Jennie's Kitchen

Whiskey-Glazed Salmon

2015-08-01T19:38:00.003-04:00

Living in coastal Massachusetts, I have the convenience of being able to drive down to the local fish market (about a mile away) to get the freshest seafood known to man. After experiencing the exceptional quality and taste of such fresh fish, I will never again purchase filets in a grocery store. One of my favorite types of fish is salmon, whether it’s simply filets covered with mango salsa or grilled to perfection. It’s so flavorful, it tastes amazing no matter how you dress it up. My most recent attempt to “dress up” salmon was absolutely phenomenal. Taking a recipe for bourbon-marinated filets, I decided to change it up and went the whiskey route. The brown sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness to counteract the bite of the whiskey, taking this dish to the next level. I will definitely be making this again!

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

3 Tbsp. scotch whiskey (I used The Glenlivet)

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. minced ginger

1 Tbsp. lime juice

3 minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets

Cooking spray

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Combine first seven ingredients in a large container with a lid; stir until liquid is smooth. Add fish to liquid; cover with lid and marinate in the refrigerator for about two hours, turning fish periodically to make sure it’s evenly marinating. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish and marinade to pan; cook salmon for four minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fillets on plates; drizzle each serving with about 2 tsp. sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Beer-Battered Chicken Wings

2015-08-01T18:51:00.002-04:00

I was never really a fan of chicken wings growing up. However, once I started going to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch Packers games here in Massachusetts, I became hooked. The sauces and spices they toss the wings in are delicious. Anyway, for the Super Bowl earlier this year, I decided to make some wings at home. Since my boyfriend is a homebrewer, we had plenty of choices sitting around the house. We chose a lager because it is light and the flavor would not be overpowering. The result was fantastic; the wings were absolutely amazing. Dipping them in chipotle ranch dressing added just the right amount of cool and spiciness.

4 lb. chicken wings, cut in half at joints, tips removed

2 cups (16 oz.) beer (I used a home-brewed lager)

2 cups flour

2 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Vegetable oil

Chipotle ranch dressing for dipping

Fill a deep pot about 1/3 of the way up with vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 375°. Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Whisk together the beer, flour, sea salt, paprika, coriander, pepper and cayenne pepper. Dredge the wings in extra flour, then dip into batter. Working in batches, add the wings to the hot oil, cooking until crisp and golden, about 12 minutes. Place wings in a bowl with paper towels in the bottom (to help soak up any grease that drains out of the wings. Serve hot with chipotle ranch dressing (or blue cheese, if you prefer).

Seafood Alfredo Lasagna

2015-01-08T09:03:00.002-05:00

It’s no secret that I love me some lasagna. Of course, I’m really not a fan of the traditional version since I don’t consume red meat. Thus, I’ve developed quite a few of my own specialty lasagna recipes over the years, incorporating some of my favorite flavors like chicken fajita and chicken and spinach artichoke dip varieties. However, this one is, far and away, my favorite so far. Since I love seafood Alfredo pasta dishes, I’m actually surprised it took me this long to think of throwing it all together in a lasagna. Regardless, it’s delicious - and it’s even pretty darn tasty reheated.

9 lasagna noodles

1 lb. cooked shrimp (thawed if frozen) with tails removed

8 oz. crab meat

8 oz. lobster meat

16 oz. small curd cottage or ricotta cheese

3 tsp. dried parsley

3 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese

3 eggs. slightly beaten

1 - 14.5-oz. jar Alfredo sauce (or homemade), divided

2-12 to 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used a mozzarella-provologne blend)

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Once the pasta is done boiling, add the shrimp, crab and lobster meat to the water to warm. Meanwhile, In a large bowl, combine the cottage or ricotta cheese, parsley, garlic powder and parmesan cheese; stir in eggs and mix. Set aside. Drain noodles and seafood. In another large bowl, combine the drained seafood with 2/3 of the Alfredo sauce. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the rest of the Alfredo sauce into the bottom of the pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top. Spread 1/3 of the cottage/ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread 1/3 of the seafood and sauce mixture over the cottage/ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Continue layering until all ingredients are used up. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting. Serve with garlic bread if desired.

Pecan Pie Bars

2015-01-08T07:40:00.000-05:00

Pecan pie is an amazing dessert. However, when it comes to holiday parties or potlucks, a regular pie doesn’t really go very far. You’d likely have to make a couple pies to make sure no one gets gipped. Anyway, that was my dilemma when my office had their most recent gathering. Since I’m incredibly fond of baking, I wanted to make a pecan pie-like dessert. After a little searching, I found a couple recipes that seemed doable and quite simple. While some called for a ridiculous amount of butter (four sticks) or way too much of a time investment (two and a half hours), this one was just about right - like Goldilocks finding the perfect temperature porridge.

Crust

1-3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Filling

1-1/2 cups dark corn syrup

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 large eggs

6 Tbsp flour

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

1-3/4 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, for the crust, combine flour, butter and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer at medium speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients except the pecans; mix well. Stir in the pecans. Spread the filling evenly over the hot, partially baked crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is set and a knife inserted into the outer edge comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

2015-01-08T07:08:00.000-05:00

Growing up, my grandmother had a few asparagus patches scattered throughout her yard. Those suckers would grow continuously for a few weeks, so it was only natural that almost every meal she prepared for a month or so came with a side of asparagus. And I absolutely hated it. Not only did the texture seem weird to me, but the taste was so foul. My mother would also receive some of the year’s asparagus bounty, so there was no escaping it. Of course, those two never really dressed up the side - just served boiled with butter. That could be one of the reasons I thought it was so awful. My how the times have changed. These days, I buy asparagus at the store, wishing I had a patch of my own to which I could tend. I’ve found oodles of recipes on the Internet that add flavor to the veggie and I’ve given a few of them a try. This one, which I altered very slightly, is my favorite. The bacon and sweetness are the perfect compliment to the asparagus.

12 strips of bacon

1-1/2 to 2 lb. asparagus

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400°. Trim bottoms of asparagus and separate into bundles of 5 to 6 pieces. Wrap one piece of bacon around each bundle. Arrange bundles in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Meanwhile, in a small non-stick saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Pour the sauce over the asparagus bundles. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes until bacon is cooked and asparagus has begun to wilt. Serve alongside your favorite main dish.

Juicy Lucy Turkey Burger

2014-08-17T18:10:00.000-04:00

In May when we visited Minnesota, my friend, Karis, was telling my boyfriend about the infamous Juicy Lucy burger and he was intrigued. While we didn’t go anywhere that had them on the menu, I knew they couldn’t be too difficult to make; instead of putting the cheese on top, you simply put it inside. Given that I don’t eat red meat, I decided to use my turkey burger recipe instead. And they were fantastic. I wished I could have tried these on a grill, but since we don’t have one or any place to store one, I had to cook them on the stovetop. The key is to make sure not to overcook the burgers as the cheese inside will either disintegrate inside or cook out, leaving you with a pretty crappy non-juicy Lucy.

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 Tbsp. chopped onion

1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/2 Tbsp. dry mustard

1 Tbsp. paprika

1/2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 Tbsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Dash of Tabasco sauce, optional

4 slices American cheese, quartered

In a large bowl, combine all the above ingredients until well blended. Form the turkey into eight small patties (about 1/8 pound each). Cut each slice of cheese in half, then in half again to form four squares. Stack the pieces on top of each other to form four stacks. Place one stack of cheese squares onto the center of one of the patties; top with the second patty and pinch the edges to form a tight seal. Cup each patty with your hands to round out the edges, and press on the top to flatten slightly into a single thick patty. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining portions of meat and cheese to form four patties in total. Cook in a saucepan or on the grill, turning occasionally to make sure the burgers are cooked thoroughly. Serve on buns with your favorite condiments and enjoy.

Salted Caramel Cookie Cups

2014-08-17T17:13:00.001-04:00

I love salted caramel anything … lattes, ice cream, cake; it’s all delicious. So, when we received the invite for my boyfriend’s annual family gathering asking us to bring either a dessert or appetizer, I began looking for a yummy dessert idea that incorporated salted caramel. I found a couple that caught my attention, but I decided to leave the final decision to my boyfriend. He chose the salted caramel cookie cups. After baking them and trying one or two, I knew they’d be a hit … and they were. I even ended up bartering with Jay’s uncle; he offered four pieces of chocolate cake for a half dozen cookie cups. Not that I wouldn’t have let him have them for nothing, it was quite entertaining. The recipe I found for these called for peanut butter cookies, but I took a different route and used both sugar and chocolate chip cookie dough. I’m sure you could use any kind of cookie for the cup - I was thinking about making some shortbread dough, but being pressed for time, I just bought refrigerated dough at the store.

1 - 16 oz. package refrigerated sugar cookies

1 - 16-oz. package refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

2-1/2 cups caramels, unwrapped

2 Tbsp. water

2 Tbsp. milk

4 tsp. coarse sea salt for garnish

Heat oven to 350°. Spray 48 mini muffin cups with cooking spray. Remove cookie dough from package. Place about 1 Tbsp. of the dough in each of the 48 muffin cups, 24 of each flavor cookie. Press the dough in the bottom and up the sides of each cup. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Using the end of a wooden spoon or rubber scraper, carefully press into center of each baked cookie to make 1-inch-wide indentation. Bake for a couple minutes longer if necessary. Allow to cool completely in the pan; when cooled, remove the cookie cups to a cake pans or large trays.

Meanwhile, in a medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and water on high for one minute. Stir; repeat until caramels are completely melted and can be stirred smooth. Stir in milk until combined. Spoon the melted caramel into the cooled cookie cups. Let stand at room temperature about one hour or until set. When caramel filling is set, sprinkle a few granules of coarse sea salt on top of each. Serve.

Seafood Salad

2014-08-17T16:21:00.003-04:00

Many years ago, my family would go to Sam’s Club when they had free membership days. Because they didn’t happen a lot, we didn’t go all that often. However, every time we would go, my mom made sure to pick up a container or two of this delicious seafood salad. We’d open up a box of Chicken in a Biscuit crackers and enjoy it for as long as we could make it last. And then, one day, they didn’t carry it anymore and it was kind of devastating - it seems it’s always the good things that go away. Anyway, we searched for the seafood salad for quite a while and never had any luck. A few weeks back, I decided I wanted to make seafood salad salad, so I scoured the Internet for recipes. Not finding anything that sounded good right away, I finally stumbled across a recipe that seemed like it might be comparable to the seafood salad that we used to buy at Sam’s Club, so I gave it a go. And it was almost spot on. Of course, I tweaked it by adding lobster meat, but, other than that, it reminded me of the good old days.

1 small onion, diced

3 celery stalks, finely diced

1 cup sour cream

1-1/2 cups mayonnaise

2 tsp. dill weed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. coriander

1 lb. salad shrimp, thawed

1 lb. refrigerated imitation crabmeat, flaked

8 oz. lobster meat, thawed (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, sour cream, mayo and seasonings. Add the seafood and stir until combined; add additional seasoning if desired. Refrigerate about an hour before serving. Enjoy with crackers, on a salad or with your favorite veggies.

Drunk Brats

2014-07-20T21:13:00.001-04:00

About two months ago, I took my boyfriend to visit my home state of Wisconsin. In addition to seeing sights like Lambeau Field and the only remaining pulpwood stacker in the world (my hometown’s pride and joy), I made sure to introduce him to Crescent Meats, a butcher shop right up the road from my parents’ house on Highway 27 in Chippewa County. We bought cheddar wursts, beer brats to grill the next day, along with a couple beef sticks (for him, obviously). It was so good that, last month, we placed an order online to have Crescent ship us some Wisconsin-made meat, most of which was intended as a Father’s Day gift for Jay’s dad. Since we were making the order, we got some Italian sausage and beer brats for ourselves. I recently decided to do something I’ve never done with beer brats - boil them … in beer. They turned out so good, very tender and incredibly flavorful with the addition of some herbs to the boil. I will definitely be doing this again.

36 oz. beer of your choice - we used a home-brewed red ale (3 cans or bottles)

5 or 6 beer brats (or regular bratwurst)

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dried cilantro

1/2 tsp. rosemary

In a medium stock pot or Dutch oven, bring the beer to a boil. Place the bratwurst in the boiling beer. Add the herbs and continue boiling for 25 minutes until tender. Remove from beer broth and serve with your choice of bread/roll and condiments.

Paleo Carrot Cake

2014-04-25T23:21:00.000-04:00

I’ve always loved baking; it’s like therapy for me … and the end result isn’t bad either. Anyway, since I started to eat healthier, I haven’t baked as much because it’s difficult to find recipes for cakes and other desserts that are good for you and actually taste good too. So when I came across a recipe for Paleo/gluten-free carrot cake that sounded like it might be tasty, I decided to give it a go (and add some personal touches, of course). As this was baking, the house smelled phenomenal - just like I was making a real carrot cake full of sugar. And the end result was quite surprising to me. The coconut flour, honey and agave nectar gives it the perfect sweetness. Note: for the frosting, it is suggested that you refrigerate the coconut milk overnight (I just put it in the freezer for about 45 minutes and it came out fine).

Cake:

1/3 cup coconut flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

Pinch baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup honey

1 Tbsp. agave nectar

4 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

5 eggs

1-1/2 cups grated carrot

1 ripe banana, mashed

Frosting:

1 can coconut milk (roughly 13 oz. - refrigerated overnight ... the Thai Kitchen brand is the most reliable because it’s most likely to solidify properly)

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Grease a 9-by-9-inch square cake pan with oil. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cloves and cinnamon and stir together. The will amount will be relatively small, but coconut flour is very absorbent. Meanwhile, melt the honey, agave nectar and butter in a small saucepan; pour the mixture into a bowl and blend in the olive oil and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, grated carrot and banana; blend until mixed. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Pour the whole mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until firm (but still soft!) to the touch. Cool completely. To make the frosting, open up the can of coconut milk that has refrigerated overnight. The coconut milk on the top of the can should be firm and white. Spoon off all of the solid stuff (there will be some sort of watery liquid on the bottom that you don’t want). Put the solid coconut milk in a bowl and add the honey, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla extract. Blend it all together with your electric mixer. Spread over the cooled carrot cake. Cut and serve; refrigerate leftovers.

BBQ Chicken

2014-04-25T22:48:00.000-04:00

Though I have a crock pot, I really don’t use it that often. For one, you have to get up relatively early to get things going and, needless to say, I am not a morning person. So when I do decide to make something in the crock pot, it’s usually something that takes a little less time, such as BBQ chicken. Basically, it’s the same ingredients I use for pulled pork, just with chicken. Personally, I think pulled pork tastes better made in the oven over the course of the day. For some reason, it’s just more flavorful. I never found that to be true with chicken. Besides, chicken can get dried out in the oven, whereas the crock pot keeps the chicken perfectly tender and juicy. For this recipe, I suggest seasoning the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika, but feel free to season it however you like.

5-6 pounds (about 6 to 8 pieces) boneless skinless chicken breasts, whole

paprika, salt and pepper (to season chicken)

6 slices bacon, cut into quarters

one small onion, diced

4 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2-3 cups BBQ sauce (more or less depending on your taste)

In a crock pot, layer three or four chicken breasts in the bottom; season with salt, pepper and paprika if desired. Cover the chicken with half the bacon, half the garlic and half the diced onion. Layer three or four more chicken breasts on top; season as desired. Cover with the rest of the onions, garlic and bacon. Pour the apple cider vinegar over the contents of the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours. Tear the chicken and bacon apart and stir in the BBQ sauce. Stir and cook on low an additional hour. Serve on your favorite buns or rolls.

Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

2014-03-30T18:07:00.002-04:00

My boyfriend has quite a few more work parties than we have at our office. Whenever they have one, he turns to me to come up with a delicious dish to bring. Recently, one of their potlucks was breakfast themed and I was asked to bake a coffee cake. After scouring websites for idea, I found one that looked particularly interesting called cinnamon cream cheese coffee cake. After looking through the ingredients and directions and thinking about what I could do to improve it, I decided to add apples. And it was a hit; my boyfriend forwarded me all the emails that were exchanged among his coworkers referring to how good the coffee cake was. So, if you’re looking for a good recipe to make for a work party, this seems to go over well with everyone.

Crumb Topping:
1/4 cup butter, softened and sliced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Apple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Swirl:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
10 oz. apple pie filling (about half a can), diced

Cake:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, combine all the crumb topping ingredients. Using a pastry blender, blend the mixture until it resembles crumbs. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Fold in the apple pie filling. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Add the sour cream and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to prepared pan. Top batter with spoonfuls of apple cinnamon cream cheese swirl. Use a back and forth motion with a knife to swirl. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top of cake. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test. Allow to cool before cutting.

Rice-less Stuffed Peppers

2014-03-30T18:06:00.000-04:00

Given that stuffed peppers are one of my favorite meals (and relatively healthy), I decided to make them more Paleo-friendly by coming up with a recipe that omits the rice. While I had initially considered replacing the rice with cauliflower rice, I went a different route and added more ingredients instead. The bacon is a great accent to the turkey and the mushrooms and onion serve as fillers in lieu of rice. In the end, this recipe turned out to be very flavorful … and filling.

5 or 6 large bell peppers (any color)

1 medium onion, diced

15 slices bacon, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces

8-10 medium mushrooms, diced

1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef

1 - 14.5-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 - 10.75-oz can condensed tomato soup

1 Tbsp. dried basil

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove tops of peppers and clean out seeds. Boil in a Dutch oven for 5 minutes. Set in cold water to cool, then drain. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, sauté the bacon and onion until the onions are tender. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Set aside. In another pan, cook the ground turkey until no longer pink. Stir in the bacon, onion and mushrooms. In a small bowl, combine tomato soup and basil. Mix 1/3 of the mixture into the meat mixture. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and place the peppers inside. Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture. In another bowl, combine the diced tomatoes and remaining soup mixture. Pour over the tops of the peppers. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Maple Bacon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2014-03-08T16:44:00.001-05:00

It was just a few years ago that I discovered sweet potatoes. I believe the very first thing I made with them was a sweet potato pie for Christmas (which I ended up missing out on because I had tickets to a Packers-Bears game at Lambeau Field - not a single piece was left, so it must have been good). Anyway, when I moved to Massachusetts and met my boyfriend, I started eating baked sweet potatoes with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar, which is so good. I've also grown fond of ordering sweet potato fries (also delicious) whenever they're offered as a substitute side. As you can tell, these yummy root vegetables have become a staple in my diet. Wanting to do something a little different with them, I decided to try out a mashed sweet potatoes recipe. While I could have simply done a mashed version with cinnamon, butter and brown sugar, I opted to add something a little different - maple syrup. And, of course, whenever you add bacon to something, it’s extra delicious, so that was a given!

5 or 6 medium sweet potatoes

2 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. milk

3 Tbsp. maple syrup

6 slices bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces and cooked

Preheat oven to 350°. Pierce each potato about six or seven times with a knife. Bake the potatoes for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until soft. Remove potatoes from oven and allow to cool a few minutes. Cut the potatoes in half; scoop out the pulp and place in a medium-sized pot. Mash the pulp with a potato masher. Stir in the butter milk and syrup until well blended. Fold in the bacon pieces, Serve along side your favorite entree.

Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry

2014-03-08T16:23:00.002-05:00

I have found that when it comes to dinner, you can never go wrong with stir-fry. Aside from being delicious, it’s relatively quick and easy to make with very little preparation needed. As such, I have several stir-fry recipes in my repertoire using both pork and chicken and various different flavor like teriyaki, Jamaican Jerk, Cajun and sweet and sour, to name a few. Obviously, if you use the same seasonings over and over, it would get old. With so many options available, there’s really no need to limit yourself. While it’s difficult to decide which stir-fry recipe is my favorite, this one is up there near the top.

6 boneless pork loin chops, cut into thin strips
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 green bell pepper, sliced thinly

1-1/2 cups sugar snap peas

1 - 8 oz. can bamboo shoots
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. water

Hot, cooked rice

In a skillet or wok, heat oil and stir fry the pork and season as desired. Remove the pork and set aside, leaving behind the juices in the skillet. In the same skillet, stir fry the onion, peppers, peas and bamboo shoots for 3 to 5 minutes. Return the pork strips to the pan with any liquid in bowl. Add the teriyaki sauce and vinegar; stir. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water well. Pour into pan with pork and vegetables, stirring as you add. The sauce will get thicker and have a more glossy appearance. Stir well to coat the meat and vegetables with sauce. Serve over rice.

Chicken Alfredo Soup

2014-03-08T16:02:00.001-05:00

Chicken Alfredo is one of my very favorite pasta dishes; I’ve come to love it so much that I created my very own Alfredo recipe. One day, while planning dinner, my decision was between chicken Alfredo and some sort of cream soup; and then a light bulb went off … chicken Alfredo soup. Why didn’t I think of this brilliant dish sooner? Anyway, combining an Alfredo soup recipe I found online with my Alfredo sauce recipe, one of the best creations to ever come out of my kitchen was born.

1 lb. farfalle bow tie pasta

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cups water

3 cups boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 head broccoli, florets only

1/2 onion, diced

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 quart heavy whipping cream

2 cups shaved parmesan cheese

1-1/2 tsp. pepper

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. coriander

2 tsp. parsley flakes

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Add 2 Tbsp. butter, stirring to coat pasta. Pour into a mixing bowl, cover and set aside. In the same pot used for cooking the pasta, add the water and heat to boiling. Place a folding steamer basket into the pot and add chicken. Steam the chicken until tender and cooked through. Add the broccoli and steam another few minutes until broccoli is slightly cooked. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, in another large pot over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in butter for a couple minutes; add flour and cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes, stirring continuously, until bubbly. Whisk in chicken broth and heavy whipping cream; add the pepper, salt, coriander and parsley. Cook and stir until thickened. Add the parmesan cheese to the soup base and cook, while stirring constantly, until cheese is melted. Add the cooked broccoli, chicken and pasta; heat through. Serve.

Stuffed Pork Loin

2014-01-19T13:09:00.001-05:00

To be honest, I had never had a pork loin in my life until last year. Instead of making a huge to-do, I simply cooked it in the oven plain and served it with some sides … nothing too extravagant. So, when I found a 5-pound pork loin on sale at the local grocery store a little while back, I thought I’d get a little more creative. Thus began my hours-long search of the web for a stuffed pork loin recipe. I finally found one very similar to this, but made a few changes for my tastes. When I filled the loin, I had some of the onion, bacon and dressing mixture leftover. Naturally, I grabbed a spoon and dug in. And, my word, if that’s not the most tasty combination of my favorite foods I’ve ever tried. I was thinking about saving it to put it on top of a salad, but it never made it. But, I digress. This recipe turned out to be very tasty as well. I definitely have turned myself into a pork loin fan.

1 Tbsp. dry minced garlic

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 boneless center cut pork loin roast (4 to 5 pounds)

1-1/2 Tbsp. tablespoon butter

2 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

1 medium onion, cut into thin strips (about 1 cup)

6 strips bacon, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

2-1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. Honey Dijon salad dressing

1 cup apple cider

kitchen string

Preheat oven to 325°. Combine garlic, salt, rosemary, thyme, pepper and cinnamon in small bowl. Cut lengthwise down roast almost to, but not through bottom. Open like a book. Rub half of garlic mixture onto cut sides of pork. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples, onion and bacon. Cook and stir 5 to 10 minutes or until onions and apples are soft. Stir in brown sugar and dressing. Spread mixture evenly onto one cut side of pork loin. Close halves; tie pork loin with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Pour apple cider over roast. Rub outside of roast with remaining garlic mixture. Roast, uncovered, basting frequently with pan drippings 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast registers 155°. Remove pork loin from oven; let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Carve roast crosswise to serve.

Turkey Loaf

2014-01-19T12:59:00.000-05:00

When I made the decision to stop eating red meat, I never realized how much I would miss eating basic ground beef recipes like hamburgers, spaghetti and meatballs and meat loaf. Thankfully, I have found ways around it, discovering that using ground turkey or ground pork in place of ground beef is just as good, so long as it’s seasoned properly to give it more flavor. While ground turkey is quite a bit more expensive than hamburger, it was worth it for this recipe. And my boyfriend, who eats red meat like it’s going out of style, even thought this turkey loaf was delicious.

Loaf

2 lbs. ground turkey

1/2 large onion, diced

3/4 cup diced mushrooms

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. ketchup

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

Glaze

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard

3/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 375°. Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl; add the remaining loaf ingredients and gently mix and knead with your hands until well combined. Transfer turkey ingredients to a 13-by-9-inch greased baking pan and form into a domed loaf shape. In a smaller bowl, combine the glaze ingredients and stir until well combined. Spoon the ketchup mixture evenly over meatloaf, spreading with the back of the spoon. Bake until turkey loaf is browned on top, cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 165° (about one hour). Remove pan from oven and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip Bites

2014-01-19T12:44:00.001-05:00

Before you go filling Crescent Rolls with regular spinach and artichoke dip, I must warn you that you will likely have a pool of burned goop on your baking pan. That’s because the regular dip is far too runny. For this type of recipe, the dip needs to be thicker and have the ability to gel, which is why I omitted sour cream from my recipe and added egg yolks and more cheese to it. These are quite tedious if you’re making a full batch, but, they’re worth it. I took these to a pot luck for work and they got rave reviews … and, of course, were gone before I knew it. And, if you want to just make a small batch for a snack, this recipe can easily be halved.

2 - 10-oz. bags fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 Tbsp. dry minced garlic (or 3 cloves, minced)

1 Tbsp. dry minced onion

2 - 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1 - 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1-1/2 cups Italian cheese blend (or 3/4 cup grated parmesan and 3/4 cup shredded mozzerella)

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 eggs, divided

4 - 8-oz. packages Butter Flake Crescent Rolls (or original)

Tear about 14 or 15 oz. of spinach into bite-size pieces, removing stems. In a Dutch oven, cook the spinach with minced garlic and onion in olive oil until spinach is wilted, but still bright green (about 3 minutes). Add cream cheese; mix well. Remove from heat. Stir in artichoke hearts, red pepper flakes, cheese and garlic powder. Add two whisked egg yolks. Mix well and allow the dip to cool for 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°. Open the Crescent Rolls and separate the dough into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle in half diagonally. Spoon a tablespoonful of spinach and artichoke dip onto the center of each half-triangle. Bring the corners of the dough to the center over filling, overlapping the ends; pinch to seal. Place the bundles onto a greased baking sheet and place in the oven. In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites lightly and brush over the tops of the bundles. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.

Note: If you have any remaining spinach and artichoke dip, spoon it into a small oven-safe dish and cook while cooking the bites. Serve with crackers or small pieces of bread.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

2013-12-15T22:30:00.001-05:00

This recipe came about entirely by accident. While trying to make Pumpkin Crunch, I neglected to remember to put the eggs in the bottom layer before adding the toppings. Anyway, after realizing it, I almost broke down into tears I was so mad I had screwed up the recipe. But, alas, I had a plan. Instead of scrapping the whole thing and starting over, I added the eggs, mixed everything together and hoped for the best. And it turned out t be a delicious surprise. It was cake, but it tasted just like taking a bite of pumpkin pie … extremely moist and full of pumpkin flavor.

1 - 15-oz. can packed pumpkin

1 - 12-oz. can evaporated milk

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 - 18.25 ounce package yellow or spice cake mix

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottom of a 9-by-13 pan. In a large bowl, combine the packed pumpkin and evaporated milk; stir until blended. Stir in the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Pour in the butter, cake mix and pecans and stir until combined. Pour into the greased pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the cake passes the toothpick test. Allow to cool before cutting. When serving, top with whipped topping and enjoy.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2013-12-15T22:01:00.000-05:00

I love chicken enchiladas. The one thing I’m not so fond of is all the preparation that goes along with making them - that and the waiting, of course. Craving enchiladas the other day, I decided to try something a little different. And it turned out amazingly delicious. Given all the ingredients that go into enchiladas, I figured it would make a great, tasty soup. And I was right. Originally, I was planning on making this a creamy, cheesy soup, but, half way through cooking, I changed my mind. I decided that, instead of adding the cheese directly into the soup, it would work better as an add-in, along with sour cream and tortilla chips. While all three are optional, I highly recommend adding them. Also, one of the best things about this recipe (aside from its simplicity) is the fact that no additional seasoning is necessary. It’s flavorful enough just the way it is.

4 cups chicken broth

2 lbs. chicken breasts, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 - 15.25-oz. cans southwest corn (with poblano & red peppers), drained

1 - 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup salsa

1 - 10-oz. can enchilada sauce (any variety)

2 - 16-oz. cans refried beans

Tortilla chips, crushed

Pepper Jack cheese

Sour cream

In a Dutch oven, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add chicken and onions; continue boiling for 15-20 minutes. Add corn and black beans. Stir and continue boiling an additional 15 minutes. Stir in the salsa, enchilada sauce and refried beans until the beans are incorporated into the soup. Cook until heated through. When serving, top with chips, cheese and sour cream.

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

2013-11-03T17:55:00.001-05:00

With apple season in full swing, I like to take advantage of the variety of different ways in which to use the famous fruit. From applesauce to apple crisp and even using it to make an apple spice beer, I’ve done pretty much everything you can possibly think of. So when I saw a version of this recipe online, I had to try it. What’s nice about the recipe is you can make one loaf for home and give the other to a friend or neighbor (or just keep them both to yourself). The recipe is also easily halved in case you don’t want to make two. I just figure if I’m turning on the oven, I may as well make two loaves. Anyway, this loaf, fresh out of the oven, is extremely moist and fluffy. And the flavor of the apples and cinnamon is absolutely delicious. It’s so good, I decided to enter it in an apple recipe contest our local TD Bank was holding. So, if you have a couple leftover apples from making pies this holiday season, give this a try ... you won’t be disappointed.

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture:

2/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tsp. sugar

Batter:

1-1/3 cup white sugar

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup milk

2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Mix cinnamon sugar ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat white sugar and butter together using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract. In a third bowl, combine flour and baking powder; stir into creamed butter mixture a little at a time. Add milk to batter and stir until smooth. Pour a quarter of the batter into each of the prepared loaf pans. Add a quarter of the apples and a quarter of the cinnamon sugar mixture to each loaf pan. Lightly pat apple mixture into batter. Pour half the remaining batter over the apple layer in each pan; top with remaining apples and add remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Again, lightly pat apples into batter; swirl cinnamon sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon. Bake for 35 to 45 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean.

Jennie’s Gumbo

2013-11-03T17:54:00.000-05:00

While this is not a true Cajun or Creole gumbo recipe since I can’t find okra around these parts year-round, I came up with my own version of the delicious Southern staple. Aside from okra, a typical gumbo often calls for crabmeat and beef bouillon. Since I’m not a fan crabmeat or anything that has to do with beef, I instead used chicken and chicken bouillon. I also cut back on the amount of Tabasco sauce used in most gumbo recipes. While I love spicy food, it doesn’t always agree with some people (namely, my boyfriend). Regardless, you can always add more hot sauce if you can stomach it. And while I used Cajun-flavored chicken sausage, any kind of sausage (andouille being the most common gumbo sausage) will do. Also, if you can find file gumbo powder, use that in place of the cornstarch.

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup bacon grease

1 cup coarsely chopped celery

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 quarts water

6 chicken bouillon cubes

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce

1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning blend

4 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1 - 14-1/2 oz. can stewed tomatoes

1 - 8-oz. can tomato sauce

4 tsp. cornstarch, divided

1 pound precooked pork or chicken sausage, sliced

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 lb. cooked medium shrimp, peeled

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon grease together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color, about 10 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking. Place the celery, onion, green pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor or into a blender and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Bring the water and chicken bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer. Mix in the sugar, salt, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch at the 45-minute mark. Add the sausage, chicken and shrimp, along with the Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended (about 30-45 more minutes). Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of cornstarch.

Apple Crisp

2013-11-03T17:49:00.001-05:00

There’s no question that on a fall day, warm, fresh out of the oven apple crisp, topped with vanilla or caramel flavored ice cream is the absolute best dessert. Since I love apples but I’m not a huge apple pie fan, it’s also the perfect dessert for me. Normally, I don’t even like ice cream, but put a scoop on apple crisp and I’m a huge fan. What I like about making apple crisp is how easy it is compared to making a two-crust pie. Living in New England, I’ve also grown accustomed to driving to the orchard and getting fresh apples instead of buying the pre-bagged ones from the grocery store.

8 Red Delicious apples, peeled and cored

4 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1-1/4 cups brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup cold butter

Preheat oven to 375°. Chop up the apples and place in a large mixing bowl, squirting with lemon juice as you go so they don’t brown too much. Add the vanilla and toss to coat. Layer the apples in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Meanwhile, in another large bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and oats. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Evenly sprinkle the oat mixture over the apples. Bake 45-50 minutes or until top looks crispy and apples are tender. Serve warm with whipped topping or vanilla or caramel flavored ice cream.

Italian Sausage Cabbage Rolls

2013-09-27T16:48:00.001-04:00

For some reason, out of the blue one day, I got a hankering for cabbage rolls. I couldn’t actually recall the last time I had eaten them, which was really strange. Regardless, my mind was set on cabbage rolls. Since the basic recipe calls for ground beef, which I don’t eat, I decided to get creative. While I could have simply used ground turkey in its place, I opted for sweet Italian sausage to give them more flavor. In addition, I threw in some diced green pepper. Though peeling the leaves off the cabbage turned out to be quite tedious (I don’t think it can be done without tearing every single one of the leaves at least a little bit), they turned out great.

12 cabbage leaves

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, ground

1 small onion, diced

1 green medium pepper, diced

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk
1 cup cooked rice

1 - 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, flavored (I used Hunt’s Spicy Red Pepper)

14 oz. tomato juice

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350°. In a skillet, cook the sausage with the onion and green pepper until crumbled and no longer pink. Add cinnamon, chili powder and salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Add the egg and milk; stir well. Stir in the rice. Set aside. Boil cabbage leaves for 2 minutes; drain. Place one or two spoonfuls of the meat and rice mixture in each cabbage leaf, fold and roll up. Place each of the cabbage rolls, flap side down, into a greased baking pan. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, juice and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Pour over cabbage rolls and place in the oven. Bake for about an hour. Serve.