Well, once a week now, I can't help but seriously crave roast cornish hen. Not only is it more delicious than it's larger cousin, the regular hen, it's the perfect portion and always comes out more concentrated in flavor and juiciness. You can vary the seasoning for this versatile meat, but the cooking technique is standard. Pair it with anything. Vegetables, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. Great paired with favorite glass of red wine, such as a merlot.
Here's my favorite recipe for the chicken:
Serves 2:
1 Cornish hen, rinsed and pat dry.
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
1-2 tbsp kosher salt (less if you prefer less salty)
1/2 tbsp celery seed
1/2 tbsp dried dill
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
(1/2 tbsp dried sage and/or paprika also if you like)
1/8 cup olive oil (about 4 tbsp)
crushed black pepper
2 stalks of celery cut into 1/4 or 1/2.
Preheat oven at 385 F
Mix all the dried herbs together with olive oil into a paste. Rub the paste all over the outside and inside cavity of the chicken.
In a baking dish, place celery in center of dish and place the hen breast down over the celery stalks. Place into oven and cook uninterrupted for 60-65 minutes. Most of the oil will cook out of the chicken onto the dish beneath the celery stalks.
About 20-15 min before chicken is done, begin prepping sides. I like to make it easy and serve with a side of sauteed asparagus and rice pilaf (rice cooked in chicken stock and a little onion salt).
Take out of oven and cut down middle into 2 portions. Serve with favorite healthy side.
Enjoy this wonderul Wednesday night meal. 8)
Bon Appetit & Namaste!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Broccoli Rabe Love
Today we traveled through Milwaukee and stopped by Trader Joe's for some fresh food inspired goodness. I wasn't sure what we would make for dinner tonight. Given the time and how tired we were from a day of bridesmaid dress shopping, it had to be fresh, easy, and satisfying. I usually like to start with the vegetable section. If you find your vegetable of choice, your imagination can start to run about potential pairings. Trader Joe's always has a great vegetable selection for cheap. $2.50 for a plate of broccoli rabe for two. $2.50 for a container of fresh cheese tortellini. $2.50 for a jar of alfredo sauce. $2.50 for a container of diced pancetta. 30 min. dinner solved.
Pancetta Alfredo Tortellini & Sauteed Brocolli Rabe:
Serves 3
1 tray of broccolli rabe
1 tray of Tortellini (about 2 cups) from Trader Joe's
1/3 cup to 1/2 cup diced salt pork (bacon, pancetta, salt pork, or ground italian sausage meat).
dried thyme
dried basil
olive oil
1/2 cup water or chicken stock
Get 6 cups of water to a boil and add tortellini. Cook for about 12-15 min (depending on your preference of doneness).
On a large frying/sautee pan or wok, brown the meat in about 2 tbsp of olive oil together with dried thyme. When meat is brown (about 5-8 minutes), take out and set aside.
Now throw the broccoli rabe into the frying pan to brown a little. Add water to steam for about 10 minutes. Add more water if it dries up in the pan. When broccoli rabe is done, take out.
Now, pour alfredo into the frying pan and mix well with the bits in the pan. Add a sprinkle of dried basil into the sauce and let it come to a light bubbly boil. Turn off the heat.
Drain the pasta and pour into the pan with sauce. Now add the meat last and mix all together.
Serve pasta with side of fresh broccoli rabe and a side of chilled chardonnay. A delicious and surprisingly light meal in less than 30 minutes.
Bon appetit and Namaste!
Pancetta Alfredo Tortellini & Sauteed Brocolli Rabe:
Serves 3
1 tray of broccolli rabe
1 tray of Tortellini (about 2 cups) from Trader Joe's
1/3 cup to 1/2 cup diced salt pork (bacon, pancetta, salt pork, or ground italian sausage meat).
dried thyme
dried basil
olive oil
1/2 cup water or chicken stock
Get 6 cups of water to a boil and add tortellini. Cook for about 12-15 min (depending on your preference of doneness).
On a large frying/sautee pan or wok, brown the meat in about 2 tbsp of olive oil together with dried thyme. When meat is brown (about 5-8 minutes), take out and set aside.
Now throw the broccoli rabe into the frying pan to brown a little. Add water to steam for about 10 minutes. Add more water if it dries up in the pan. When broccoli rabe is done, take out.
Now, pour alfredo into the frying pan and mix well with the bits in the pan. Add a sprinkle of dried basil into the sauce and let it come to a light bubbly boil. Turn off the heat.
Drain the pasta and pour into the pan with sauce. Now add the meat last and mix all together.
Serve pasta with side of fresh broccoli rabe and a side of chilled chardonnay. A delicious and surprisingly light meal in less than 30 minutes.
Bon appetit and Namaste!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Pork Chops and Gravy!
Since moving to Wisconsin, I have seriously learned to cook just about anything because nearly nothing is accessible here as far as food beyond beef and potato is concerned. No, that's an exaggeration. Many ingredients are available, just unfortunately not cooked accordingly. Also, given how my life has changed with our busy professional lives and babies and dogs, it's even trickier trying to make gourmet inspired meals on the cheap quickly. So I think that I may dedicate the next chapter of my blog from this point forward to professional mom-inspired healthy quick meals on a budget. It is my hope to one day have these made into youtube videos or into a book for fun. They recipes are too delicious and awesome not to share. To begin, I will start with tonight's meal.
Pork Chop in Mushroom Gravy, Baked Scalloped Potato and Jullienne Fried Veggies.
10 min prep. 60 min cook time.
Serves 4
4 pieces of boneless pork chops (1/2 - 3/4 inch thick)
kosher salt
crushed black pepper
worchester sauce (3 tablespoon)
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced mushroom of choice
2-3 tbsp flour
1/4 can chicken stock
yellow squash julianne
asparagus
1 small tangerine
5 small yukon gold potato - sliced 1 mm thick.
dried thyme
Slice potatoes and place in small baking dish. Fill with water and soak for 3 min. Dispose of water and season with salt, pepper, dried thyme and olive oil to preference. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 385 F for 60 min.
Julianne veggies. Place on a nonstick frying pan. Sprinkle kosher salt, black pepper, olive oil and juice of half a tangerine (or any kind of sweet citrus). Hold off cooking until the potato is 30 min into cooking.
Marinate pork chops for 30 min with salt, pepper ,dried thyme, and worchester sauce.
When the potato is about 30 min from finishing, beging heating a nonstick frying pan with olive oil. Add pork chops and cook 5 min each side. A little longer if the meat is 1 inch or thicker. After a total of about 10-12 min, take the meat off the pan and set aside. Now throw in the mushroom in the pan used for the meat and saute with little more olive oil. Add the juice of the other tangerine if you like to deglaze the pan.
Meanwhile, start frying the veggies in the other nonstick pan and allow the veggies to char a little per side.
As the mushroom starts to cook all around and brown, sprinkle about 2-3 tbsp flour evenly and mix into the mushroom. Quickly add 1/2 can of chicken stock and mix the floured mushroom into the stock to avoid clumping. Let the sauce cook at a low bubbling boil for about 5 min. Add more stock if necessary to prevent sauce from being too thick.
Meanwhile, stir the veggies to keep from burning too much on any side.
Once the mushroom sauce is done, add the porkchops back into the pan with the sauce and keep warm until the potato is done.
This is a most midwestern inspired dish that has become of my downhome favorite healthy quick gourmet inspired meals. The total cost of this dish for 4 people turns out to be less than $8.00.
Bonapetite and Namaste!
Pork Chop in Mushroom Gravy, Baked Scalloped Potato and Jullienne Fried Veggies.
10 min prep. 60 min cook time.
Serves 4
4 pieces of boneless pork chops (1/2 - 3/4 inch thick)
kosher salt
crushed black pepper
worchester sauce (3 tablespoon)
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced mushroom of choice
2-3 tbsp flour
1/4 can chicken stock
yellow squash julianne
asparagus
1 small tangerine
5 small yukon gold potato - sliced 1 mm thick.
dried thyme
Slice potatoes and place in small baking dish. Fill with water and soak for 3 min. Dispose of water and season with salt, pepper, dried thyme and olive oil to preference. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 385 F for 60 min.
Julianne veggies. Place on a nonstick frying pan. Sprinkle kosher salt, black pepper, olive oil and juice of half a tangerine (or any kind of sweet citrus). Hold off cooking until the potato is 30 min into cooking.
Marinate pork chops for 30 min with salt, pepper ,dried thyme, and worchester sauce.
When the potato is about 30 min from finishing, beging heating a nonstick frying pan with olive oil. Add pork chops and cook 5 min each side. A little longer if the meat is 1 inch or thicker. After a total of about 10-12 min, take the meat off the pan and set aside. Now throw in the mushroom in the pan used for the meat and saute with little more olive oil. Add the juice of the other tangerine if you like to deglaze the pan.
Meanwhile, start frying the veggies in the other nonstick pan and allow the veggies to char a little per side.
As the mushroom starts to cook all around and brown, sprinkle about 2-3 tbsp flour evenly and mix into the mushroom. Quickly add 1/2 can of chicken stock and mix the floured mushroom into the stock to avoid clumping. Let the sauce cook at a low bubbling boil for about 5 min. Add more stock if necessary to prevent sauce from being too thick.
Meanwhile, stir the veggies to keep from burning too much on any side.
Once the mushroom sauce is done, add the porkchops back into the pan with the sauce and keep warm until the potato is done.
This is a most midwestern inspired dish that has become of my downhome favorite healthy quick gourmet inspired meals. The total cost of this dish for 4 people turns out to be less than $8.00.
Bonapetite and Namaste!
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