• 1 can tomato soup (10.75 oz)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (10.75 oz)
• 6 oz. cream cheese
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tsp. sugar
• 2 cups yellow squash or zucchini, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 bag frozen vegetables (I used peas)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp. paprika

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to box directions.
• Cook ground beef and drain excess grease.
• Combine cooked pasta and beef.
• Saute squash or zucchini in beef pan.
• Add all ingredients, except paprika, to pasta and beef.  Mix well.
• Pour into 9″ x 13″ casserole dish.  Sprinkle with paprika.
• Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes.

Serves: 6-8 servings

Table for More: Molten Chocolate Cake & Homemade Whipped Cream

The sweetest part of the Triple Date spread.  This was delicious and perhaps the best dessert I have ever made!  Except for the fact that one of them ended up on my jeans instead of onto the plate – make sure you let them sit to cool before flipping them out of the muffin tin.

Molten Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Great Food Fast

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp butter at room temperature + a bit more
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar + a bit more
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 12 oz. melted chocolate chips (1 bag)
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

• Preheat over to 400° F.
• Butter 6 cups of muffin tin very well.
• Dust with granulated sugar, tap out excess, and put aside.
• In an electric mixer, mix butter and granulated sugar.  Add eggs.  Beat in flour and salt just to combine.  Be careful not to overmix.
• Divide batter into muffin cups.
• Put muffin tin on a baking sheet.  Bake about 8 to 10 minutes, just until cakes no longer jiggle when tin is lightly shaken.
• Let stand for 10 minutes for real :)
• Turn out cakes onto serving plates.  Dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream (see below).

Serves: 6 servings

…

Homemade Whipped Cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Directions:

• Pour heavy cream into deep mixing bowl.
• Beat until peaks form in the cream.
• Sprinkle in sugar and beat again until peaks re-form.
• Yum!

Makes about 2 cups.

Table for More: Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pears

Made this as part of the Triple Date spread. It was delicious!  Would be a great addition to the Thanksgiving table.

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 pears
• salt to season

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Wash sweet potatoes and cut into cubes about 1.5 inches thick.
• Toss sweet potatoes with 2 tbsp. olive oil, dry mustard, ginger, cayenne pepper, and salt.
• Place on baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes or until crisp & tender. Toss occasionally.
• Core and cube pears. Add to the potatoes with the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil.
• Continue roasting for about 10 more minutes.

Serves: 4 people

Table for More: Potato, Bacon, and Spinach Frittata

Wanted to make something yummy for breakfast the other morning, but didn’t have much in the apartment. I’m not a huge fan of omelets – they are just too eggy for me. But this turned out to be the perfect compromise with the addition of potatoes. It’s a totally moldable recipe for what you have around – add sausage, tomatoes, onions, green onions – anything you’ve got! Serve it with warmed salsa for a Spanish flair.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olice oil
• 2 large white potatoes or 5 small red potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1-2 cups torn fresh spinach
• 2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1 tsp. crushed garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 5 eggs
• 1/3 c. milk
• ½ c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet.
• Layer the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the skillet. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat. The potatoes should be slightly tender.
• Mix in spinach, bacon, and garlic. Then season with salt and pepper.
• Cook 1-2 more minutes, until spinach is wilted.
• In a medium mixing bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Pour into the skillet over the potato mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
• Cover and cook 8-10 minutes over LOW heat. Eggs should be firm.

*My eggs would not firm quickly for some reason, so I put the oven-safe skillet into the oven on broil. Turned out perfectly browned.

Serves: 4-6 people