Shepherd's Pie

Last night, with my cooking seduction skills (HA!), I convinced Ryan that Shepherd's Pie is indeed delicious; and more importantly, comforting. Finally found a really good and simple recipe. Of course I had my tweaks. I've always had a soft spot for food like this: a warm meal, a mishmash of my favorite ingredients, and something you always want to pick at after dinner is over. 

Original recipe courtesy of Sarah's Joys blog.

• 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks for boiling
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 6 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese plus more for sprinkling on top
• kosher salt, lawry's seasoned salt, and pepper (for potatoes, to taste)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef (1 lb is fine)
• 1 1/2 cups diced sweet onion
• 2 cups of carrots cut into half moons
• 1 cup diced celery stalk
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 oz tomato paste
• 2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Season a large pot of water with salt. Add the potatoes and garlic and bring to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender enough to mash with a fork. Drain well and place the potatoes back into the pot for 1-2 minutes to allow the residual heat from the pot to dry out any excess water. Mash well with a potato masher, add butter and cream cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/3 cup cheddar cheese. Set potatoes aside.
3. Heat about 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring, and breaking up, until browned. Drain fat from the pan. Remove beef from pan into a bowl or a plate and set aside.
4. Set the nonstick skillet back onto heat and add another tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
5. Add the turkey, the chicken stock, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Continue cooking and stirring, breaking up the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When most of the liquid is absorbed (about 5 minutes), pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish.
6. Top the meat and vegetable mixture with the mashed potatoes. At this point you can cool and refrigerate for use on another day, or sprinkle with desired amount of cheddar cheese and bake for about 30 minutes until it is bubbly and the top is slightly browned.

Looking forward to the leftovers of this tonight!

Coconut Curry Soup

The other night I made this lovely Thai-inspired Coconut Curry Soup. My friend Mariel (who we just threw a baby shower for last weekend!) sent me the recipe, saying it tasted just like the Chicken Noodle Bowl from Surin West, which is a popular and favorite restaurant of ours in Birmingham. Not only was it delicious, but very quick and easy to make. You can add shrimp, tofu, or chicken to the dish, if so desired, so I added some lemon and pepper chicken to ours. Even though I didn't get a chance to eat at Surin last weekend while I was in Birmingham, making this definitely satisfied my craving!

I've included the recipe below with some extra comments in purple. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 10 ounces Chinese wheat noodles (mein), or rice noodles
• 1 tablespoon safflower or peanut oil
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Thai yellow curry paste (from one 4-ounce jar or can) Note: I used green curry paste.
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 lemon
• Fresh basil, for garnish
• 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced, for garnish

Directions

1. Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil.
   
2. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook curry paste, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in stock. Raise heat, and bring to a boil. Whisk in coconut milk. Cook until just simmering (do not boil). Note: Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
3. Cut lemon in half, and squeeze 1 half into saucepan. Cut remaining half into 4 wedges. Divide noodles and soup among 4 bowls. Garnish with basil, cucumber, and lemon wedges. Note: Top with chicken, shrimp, or tofu if so desired.

Mashed Potaters

No. This post is not about Slingblade. Sorry if I just gave way to you having nightmares tonight. You're welcome. :)

HOWEVER, I did finally find a mashed potato recipe that's a keeper. Trust me, I've tried and failed many times. They're too chunky! They're too whipped! Too dry! Too salty! Too tasteless! 

But alas, the kitchen gods finally bowed in my favor. This one's courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. If you've never been to her site before, you'll end up staying for at least 30 minutes looking at the photo-by-photo instructions for all of her recipes. We paired these with some awesome New York strip steaks we found at the Teet (BOGO: $10.99 for two!). Nothing like a delicious dinner for a delicious price. 

Creamy Mashed Potatoes 

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3/4 cups butter
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (to 3/4 cup) half-and-half
• 1/2 tsp (to 1 tsp) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/2 tsp (to 1 tsp) black pepper

 Directions

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. (Note: I used Yukon Gold potatoes and kept the skins on.) Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.
2. Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.
3. Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.
4. Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

*Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Enjoy!

Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup (Light)

With temperatures dropping to a mere 20 degrees this week, I was moved to make a toasty soup for dinner last night. And with the recent holidays, both Ryan and I have had the urge to eat a little healthier this week. Here's an easy and light version of a baked potato and broccoli soup. Top it off with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, a little turkey bacon, and some green onions. Yummy and guilt-free! I've included the recipe and nutritional information below. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided
• 3 cups peeled, cubed potato (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 (8-ounce) block 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese (for garnish)
• fully cooked turkey bacon pieces (for garnish)
• chopped green onions (for garnish)

 Instructions

1. Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup chicken broth until smooth.
2. Combine remaining chicken broth, potato, broccoli, and onion in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.
3. Stir in milk and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and soup is warm. Top each serving of soup with 1 teaspoon cheese, 1 teaspoon bacon pieces, and 1 teaspoon chopped green onions.
   
   Note: Use freshly shredded cheese (versus the preshredded variety) for additional creaminess and even melting. I also added some salt and pepper for additional flavor.

Yield: Makes 7 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Calories: 223 (per serving)
Fat: 7.9 g (per serving)

Black Bean, Corn, and Turkey Chili

Need a recipe in this cold weather that warms you from the inside out? My go-to is this black bean, corn, and turkey chili. It's easy to make, healthy, and tastes even better the next day. Sprinkle it was some cheddar cheese, add a dollop of sour cream, and serve it with a side of tortilla chips (for dipping), and you're good to go. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
• 1 cup Pace® Chunky Salsa
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 can (about 15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (about 16 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper and garlic powder. Cook until the turkey is well browned, stirring often to separate meat.
2. Stir the stock, salsa, sugar, beans and corn in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

Hershey Kiss Pretzels

So this is the best little treat to make in a blink of an eye. In lieu of the season, I made these Hershey Kiss pretzel treats with fall-colored M&Ms. All you do is melt Hershey Kisses on top of Snyder's Snap Pretzels (275 degrees for 3 minutes), remove, and immediately press a single M&M on each. Then refrigerate them to make sure they're nice and solid! It's a lovely way to get a quick sweet/salty fix in just a bite.

(Pair it with an Octoberfest brewsky and you're golden.)

What Makes a Good Husband?

Answer: Bringing me home fresh seafood. 
(Clams courtesy of Saltwater Seafood Market and Fry Shack.)

Just steam and serve with warm melted butter. Brilliant!

Chicken Enchilada Night

I made this delicious chicken enchiladas recipe last night, courtesy of Southern Living. Perfect meal for a night when Ryan comes home starved! I've included the recipe below the photos, along with a few tweaks I made. A serving is technically two enchiladas, but trust me, one will do the job.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (8-ounce) bottle green taco sauce
• Toppings: diced tomato, chopped avocado, chopped green onions, sliced ripe olives, chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Stir together first 5 ingredients. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over each tortilla, and roll up. Arrange in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Coat tortillas with vegetable cooking spray.
2. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Stir together sour cream and taco sauce. Spoon over hot enchiladas, and sprinkle with toppings.

Apparently green taco sauce is nowhere to be found, so I replaced it with red taco sauce (thus the pinky appearance). I also just used an 8-ounce bag of Mexican cheese mix instead of the Monteray Jack with peppers. I also added some tomatoes into the filling. You can put whatever toppings on you want, so I added some fresh avocado, tomatoes, and green onions (there's no way I could get Ryan to eat olives). I served Goya yellow rice on the side, which was the perfect compliment, especially to use with any excess sauce. Next time I might try pouring some hot white queso sauce on top of them and really fatten Ryan up. :)

Cookies & Cream Cheesecakes (Nom)

This weekend Aiden and I made these personal-sized cookies and cream cheesecakes. Are you a fan of oreos? Of cheesecake? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then you'll be in heaven. You begin making these by putting a full oreo into the bottom of each muffin tin liner (a pretty darn good starting point if you ask me). Here's our finished product! I've included the recipe below (courtesy of Martha Stewart), which makes a total of 30 cheesecakes. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 42 Oreo cookies, 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped
• 2 pounds cream cheese (32 oz), room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275° F.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Place 1 whole Oreo cookie in the bottom of each lined muffin cup.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.  Gradually add the sugar, and beat until combined.  Beat in the vanilla.
3. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add in sour cream and salt, beat to combine.  Using a large spatula, fold in the chopped Oreo cookies.
4. Divide batter evenly among the cookie-filled muffin cups, fill each cup almost to the top.  Bake, rotating muffin tins halfway through, until the filling is set, about 22 to 28 minutes.  Transfer the muffins tins to a wire rack to cool completely.  Refrigerate (in the muffin tins) at least 4 hours (or overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

We ended up only making half the recipe, which was more than plenty for the three of us. I actually hand-mixed everything, which turned out just fine. One day I'll have one of those beautiful (bright red) Kitchenaid stand mixers, but not just yet (hint hint, Ryan). (You can buy it here.) :)

An Italian Quickie

A meal, that is. Ryan and I whipped up this make-dinner-with-what-you-got dish in about 20 minutes last night. And it was delicious! We had a box of penne pasta, a jar of Bertolli Vodka Sauce, turkey bacon, and some vegetables. First Ryan started cooking the turkey bacon to get it somewhat crispy. Then, while the pasta was cooking, we sauteed chopped onion (about a cup), a teaspoon of minced garlic, and a couple handfuls of mushrooms with the bacon until the veggies were tender. We then added the vodka sauce and a big handful of sun-dried tomatoes, and let that sit on medium until it started to bubble. Then we simmered it on low until it was warmed through and the pasta was ready to serve. We topped it off with a little (okay, big) sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a piece of bagette... and voila!

A glass of red wine to accompany it didn't hurt. :)

Tomato Tomäto

Aiden got one of those 99 cent mini-tomato plants in his stocking last Christmas (all it said was, "Tomato," not the type, not anything). So the next day, we fixed up the little 3-inch pot and sat it outside. Sure enough, a few tiny stalks began emerging after a couple weeks. That's about as far as these mini-plants normally go before flopping over and going in the trash. But not this time: It kept growing... and growing... and growing. Now, almost eight months later, our first tomatoes emerged and have now turned red! I'm looking forward to me and Aiden splitting this for a midday snack soon. : )

Meatloaf "Muffins"

We had another delicious weeknight dinner with this play on meatloaf (so much more practical!). Instead of serving them with potato wedges and green beans like the photo below, I opted for mashed potatoes and boiled carrots. Think they wouldn't fill you up? Two is a serving size, and Ryan went for three: His seams were busting. And best of all, it's light (under 300 calories/serving). Sorry, I forgot to take my own "finished product" photo this time, but I've included the recipe below.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup ketchup, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)
• 1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.
3. Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.
4. Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Recipe and photo courtesy of myrecipes.com. 

I used prepared breadcrumbs instead of saltines, and minced garlic (from the jar) to speed things along. I think mashed potatoes were the way to go with this. Taking a half-and-half bite of the meatloaf and mashed potatoes together was perfection! I'll definitely be making this again.

Chicken Broccoli Roll (Yum!)

Last night I made this chicken broccoli roll for dinner, a recipe courtesy of Pampered Chef. One word: YUM! And the fabulous thing about these Pampered Chef "roll" recipes is that anything can go into them. I considered making a Reuben Roll (with corned beef, sauerkraut, and so on). Maybe next time. I've included the recipe for this delicious dish below: You know you want to make it.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. cooked chicken, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls (8 oz. each)
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Chop chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper and place into mixing bowl. Add garlic, cheese, and mayonnaise into bowl. Mix well.
3. Unroll the two packages of crescent rolls; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles, slightly overlapping, in a circle on a large round stone with wide ends 4 inches from edge of baking stone (points will extend off the edge of the baking stone; put a large canned good under the stone to elevate it).
4. Using a large scoop, scoop filling evenly over center of dough in a continuous circle.
5. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under dough at center to form a ring (filling will show).
6. Brush egg white over dough.
7. Sprinkle with almonds. Baked 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown.

To lighten it up a bit, I used reduced fat Pillsbury crescent rolls, 2% cheddar cheese, and a reduced fat mayonnaise. I also used Perdue Short Cuts precooked chicken in order to save a little time. Great weeknight meal! The only problem with this recipe is that your husband may eat half the roll in one sitting. :)