Category: Weeknight Meal

Blueberry Mushroom Risotto

Blueberry Mushroom Risotto. Hear me out. I know you read the title of this post and probably thought I’ve officially lost it. But I promise you this is amazing. I first heard about this bizarre combo in a book called The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook. This book is fantastic. It lists pairings, common and strange, to help make your cooking a bit more adventurous. I page through it all the time, and have learned some yummy pairings. But the one that has stuck out to me the most is the mushroom and blueberry combination.

Apparently northern Italy cooking commonly pairs fruit with mushrooms according to the book. Who knew? My fellow Philadelphian (and internationally known chef) Marc Vetri also has a porcini and blueberry lasagna in one of his cookbooks: Il Viaggio Di Vetri: A Culinary Journey.

So when I found myself the proud recipient of a bunch of mushrooms from To-Jo Mushrooms, I knew it was finally time to try it out. It has been a really crummy, rainy day so I was craving comfort food. Risotto is a perfect rainy day food: hearty, creamy, and absolutely delicious! I’m a huge fan of mushroom risotto so I was excited to try this spin on it. In the past, I’ve made a traditional Mushroom Risotto, as well as a Wild Mushroom Farro Risotto.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 cup shallots, sliced
  •  3 slider mushrooms, sliced (or 2 large portobello mushrooms)
  • 1/4 cup assorted dry mushrooms, optional (I used a mixture of morel, chanterelle, and trumpet mushrooms)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Continue reading Blueberry Mushroom Risotto

Prosciutto Fig and Arugula Flatbread

!This weekend, I attended a conference in Philadelphia. As a “local blogger” I received quite a few food perks due to my proximity to the conference. I was sent home with a case of Gerolsteiner Mineral Water, a whole watermelon (and a heavy one at that!), and a case of fresh California Mission Figs. Poor me, right? 🙂

So. Figs don’t last terribly long which means I might have a few fig posts in a row. But figs are so much more versatile than you expect and can be really quite fantastic in a savory dish, especially in this Prosciutto, Fig, and Arugula Flatbread!

Flatbreads are a great weeknight meal, although you have to let your dough sit out at room temperature for at least an hour. So, more specifically, they are great for nights where you get home in time to leave out the dough, go do some chores/errands, and then want to whip up a quick meal.

Whenever I think of figs, my mind immediately goes to bacon-wrapped figs (I’ve done a post in the past with bacon-wrapped dates which I used as a substitute for figs in case you have any interest), which can be easily translated from an appetizer into a main meal by turning the recipe into a flatbread. When visiting my boyfriend’s brother last summer,  they made us an absolutely delicious grilled flatbread with prosciutto, figs, and goat cheese which was my inspiration for this dish. I added some baby arugula and a balsamic reduction as well to give it a little more bite.

Ingredients (serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as an appetizer):

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 8 oz dough, at room temperature
  • cornmeal for dusting (or flour)
  • olive oil
  • 6 oz crumbled goat cheese
  • 3-4 mission figs, thinly sliced
  • 1 oz prosciutto, torn into thin strips
  • 1/4 cup lightly packed baby arugula
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Continue reading Prosciutto Fig and Arugula Flatbread

Caprese Stuffed Grilled Balsamic Portobello Mushrooms

With grilling season here, I am in search of recipes that aren’t just, well, burgers. I love a good grilled burger, but they can get old pretty quickly. I realized recently that I haven’t had many mushroom recipes lately so this is the perfect time to try grilling a portobello mushroom! I kind of combined two recipes for inspiration for this post. The mushrooms are first brushed with a soy-balsamic marinade and grilled. They are then filled with a mixture of tomatoes, mozzarella, roasted garlic, and basil.

Ingredients:

  • 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 4 large portobello mushrooms
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 small to medium sized tomatoes, chopped
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Shrimp Scampi

Seafood is a great weeknight meal because it cooks up so quickly. The only problem is getting to the supermarket to get it because you don’t really want seafood sitting in your fridge for more than a few days. A few weeks ago, my supermarket was having a sale on uncooked frozen shrimp so I grabbed two bags to use for a quick meal.

I somehow have never made Shrimp Scampi, so when I saw a version on Cooking Planit, I decided it was about time! This recipe takes about 30 minutes if you buy the shrimp already peeled, deveined, and with the tails removed. (I have a review of Cooking Planit within my Braised Baby Back Ribs and Creamy Polenta with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta post if you’d like to read more about this app.)

Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds shrimp (about 20 shrimp)
  • the juice and zest of two lemons
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 lb angel hair pasta
  • salt and pepper, to taste

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Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salad

I am in a grilling mood so there is going to be an influx of barbecue recipes on here, I think very few people will complain. We finally have a grill, but haven’t set it up yet (oops) so I am still making this recipe on my grill pan. This is a recipe from Cooking Light in the latest issue. I made a few changes just based on what I could find but the recipe is primarily in tact.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons 0% Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon  chili powder
  • 2 ears yellow corn, shucked
  • 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  •  1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 sliced peeled ripe avocado

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Mediterranean Chickpea Burger with Ranch Tzatziki

I am so happy that it is finally grilling weather again! There is nothing better than hanging out with friends and family in the back yard, grilling up some burgers, and playing games. Last night I was able to go to my first barbecue of the season and I couldn’t be happier about it. I look forward to many more this summer!

I am an unapologetic lover of cheeseburgers. I never get sick of them. But eating a cheeseburger, oh, once a week all summer is not a good habit at all.  I’ve stayed away from veggie burgers for the most part because I was never a fan of the texture. But when MorningStar Farms contacted me about their new Veggie Mediterranean Chickpea Burger I was intrigued. There is a vegan pizza place in Philadelphia called Blackbird Pizzeria that has Chickpea Parm that I’m kind of obsessed with, so I was really looking forward to trying a chickpea burger too!

The chickpea burgers also have spinach, Roma tomatoes, and Greek herbs and spices mixed in which deliver a ton of flavor without the fat and calories. These burgers are just 110 calories per burger and have 70% less fat than ground beef.

Morningstar Farms is also giving away a prize pack valued at over $80 to one reader! I’ll have more details below!

 

To highlight the Mediterranean flavors in the burger, I decided to make a Tzatziki style topping and finish it off with some feta cheese. Tzatziki is normally made with a strained yogurt, cucumber, lemon, and mint. I decided to make a topping that is in the style of tzatziki but uses tomatoes and dill with a touch of a ranch dressing dry packet to really amp up the flavor.

 

Ingredients:

  • 4 Morningstar Farms Mediterranean Chickpea burgers
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 2/3 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon of Ranch dressing dry packet
  • 1/2 teaspoon dill, plus more for garnish
  • feta cheese, to taste

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Seared Wild Striped Bass with Sauteed Spring Vegetables

Spring has some of the best vegetables and it’s about time I put some of them to use! Anne Burrell has this fantastic recipe for Seared Wild Striped Bass with Sauteed Spring Vegetables using some of bright green veggies available right now and pairs it with a method for cooking seared wild striped bass that gets the skin super crispy without it curling up.

Ingredients:

  • Salt
  • 1 bunch asparagus, snapped where it wants to naturally break
  • 2 cups sugar snap peas, tips and strings removed
  • 1 cup shelled fava beans
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup morel mushrooms, cleaned and cut lengthwise in 1/2
  • 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 4 (6-ounce) wild striped bass fillets, with skin

Continue reading Seared Wild Striped Bass with Sauteed Spring Vegetables

Cinco de Mayo Recipe Roundup

I have a bit of a taco obsession, partially fueled by Cooking Light’s delicious selection of taco recipes. Because of that, I have almost 10 taco recipes on this blog! With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, I thought it might be helpful to put all of those yummy recipes in one place as well as a few other spins on Mexican favorites. I also included some appetizers that would also be a hit at any party. Click the photos below to go to the recipe!

 

Vegetarian:

Huevos Rancheros Tacos
Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas with Ranchero Sauce
Portobello and Black Bean Quesadillas
Black Bean Soup with Orange-Jalapeno Salsa

 

Seafood:

Fish Tacos with Lime Cilantro Crema
Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce and Red Cabbage
Chilean Sea Bass Tacos with Chipotle Cream
Cumin-Spiced Fish Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa

 

Poultry:

Kung Pao Chicken Tacos
Shredded Chicken Tacos with Tomatoes and Grilled Corn
Wine Infused Thanksgiving Leftover Empanadas
Seared Chicken with Avocado Salsa

 

Beef:

Steak Tacos with Lime Mayo
Korean-Style Beef Tacos

Appetizers:

Black Bean Mango Salsa on Jalapeño Parmesan Crisps
Cilantro Lime Hummus
Fresh Salsa

Seared Scallops and Steak with Manhattan Sauce

I tend to make dinner based on what I’m in the mood for and my boyfriend just has to at least pretend to enjoy it. That involves a lot of fish, pasta, and rice which I’m sure can get a bit boring. So I thought it might be nice if I finally made some steak. But, naturally, I still included some scallops, because I’m still the one cooking! This recipe for Seared Scallops and Steak with Manhattan Sauce from Rachael Ray is simple, quick, but absolutely delicious. It’s a perfect date night meal.

Ingredients (serves 2):

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 2 New York Strip Steaks
  • 4 large diver sea scallops
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 large shallot, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/3 cup sweet vermouth
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon chives

Continue reading Seared Scallops and Steak with Manhattan Sauce

Steak Tacos with Lime Mayo

I had corn tortillas left over from making the Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce. I needed another taco recipe that was completely different flavor-wise than the fish tacos, so I went for Cooking Light’s Steak Tacos with Lime Mayo in the May issue. (Note: the May issue has a ton of taco recipes, even a dessert one!)

Ingredients:

  • 20 baby sweet peppers
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
  • 3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
  • the zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 2 garlic cloves, mined
  • 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
  • 1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa
  • 2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Continue reading Steak Tacos with Lime Mayo

Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce

I’m having a busy week at work, so I need some quick meals that still taste delicious but I can make in no time. My go-to for quick meals are Cooking Light’s tacos. I don’t know how they do it, but their taco recipes are awesome. Here’s one of their newest, from this month’s issue.

Ingredients:

  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
  • 1/2 medium jalapeno pepper
  • 1/2 cup cilantro stems
  • 3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 cups very thinly sliced red cabbage
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Cooking spray
  • 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

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Watermelon Feta Salad

East Passyunk Avenue is hosting “Flavors of the Avenue” this Saturday, an event where 25 restaurants will be handing out samples from their menus. I was given the opportunity to go to a media tasting for this event a few weeks back and have been unable to think about anything else since! I am SO excited for this event!

I must not be alone, pre-sale tickets are completely sold out, although some limited tickets will be available at the entrance to the tent on Saturday. During the media tasting, I was able to sample food from 7 of the participating restaurants.

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Badenjan Chalow

This month, Pomi asked that I try to create a recipe using one of their tomatoes paired with eggplant. I have been craving my favorite Afghan meal from a restaurant in Philadelphia called Ariana so my mind went immediately to trying to replicate it. The meal, Badenjan Chalow, is a lamb dish with eggplant, cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices served over basmati rice.

Pomi’s strained tomatoes are perfect for this recipe. Although I’d love to put this in a slow cooker and let it cook all day, I wanted to make this weeknight meal friendly.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cooked basmati rice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 eggplant, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
  • 1 lb lamb chunks
  • 1 container Pomi strained tomatoes

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Vegetable Couscous Salad

The weather in Philadelphia decided to take a break from the cold and give us two days of summer! We hit temperatures above 80 degrees so I wanted to prepare a light meal that didn’t involve much time over a stove. This Vegetable Couscous Salad from Cooking Light is perfect for summer dinners. It also travels well, so it would be a great addition to a barbecue, just make it ahead of time and bring it with you!

Ingredients:

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 (.6 ounce envelope Italian dressing mix) or Italian spice blend

Salad:

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup uncooked couscous
  • 2 cups chopped red bell pepper (I used two peppers)
  • 2 cups chopped tomato (I used two beefsteak tomatoes)
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

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Plum Sweet and Spicy Chicken

Certain foods just seem to be ingrained in what we thing about certain cities, countries or regions. The South is known for its barbecue (which is different state to state), Italy is known for its pasta, Philadelphia is known for its cheesesteaks… you get the idea. I was recently sent a cookbook that plays off of this idea of a region’s traditional foods: The Yankee Chef: Feel Good Food for Every Kitchen by Jim Bailey. The cookbook is filled with traditional New England fare, from pot roasts to chowder, but also gives a “Yankee” spin to other foods, such as Lobster Fried Rice.

Jim, the Yankee Chef himself (or, more appropriately, third generation Yankee Chef) fills the pages of the cookbook with background stories, tips, and a bit of humor, which had me reading the cookbook page by page. Not to mention, the photos are breathtaking! I wish my photos looked like the ones found on these pages.

I wanted to test out one of his recipes so I went for the Plum Sweet and Spicy Chicken because I don’t think I’ve ever made anything like it, and it sounds fantastic! I altered the recipe so that I didn’t have to cook a whole chicken and added some fresh seared plums to top it off. I also made a quick homemade chutney that I thought would highlight the plums in the dish.

Ingredients:

Chutney:

  • 2/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, divided
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 strip of orange peel
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger
  • 1 tablespoon golden raisins
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2 each lemon and orange, sliced
  • the juice of the other 1/2 of the lemon and the orange
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Chicken:

  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 chicken breast and 1 leg (multiply as needed)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 cup plum preserves
  • 1/4 cup cranberry-citrus chutney (recipe below)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
  • 1 plum, sliced

Continue reading Plum Sweet and Spicy Chicken

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