Category: Menus

Baked Chicken in Creamy Poblano Sauce

poblanochicken

I’ve fallen in love with Amazon Fresh.  Not just because I can be lazy and not go into the grocery store, although that keeps me from making impulse buys which is a definite plus, but also because the quality of the produce allows me to be creative when I cook on the weeknights.  Not only is the produce generally larger than what I am seeing in my local grocery store, but it stays fresh longer, and I’m paying less money per pound.  Win, Win, Win!

I hadn’t decided what to do with the chicken breasts I thawed this morning then remembered that two large Poblano chilies have been in the crisper for just over a week –  in my eyes they are begging to be made a couple!  Throw some rice into the pressure cooker and we have a trio!

Baked Chicken in Creamy Poblano Sauce with Mexican Rice

  • 2 Poblano Chilis
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion
  • 2 TBLS Olive Oil
  • 3 Cloves Garlic
  • 3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 – 8oz Package Cream Cheese
  • 2 TBLS Dried Cilantro
  • 1 Can Evaporated Milk
  • Juice of 1/2 a Lime
  • 2 TBLS Flour
  • 4 TBLS Butter
  • 1/4 Cup Milk
  • Salt & Pepper to Taste
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F)
  • Cut the poblano peppers in half, stem & seed, then slice thinly with a Mandoline
  • Cut the cleaned and skinned half white onion into thin slices on the Mandoline
  • Peel the garlic
  • Place these above items in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, turn to coat completely
  • Place in the oven and roast for approx 20 minutes
  • In the meantime cut your chicken breast halves with the breast flat on the cutting board use your knife to cut parallel to the board to divide it into two equal pieces
  • Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides
  • Remove the roasted veggies from the oven & lower the temperature to 350 degrees
  • Place the roasted veggies, cilantro, salt and evaporated milk in a blender
  • Puree the mixture
  • Saute’ the chicken breast pieces in the 2 TBLS oil for about 2 minutes per side until they have a little color on them
  • Remove the chicken to the baking dish you used to roast the veggies
  • In the same pan you used for the chicken, over medium heat, melt the butter
  • When the butter is melted add the flour and stir for a minute until fully incorporated and brown bits are scraped up
  • Add the poblano puree to the sauce pan and stir
  • Add the 1/4 up Milk to the pan and stir
  • Add the Cream Cheese to the sauce pan and stir constantly for a couple of minutes until fully incorporated – it will be thick
  • Remove from the heat an add the juice of the half lime, stir to incorporate
  • Pour the Poblano Cream Sauce over the chicken
  • Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through

Serve with your favorite version of Mexican or Spanish rice and a salad or sliced and roasted zucchini squash.

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Decadent Sunday Dinner

FullSizeRenderEvery once in a while I get a craving I just can’t shake for a thick, juicy steak and a moist, tender lobster.  Thankfully we are in an area where there are Asian markets with whole live Maine lobster in a tank, ready to be steamed for me on the spot, that are surprisingly affordable ($9.99/lb!).

Yesterday I got the craving while shopping in Costco (On a Sunday! What was I thinking?) and I just couldn’t face the weekend crowd we were sure to encounter if we trekked to the Ranch 99 Market.  I knew I had a pair of thick filet mignon steaks in the freezer and Costco had previously frozen Canadian lobster tails that looked meaty enough to satisfy my craving, so I decided to give them a try.

Knowing timing would be my biggest hurdle to making sure everything would be ready and warm at the same time, I set my cooking schedule for a true 30 minute meal:

FullSizeRender_35:30 – Get the steaks started.  I turned the burner to medium-high and pre-heated my favorite pan in my kitchen arsenal, my cherry Le Cruset Square grill pan, then added a spray of olive oil spray, seasoned the steaks with Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning, then put them on the sizzling pan to cook.  Assuming your filet mignon steaks are at least 1 inch thick, turn steaks over after 8 minutes (for medium rare), 10 minutes (for medium/medium well), or 12-13 minutes (for well done).  When you have turned cook the steaks for the same amount of time for your desired degree of wellness and, when there is about 2 minutes left in your cooking time, put a pat of cold butter on top of the steak.

In a pan with a lid, put in 1 inch of water and a steamer insert then bring to a boil.  When water reaches a boil, place the lobster tails inside the steamer insert, cover, reduce heat to low-medium and steam for 8 minutes.  While the lobster tails are steaming, in a small pan (or a ramekin in the microwave) melt a half cube of butter to dip the lobster in.

Open a bag of frozen C&W (A.K.A. Birdseye) whole petite green beans, pour into a covered 2 quart dish and set the microwave for 6-7 minutes on high power.

FullSizeRender_2This timing will have all of your parts done at the same time so that you can quickly plate and serve your dinner at 6:00.  I opened a bottle of  Eberle Rare & Reserve 2012 The Ravelin red wine blend to serve alongside.  The wine was a perfect complement to the boldly spiced steak.  Bon Appetit’.

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Pot Roast That’s Truly Drool Worthy

potroast2My Mom made an ok pot roast, but it was never a meal I looked forward to or asked her to make.  In fact, if I called home and heard pot roast was for dinner I’d stay at school late for a Del Taco run with the Walnut High School Cayuse Yearbook crew.

She’d grab a 7 bone (blade cut) roast at the grocery store, heat some vegetable oil in a skillet, coat each side of the meat in flour, salt & pepper, then brown it over high heat. After that she’d fill the pan up about halfway with water, reduce the heat to medium-ish, put the lid on and let it braise for about 2 hours.  When it came time to serve it there would be boxed mashed potatoes (my Mom didn’t do peel/boil/mash), and peas or corn.  My Dad used to smother it in ketchup.  Not sure what that said about her pot roast, but in my eyes, if you’re hiding the meat under ketchup it’s a waste of the 2 hours she took to cook it.

huntsI never want to see a meal I have taken the time and effort to prepare covered in ketchup (unless it’s meat loaf or a hamburger…), so I’ve changed Mom’s prep a bit and come up with a pot roast that doesn’t make my husband suggest we eat out instead.

Drool Worthy Pot Roast

  • 3 to 3 1/2 pounds Boneless Chuck Roast (Because they will trim the excessive fat, I prefer to get it from the butcher case instead of grabbing a pre-packaged roast from the meat aisle)
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (Tonight I used Hunt’s)
  • 6 Carrots peeled, and cut in half
  • 8-10 Small Red or White Potatoes
  • 1 large Onion, peeled and sliced thinly
  • 2 TBLS Olive Oil
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • Any Garlic/Onion Spice Blend you prefer (I used Dangold Gourmet Collection Garlic & Onion Spice Blend)
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Cup Beef Broth
  • 1 TBLS Corn Starch dissolved in cold water (about 3 TBLS)
  • 3/4 Cup Bold Red Wine (Like a dark blend or Zinfandel – tonight I used Gnarly Head Authentic Black)
  • 3 TBLS Vanilla Extract
  • 2 TBLS Worcestershire Sauce
  • 3-4 TBLS Prepared Horseradish
  1. Set the pressure cooker to the Brown setting.
  2. Add the Olive Oil and brown the Roast for about 5 minutes per side.
  3. Remove the meat to a large bowl.
  4. Add the onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).
  5. Add the Beef Broth, Vanilla, Wine, Worcestershire Sauce, Tomatoes, and the dry seasonings to the pressure cooker pan and stir until the mixture starts to bubble.
  6. Add the Bay Leaf and Carrots to the pan.
  7. Return the Roast and all of the juices to the pan.
  8. Spread the Horseradish on the exposed side of the Roast.
  9. Close the pressure cooker, lock and set to the highest setting (248° on mine)
  10. Once the pressure cooker reaches the cooking temperature, cook for 1 hour.
  11. When cooking is complete unplug the pressure cooker and allow it to come back to normal pressure (about 10 minutes).
  12. Open the pressure cooker, remove the Roast, Carrots, Potatoes, and Bay leaves.
  13. Turn the pressure cooker back on to the Brown setting.
  14. Stir in the corn starch mixture until it begins to boil and thicken.
  15. Cut the Roast into chunks and serve in a bowl with the carrots and potatoes (smash them with a fork) covered in the gravy.  If you have some French bread to dip in the sauce, serve that too!

I potroast3didn’t have any potatoes on hand, so we ate ours with some steamed Brussels Sprouts and a can of Bush’s Bourbon and Brown Sugar Grillin’ Beans.  The roast came out tender, moist and flavorful and my husband really enjoyed sopping up the gravy/sauce with the chunks of French bread!

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

 

 

You Can’t Hate On This

I’ve spent the past 5 days traveling cross country and back for a college graduation.  I loved the trip, but hated the flight schedule and one of the airlines in particular (I’m talking about you Allegiant Air).  How in the world does an airline have a plane that departs a 24 hour city (Las Vegas) at 6 AM filled with seats that don’t recline?? MAJOR FAIL!  The cost of a one way flight from Las Vegas to Oklahoma City was great ($103 each with the stupid $15 carry on bag fee, $6.59 credit card processing fee, and the various taxes and fees) but the lack of reclining seats for a 3 hour flight is a deal breaker!

Having finally gotten back late Monday afternoon, with a cough, sore throat and ears that ached, all I wanted was a fuss free meal, some cough medicine, and to sleep in my own bed.

Thinking back to when you were a kid, what meal resulted in no complaints ever?

If you were me, that complaint free plate featured a perfectly crisped grilled cheese sandwich.  If my Mom wanted to make me really happy she’d serve it alongside a bowl of Campbell’s Tomato Soup she’d doctored up with milk, butter and freshly popped popcorn floating in it.

That’s my idea of heaven!

Knowing the schedule of the flights I’d booked, the likelihood of tornado delays (big thanks to Jim Cantore at The Weather Channel), and that I would be eating huge meals & drinking a lot of wine over the weekend,  I had prepped my kitchen ahead of our trip with the essentials.

My perfect grilled cheese

  • Thick Cut Sourdough Bread – My first choice is Francisco Sourdough
  • Butter – ONLY real butter, no margarine or anything else
  • Cheese – If I am in a hurry it can only be Kraft American Singles, but if I have the luxury of time, I like to slice thick chunks off of a block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat on your stove
  2. Butter one side each, of two pieces of sourdough bread
  3. Place first piece, butter side down, into the pan
  4. Layer either the American or Sharp Cheddar cheese (don’t skimp) on the piece in the pan
  5. Place the second piece of bread, butter side up, on top of the cheese
  6. Cook until you no longer see bubbles around the edges of the bread and a quick peek verifies that you have a crispy, well browned, bottom piece
  7. Using a spatula, flip the sandwich over onto the uncooked side and cook as directed in step 6
  8. Once cooking is complete slide the sandwich out of the pan and onto a plate.
  9. Slice down the middle and enjoy the gooey goodness.

Yeah, that (and a glass of ice cold milk) makes this girl happy!

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

 

 

 

Steak & No Bake Baked Potatoes

It’s a hot, lazy Wednesday evening and I’m not in the mood to cook.

I’m looking for something to make for dinner that:

  1. Won’t take a lot of time;
  2. Will satisfy post-basketball practice hunger;
  3. Won’t heat up the house more than the 89° day did already;
  4. Won’t make a huge mess in the kitchen; and
  5. Won’t interrupt my Girls Drinking Wine time

A quick review of items on hand resulted in a hearty dinner that satisfied my family and, bonus, took minimal effort on my part so I could enjoy a rare mid-week treat of girl time!

steakandpotatoesI pulled out my handy (practically hands off) go-to kitchen saviors, my T-Fal Electric Pressure Cooker & cast iron skillet and dinner was well on it’s way to being made.

Baked Potatoes & Boneless Rib-Eye Steaks with Garlic Mushrooms

First, get the potatoes started:

  1. Wash 2 Large Baking Potatoes
  2. Put rack and 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker pan
  3. Place potatoes on rack
  4. Brush Potatoes with a touch of olive oil & sprinkle with sea salt
  5. Close and lock pressure cooker, set to cook on high
  6. Once pressure cooker reaches temperature, cook potatoes for 20 minute
  7. When cooking time is done, unplug machine and leave closed until your steaks are done

While the potatoes are cooking:

  1. Heat the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat;
  2. Place 6 slices of bacon in the pan and cook for about 4 minutes per side (give or take) until crispy but not over browned;
  3. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
  4. Salt and pepper 2 Boneless Ribeye Steaks on both sides & put in hot skillet;
  5. Add about 1 cup of sliced mushrooms, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic salt & pepper to the pan;
  6. Cook the steaks to desired degree of doneness while also stirring the mushrooms while they cook.  My husband likes his medium rare, so I cook them roughly 4 minutes per side at medium-high heat.

When the steaks are ready:

  • Turn off heat and immediately remove steaks from the pan;
  • Place steaks on a serving plate and mound 1/2 of the mushrooms on each;
  • Release the remaining pressure in the pressure cooker;
  • Place potatoes beside the steaks on plates;
  • Cut the potatoes open, butter generously, crumble 1/2 the bacon inside each potato and top with sour cream, salt & pepper.

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Ancho-Cherry Pork Chops

My husband loves pork chops.  I’m not a fan so I don’t cook them often.

He bought me a pretty necklace so tonight he’s getting pork chops 😉

Pressure Cooked Ancho-Cherry Pork Chops

  • 4  Bone in Trimmed Pork Chops about 3/4 inch thick
  • 2  TBLS Coconut Oil
  • 6  Pieces Thick Cut Bacon
  • 1/2 Cup Frozen Dark Sweet Cherries
  • 1  Medium Pasilla Chili (Poblano)
  • 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 1/4 Cup Fischer & Wieser Smokey Ancho Cherry Sauce
  • Salt & Pepper
  1. Set the pressure cooker to “Brown” and add the coconut oil
  2. Seed and chop the chili into small pieces
  3. Using kitchen shears, cut the bacon into about 1″ chunks
  4. Add the bacon and chili to the pressure cooker
  5. With the lid open, let the bacon brown and the chili soften (about 8 minutes)
  6. Add the frozen cherries and stir until they defrost
  7. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and water
  8. Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper
  9.  Brush both sides of the pork chops with he Ancho-Cherry Sauce
  10. Layer the pork chops into the pressure cooker then close and lock lid
  11. Set machine to high
  12. When pressure cooker reaches temperature, cook for 10 minutes
  13. Unplug machine and immediately release the pressure with manual release button

To serve:  Put a scoop of rice or quinoa in the center of the plate.  Pile some of the drained Braised Red Cabbage (yesterday’s recipe) on top of the rice/quinoa then place a pork chop on top of the cabbage.  Spoon some of the cooking juices, cherries, chilies and bacon onto the pork chop and serve immediately.

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Chocolate Red Wine Cake + Cupcake Wine = Yum!

Tonight I’m showing some dessert love.

What’s better than a deep dark chocolate cake?

A deep dark chocolate cake that has red wine in it!  Word of caution: this cake isn’t for kids.  Some of the alcohol remains after baking.

chocredwineloafcakeDeep Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cake

8 TBLS (1 Stick) Room Temp Butter   3/4 Cup Brown Sugar     1/4 Cup Bakers Sugar     2 Eggs (At Room Temp)   2 tsp Vanilla   3/4 Cup Dark ChocolateRouge Wine   1 Cup Flour (Can add up to 1/4 Cup more as needed)   1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder   1/2 tsp Baking Powder     1/4 tsp Cinnamon

In a bowl combine 1 cup of the flour with the dry ingredients; in the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugars, add the eggs one at a time (scrape the bowl between additions), gradually add in the wine and vanilla.  Stir in the dry ingredients (if the batter is too wet add a bit of the extra flour), spoon into a loaf pan, greased with solid coconut oil or coconut oil spray, and bake @350 for 60 minutes.

Let cool 5 minutes in pan then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.  Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a rich scoop of vanilla ice cream and a glass of the decadent wine below.

redvelvet-_x550Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet

I discovered this wine over the weekend shopping at my local Albertson’s that was having a 30% off wine special.  I get adventurous when I’m not paying full price, and at $6.98 a bottle I was adventurous enough to buy two bottles.

Cupcake Vineyards is not a wine I generally buy, having tasted a few different blends and found them to be too sweet.  Happily, this was not the case at all with this Red Blend of Zinfandel, Petite Syrah and Merlot.  Their description perfectly describes this creamy, smooth finishing wine:  Aromas of chocolate, deep dark blackberries and luscious red fruits that finish with a hint of coconut and creamy mocha that shows unmistakable intensity and length.

I couldn’t agree more!

A glass of Cupcake Red Velvet alongside this decadent chocolate cake would be the perfect way to finish after a great steak dinner!  I guess I’ve figured out Saturday’s menu. 😉

UPDATE:  We loved the Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet wine so much that I went back yesterday, while the sale is still on at Albertson’s, and bought another 6 bottles to put in the wine closet for a nice “every night” glass choice.

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood