I was always a little leery of the veggie burgers available in my local grocery store’s freezer section.  The preformed patties with less than real looking grill marks reminded me more of pressed sawdust than a burger.  My idea of a burger was a big, fat, juicy beef one.  I was convinced that a burger made from vegetables was not a real burger at all.  But my daughter so wisely stated that it’s on a bun, it’s burger shaped, it’s served with French fries….it’s a burger.  I’ll buy that.  And after fiddling with some bean and veggie burger recipes, I am now a veggie burger convert.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers are loaded with a variety of vegetables and do not skimp on flavor.  Packed with protein rich black beans, the hearty burgers have a nutritional punch from the added vegetables.   The sweet potatoes are complex carbohydrates full of fiber and vitamins A and C.  The mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins.  And the spinach is one of the most nutrient packed vegetables and is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and E as well as iron and calcium.

The burgers take about 30 minutes to make.  The vegetables are sautéed before they are added to the black beans.  About half of the beans are kept whole while the remainder are mashed.  This helps bind the burgers and gives them texture.  After forming the burgers, a quick sauté in a hot pan adds a crispy browned crust and enhances their flavor.  Served on whole wheat buns with a spicy yogurt sauce, thick slices of tomatoes and crisp lettuce, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers will be a welcome addition to your dinner table.  I suggest making a double or even triple batch as they freeze well and will make for a quick meal on a busy weeknight.

Adding a meatless meal to your dinnertime is a healthy way to eat. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers are also economical as a dinner for 4 can be made for around 5 dollars.  That will help keep a little extra cash in your wallet which is a good thing.

A family favorite grill recipe is Scallion Garlic Steak and Potato Kebabs.  They are a simple yet flavorful way to enjoy steak for dinner.   As a mom of three kids with varying levels of adventure when it comes to eating, I know that they will try any food that is served on a skewer.  It is just more fun to eat your meal on a stick.  And my kids help with dinner prep as it is fun to thread the steak and vegetables on the skewers.

A quick marinade is all that is needed to add a flavor punch to the kebabs.  Cubes of strip or sirloin steak are marinated in a bold sauce which includes lemon juice, soy sauce, fresh ginger root, garlic and scallions.  Small potatoes are partially cooked in the microwave so they grill in the same amount of time as the faster cooking steak and red peppers.  After about a total grilling time of about 8 – 10 minutes, the dinner is ready.

When making kebabs, follow a few simple tips for success each time you grill.

1.  Soak wooden skewers for 10 – 20 minutes so they will not burn.  They help cut down on clean up because they are thrown away after dinner.
2. Cut the meat and vegetables in pieces that are roughly the same size.  That way it ensures the food will cook evenly and the kebabs will lay flat on the grill.
3. Choose foods that cook at the same rate of time.  If a food requires a longer cooking time, thread it on its own skewer so it can grill the extra time needed.
4. Leave a little space between the pieces of food so it will cook evenly.
5. Set aside some of the marinade to brush on the kebabs while grilling.  This will add an extra boost of flavor.
6. Let the kebabs rest for 5 minutes after grilling to ensure that the meat will be juicy.

Putting any food on a stick can make a meal festive.  Head outdoors and grill a quick dinner of Scallion Garlic Steak and Potato Kebabs.

I have tested many recipes in my slow cooker including hearty beef stews, spicy pulled pork, savory braised short ribs, thick chowders and even overnight oatmeal.  Some have been successes and some have been failures.   Through my slow cooker recipe testing, I have found that a few simple tips can make for a memorable dish.

1. Use meat that has some marbling of fat.  It helps keep the meat juicy and makes the dish tasty.  Some good choices are bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed, beef short ribs, stew meat, and pork shoulders.
2. Brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker to build flavor in the dish.
3. Use full-bodied ingredients in sauces to add the most zing to a dish.
4. Add fresh herbs the last 10 minutes of cooking for a flavor boost.

My recipe for Lacquered Honey Ginger Chicken benefits from my slow cooker recipe research.  Searing the meaty bone-in chicken thighs produces a golden brown exterior.  Pay attention not to crowd the pan when browning the chicken as it will steam instead of sear.  The browned chicken is added to the slow cooker along with chopped red onion, garlic, fresh ginger root, and spicy red pepper flakes.  A sauce highlighted with honey, soy sauce, sesame oil and sweet and smoky hoisin sauce infuses the chicken while it cooks and turns it a beautiful and rich dark caramel color.  The fall off the bone meal is moist and tender and does not skimp on flavor.

The robust entrée is simple to make and packs complex flavors.  It pairs well with simple side dishes of basmati rice and snow peas that are sautéed until just tender crisp.  Round out the dinner with green tea ice cream and fortune cookies for dessert.

After an action-packed day, it is comforting to know that your slow cooker was hard at work preparing a spectacular dinner for you and your family.

Poppy Seed Almond Quick Bread is a bakery delicious sweet that I knew he would like.  So much so that as I was cooking for one of my personal chef clients and he was at home blowing his nose, he texted me the following message…

“that bread is awesome”

High praise from a man of few words.

So the next time you know someone who is feeling under the weather, bake a loaf or 2 of Poppy Seed Almond Quick Bread to help them get on the road to recovery.  A sweet treat can go a long way helping someone who is sick feel a whole lot better.

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Shrimp with Goat Cheese and Pasta is a recipe that I have adapted from one a received from my stepmom.  She is a fantastic cook and first made this dish for my family when we were vacationing at the Jersey Shore.  The meals that we have at the Shore are always easy to prepare, made with the freshest ingredients, and delicious.

When preparing this dish during the winter months, the roasting of the tomatoes is essential.  It enhances and intensifies the flavor of the ho-hum tomatoes that are most likely grown in a hothouse this time of year.  A generous amount of garlic and shallots are roasted along with the tomatoes and make a splendid base for the sauce.  The natural sweetness of the ingredients emerges as they are roasted.

Shrimp are readily available year round in the freezer section of the grocery store and are a suitable stand in for fresh shrimp.  I like to keep a 2 pound bag of frozen large shrimp on hand as they are quick to thaw (just place in a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes) and they cook up in minutes.  And it always seems a little fancy when we have shrimp for dinner.  The tangy herb crusted goat cheese adds creaminess to the sauce.  A handful of herby basil finishes off the dish and hints that the warm weather is right around the corner.

I couldn’t wait until summer to prepare Roasted Tomato and Garlic Shrimp with Goat Cheese and Pasta.  It is just too good of a dish to have only during one season of the year.

My husband and I usually stay in for Valentine’s Day and preparing dinner at home is not as daunting a task as it sounds.  Start off with an appetizer of crunchy crostini topped with herbed goat cheese (which is available at your local grocery store) and slivers of sliced sun dried tomatoes along with a glass of bubbly Prosecco.  A salad of butter lettuce topped with blueberries, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, chopped pecans, and a drizzle of buttermilk ranch dressing is simple to put together.

Crispy Chicken with Cherries and Prosciutto only sounds difficult to make.  Thin chicken breasts are topped with prosciutto, provolone cheese, dried cherries, and Gorgonzola cheese before being rolled up into neat packages.  A dip in an egg wash given a zip from Dijon mustard and honey and a roll in panko breadcrumbs brightened with fresh thyme take no more than a few minutes of hands-on prep time.  A light coating of olive oil cooking spray helps the panko crust become a crispy golden brown while the chicken bakes in the oven.

Sides of steamed broccoli and wild rice are perfect accompaniments to the entree.  Get some help with dessert and pick up a chocolate treat at your local bakery or truffles from a candy shop to add a sweet ending to your Valentine’s Day dinner.  Set a romantic table with your best dishes, a bouquet of fresh flowers, and twinkling candles.

With a little planning and about an hour in the kitchen, celebrating Valentine’s Day at home will be a relaxing time with your sweetheart.  Happy Valentine’s Day to all!!

I recently made this salad for a personal chef client of mine.  As I was packaging it for the refrigerator, my client walked into the kitchen and started to nibble on a roasted sweet potato.  Then another, and another, and another.  The four serving side dish was now a three serving side dish and my client said that next time I better double the recipe.

Serve this sweet and savory dish warm, at room temperature, or cold.

On our ride home from the orthodontist, my son told me about the recipe he saw and asked if I could recreate something similar for dinner.  After a little research and recipe testing, I came up with Chicken Stuffed with Provolone and Prosciutto.

When I am developing recipes for my family I have a few criteria –

1. easy

2. delicious

3. unique

4. relatively healthy

5. ingredients are available at my local grocery store

and this recipe fits all of them.

Thin chicken breast are rolled with prosciutto and provolone cheese – pick both of these up at the deli counter – and scallions.  A quick saute in a saucepan is followed by 10 minutes of baking in the oven is all that is needed.  A quick pan sauce of chicken stock, wine, dijon mustard, and lemon juice keep the chicken nice and juicy.

Pair this impressive entree with steamed green beans and a brown rice pilaf and dinner will be on the table in no time at all.

Like most home cooks, I can fall into a rut of making the same dinners day after day and week after week.  I decided to shake things up a bit by adding 1 new recipe a week to my dinner menu plan.  It did not take much thought with all the amazing recipes floating around the internet, in magazines, in cookbooks, and in my head.  It also did not take any more time as I was going to be making dinner for my family any way so why not spice it up a little bit.

So how will my new cookbook Dinner for a Year help you and your family???  Well, I have done the work of choosing one new recipe to add to your menu planning each week.  The recipes are not difficult.  They all use ingredients you can find at your local grocery store.  And they are unique and will appeal to all memebers of your family.

I arranged the recipes in the cookbook by the seasons to highlight the best ingredients available throughout the year.  Also the recipes fit into our eating styles at different times of the year with grilling recipes for the summer months and comfort food recipes for the winter months.  I added a bonus chapter with 10 of my favorite desserts because no meal is complete without a sweet ending.

Also, I will be offering personalized and signed bookplates to download into your copy of Dinner for a Year in the near future.  If you would like to have your copy of my cookbook signed just email me at amy@amycaseycooks.com and I will email back your bookplate to download in your copy as soon as it is available.

Follow this link to get your copy today!!