Category: Weeknight Meal

Arepas Pabellón

This recipe for Arepas Pabellón is inspired by a visit to an absolutely delicious Venezuelan restaurant. Last week, I checked out one of Philly’s newest restaurants: Puyero Venezuelan Flavor.

source: puyeroflavor.com

Located just off of South Street on S 4th, the restaurant serves Venezuelan street food including arepas, patacones and tequenos, plus yummy desserts like churros.

The 22-seat restaurant is vibrant and colorful, very welcoming. I enjoyed reading a selection of Venezuelan sayings that decorate one of the walls; my favorite: “Más hambre que piojo en peluche” or “I’m hungrier than a tick on a teddy bear.”

Owned by brothers Simon and Gil, and Gil’s wife Manuela, the restaurant has a very “homey” feel to it. The entire menu is available for lunch and dinner, with brunch options coming in the spring. You can also order delivery through Caviar (which I’ve totally already done. Hence the photos below, showing my delivery food).

While there, I tried quite a few menu items, but my favorites were the tequenos, white cheese wrapped in deep fried dough, and arepas pabellon, which is an arepa filled with shredded beef, black beans, fried sweet plantains, and white cheese.

I wanted to try to make Arepas Pabellón for myself at home. This recipe can be made ahead of time, reheated, and assembled when ready to eat.

 

Shredded Beef:

  •  garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 4
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Arepas:

  • 1 1/2 cups masarepa (a type of cornmeal found in the international section of most supermarkets. white or yellow is fine)
  • 1 1/2 cups water, or more if needed
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Fried Sweet Plantains:

Other Fillings:

  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • queso blanco

Continue reading Arepas Pabellón

Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Syrup

Note: I was sent a Breakfast kit from Krusteaz in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

For the last couple of years, I have had the opportunity to work with Krusteaz to bring attention to a fun way to switch up your dinner routine in February.

February is National Hot Breakfast Month, so to celebrate, Krusteaz encourages you to have breakfast for dinner once a week. As someone who never gets a hot breakfast on weekdays, I’m all for this idea, and have made a couple of yummy breakfast-for-dinner recipes in the past, including Cheesy Corn Pancakes and Frog in a Hole.

To help you celebrate National Hot Breakfast Month, Krusteaz is giving away a Breakfast Night Kit to one reader!

The kit includes:

  • two boxes of the following breakfast mixes: Buttermilk Pancake Mix, Belgian Waffle Mix, Blueberry Pancake Mix, Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix, and Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake and Muffin Mix
  • Kitchen items including a whisk, a tote bag, and pancake batter pen
  • A selfie stick, to help capture the fun!

Further details will be after the recipe.

This year, I decided to have a sweeter breakfast for dinner option, in honor of upcoming Valentine’s Day: Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Syrup.

This recipe uses Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake mix with a few additions to make Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes. I served them with a simple Strawberry Maple Syrup to top them off!

Ingredients (makes 6 4-inch pancakes):

Strawberry-maple syrup:

  • 3/4 cup chopped strawberries
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup

Continue reading Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Syrup

Linguine with Lemon Sauce

I recently received a nice email from Deiss Kitchenware, a German-based company that makes some snazzy kitchen products. They were kind enough to send me their Citrus Zester and Cheese Grater. I knew I had to make a dish that let me zest and grate my little heart out to try their product, like this recipe for Linguine with Lemon Sauce!

This recipe for Linguine with Lemon Sauce is so simple, and uses mostly ingredients you probably already have on hand. (What? I’m the only person with some Parmigiano Reggiano on hand at all times?)

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
  • the zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 (16 oz ) box dried linguine
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus extra cheese to serve on the side
  • parsley, chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Linguine with Lemon Sauce

Cowboy Style Beef Ragout

Sometimes, you just need comfort food. And what is more comforting than a thick tomato meat sauce over polenta, or Cowboy Style Beef Ragout?

This recipe adapted from Cooking Light is reminiscent of Sloppy Joe’s, but is a bit more grown up.

I made a batch of this for my husband to thaw and eat on nights that I work late. Just heat and serve over polenta or egg noodles.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 sliced green onions, white and green parts divided
  • 1/2 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
  • 3 cups strained tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Continue reading Cowboy Style Beef Ragout

Orzo with Crispy Pancetta and Chives

You can never have too many quick side dishes to help complete a meal. This one comes highly recommended by my husband; the first time I made it, I didn’t even get a taste because he gobbled up all of it before I could!

I changed the original recipe slightly because I was feeling particularly lazy and found diced pancetta in my supermarket. Everything else I kept the same.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 ounces diced pancetta
  • 3/4 cup uncooked whole-wheat orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
  • 1 3/4 cups unsalted chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish

Continue reading Orzo with Crispy Pancetta and Chives

Cheesy Skillet Eggs and Hash

September is National Breakfast Month, and what better way to celebrate than with breakfast for dinner?

Nellie’s Certified Humane Free Range Eggs sent me some coupons and other goodies so that I could make a recipe with their yummy eggs.

In the past, I’ve made Arugula Pizza with Poached Eggs, so I went a bit more traditional this time with a Mexican inspired Cheesy Skillet Eggs and Hash.

 

This recipe is easy to make but has a ton going on: potatoes, chorizo, eggs, cheese, salsa, and avocado all together to make a truly delicious breakfast (or breakfast for dinner)!

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 russet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ~10 oz uncooked chorizo, cut into bite sized pieces (I used 3 chorizo)
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 oz shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
  • 4 Nellie’s Certified Humane Free Range Eggs
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Pico de Gallo or Salsa, to taste
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 green onion, sliced

Continue reading Cheesy Skillet Eggs and Hash

Jambalaya

This weekend, I cooked my little heart out. I realized Labor Day is only a couple of weeks away, so it’s time to stock my freezer with ready-made meals for busy nights in the fall, like this freezable Jambalaya!

I made tomato sauce, slow cooker chicken cacciatore, bacon-topped meatloaf, and this recipe for Jambalaya. (It was a busy weekend!)

This recipe was simple to make, although I did take some shortcuts from the original recipe. It freezes really well too!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 cups diced sweet onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 (10-oz.) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups uncooked rice
  • 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1 pound frozen peeled, medium-size raw shrimp, deveined
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Continue reading Jambalaya

One Pot Cheesy Pasta Bake

There are some nights where I just don’t want to cook, mainly because I don’t want to clean up after I cook — so many dishes!

On such nights, I reach for a one-pot meal. This Cheesy Pasta Bake from this month’s Cooking Light is all made in one pot and has dinner on the table in 30 minutes. I doubled the recipe so that it would work for a normal sized box of pasta (16 oz), so now I have lunch for the week too!

 

Ingredients (serves 8):

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 12 ounces 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 (14.5 oz can) unsalted crushed tomatoes
  • 16 ounces uncooked penne pasta
  • 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
  • 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 8 ounces preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)

Continue reading One Pot Cheesy Pasta Bake

Grilled Chicken Cacciatore

One of my favorite things to throw on the grill are vegetables, something magical and delicious happens when vegetables are grilled. One night, we were doing a bit of a fridge cleaning meal and ended up with ingredients for chicken cacciatore — mushrooms, peppers, chicken, etc. But, we wanted to use my Coyote Outdoor Grill, so Grilled Chicken Cacciatore was born.  I didn’t have 2 big enough grill-safe pots, so this entire recipe isn’t made on the grill, but it can be if you’d like!

(To see some of my other recipes I’ve made using my beloved grill, check them out here.)

I threw in some summer squash and zucchini too, because it’s summer and we had some in the fridge. Feel free to omit.

Ingredients:

For the grill:

  • 2 bell peppers, any colors, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 (8 oz) container sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1 summer squash, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 4 chicken breasts (or chicken tenders like I used)
  • 4 chicken drumsticks
  • olive oil, to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste

For the stovetop (unless you have oven-safe pots):

  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • fresh parsley, for garnish

Continue reading Grilled Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Sausage and Peppers

Note: I was sent a variety of First Fresh Foods Chicken Sausages. Opinions are my own.

It may be relatively apparent on my blog that I really don’t eat much pork; I tend to gravitate towards other proteins. So, I also rarely eat sausage, and if I’m being perfectly honest, I’m not the biggest fan of them anyways.

So when First Fresh Foods contacted me about trying their chicken sausages, I figured why not! I decided to keep it pretty traditional and try their mild Italian sausages in Sausage and Peppers to make this recipe for Chicken Sausage and Peppers.

The Italian sausages resemble traditional sausages but are made from ground white breast meat, which delivers similar taste with 78% less fat. They are gluten-free, with no MSG and no hormones.

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 package First Fresh Foods mild Italian chicken sausage
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato puree
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 5 hot dog rolls (omit to make gluten free, or use gluten free rolls)
  • fresh basil, for garnish

Continue reading Chicken Sausage and Peppers

Pumpkin Curry Chicken with Potatoes and Peas

Note: I was sent two jars of Herb ‘n Zest Cooking Sauces in order to make this Pumpkin Curry Chicken with Potatoes and Peas. All opinions are mine alone.

As someone who works full-time, my biggest requirement for a dinner option is that it can be made in under 40 minutes. By the time I get home, I’m ready to eat! Although it’s not usually too much of a problem, I rarely get the chance to make dinners with the depth of flavor brought to food when it is simmered over a stove for a while.

A local Philadelphia company, Herb ‘n Zest, is changing that. Their innovative condiments and sauces allow home cooks to add quick flavor to meals in no time. All products are fully cooked and can just be added to dishes as sauces or dips.

I was sent a jar each of Herb ‘n Zest’s two most popular sauces: Chive Tomato Cooking Sauce and Curry Pumpkin Cooking Sauce. The Chive Tomato Cooking Sauce is made with Jersey Fresh tomatoes sauteed with chives and spices in olive oil. while the Curry Pumpkin Cooking Sauce is a savory pumpkin sauce seasoned mildly with curry and sunflower seeds. Both sauces are also vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and use non-GMO ingredients.

 

I love love love pumpkin, so I knew I had to try that one first! I decided to make a chicken and potato curry with the sauce and serve it over coconut rice, resulting in this recipe for Pumpkin Curry Chicken with Potatoes and Peas. To make vegetarian/vegan, omit the chicken.

Want to try the sauces for yourself? Herb ‘n Zest is offering a great discount through my blog: 25% off the Home Chef Starter Pack with the code get25icancook! Just click the photo of the jars below and enter the code at checkout!

Buy 6 Jars of Cooking Sauce (Home Chef Starter Pack)

You can also enter their summer giveaway worth $50. Just take a picture of yourself with a jar of Herb 'n Zest, upload it to Instagram & tag the image with #herbnzest. The summer giveaway draw will happen on August 15, 2016, so be sure to purchase your jars soon!

Ingredients:

  • 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium sized onion, chopped
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 (12 oz) bag frozen peas
  • 1 (16.75 oz) jar Herb 'n Zest Curry Pumpkin Cooking Sauce

Continue reading Pumpkin Curry Chicken with Potatoes and Peas

Grilled Caesar Salad

Note: I was sent a Coyote Outdoor Grill to participate in the #CoyoteChallenge. All opinions are mine alone.

If you’ve never had Grilled Caesar Salad before, you’re in for a treat! This variation on the classic adds a bit of smokiness from the grill. I added in some grilled tomatoes as well, because who doesn’t love tomatoes?

The dressing for this recipe is Greek-yogurt based, so its slightly tangy and perfect with the charred bits of romaine lettuce. I found the dressing recipe on myrecipes.com.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped (can omit to make vegetarian)
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

For the salad:

  • 2 romaine hearts, halved lengthwise
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • the juice of 1/2 lemon
  • cooking spray
  • ~20 cherry tomatoes
  • 4 slices of a French baguette
  • shaved Parmesan cheese, if desired

Continue reading Grilled Caesar Salad

Grilled Corn with Chive Butter

Note: I was sent a Coyote Outdoor Grill to participate in the #CoyoteChallenge. All opinions are mine alone.

Last night, we finally broke in our snazzy new Coyote Outdoor Grill; it’s about time I started the Coyote Challenge! (Granted, I just got back from my honeymoon; it’s difficult to grill when you’re in a different country!) We had friends along for the adventure, so we made a few simple items to try out the grill.

Despite it being July, none of us had eaten corn on the cob yet! So naturally, we decided to make a quick grilled corn with an easy chive butter to test out the vegetable/fish grates. There isn’t much to it, so this recipe for Grilled Corn with Chive Butter was the perfect way to try out the grill for the first time.

We also shared a huge delicious piece of steak that Steve (our grill-master for the evening) had marinated first in an IPA (yum) and then transferred it into a more traditional herbed marinade (double yum). It was so juicy and delicious!

There were some other yummy grilling experiments that took place, but discussion of those are for another post. On to the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 4 ears of corn, shucked
  • 1/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, plus more for garnish
  • cooking spray, for the grill
  • salt, if desired

Continue reading Grilled Corn with Chive Butter

Grilled Southwest Turkey Burgers

Note: I was sent a coupon for Sargento Ultra Thin Cheese Slices through Cooking Light Bloggers’ Connection. Opinions are mine alone.

Well, summer weather came out of nowhere, didn’t it? Rising temperatures mean it’s grilling season! Throwing a burger on the grill doesn’t have to mean an super unhealthy meal though!

AND you don’t even have to skip the cheese to make a healthier burger! These turkey burgers are filled with deliciousness without being heavy and are topped with Sargento® Ultra Thin® Colby Jack Cheese Slices, pico de gallo, and avocado slices.

At 40 calories a slice, Sargento® Ultra Thin® Colby Jack Cheese Slices do nutritious in the most ultra-delicious way. The cheese slices are made of 100% real, natural cheese but are sliced thinner, so you can enjoy the cheesy deliciousness in moderation.

Ingredients: (recipe makes 3 larger burgers or 4 smaller burgers)

  • 1 pound  ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons pico de gallo
  • 2 tablespoons sliced green onions (scallions)
  • 3-4 hamburger buns
  • 3-4 slices of Sargento® Ultra Thin® Colby Jack Cheese Slices
  • 1/2 avocado, sliced
  • pico de gallo, for topping

Continue reading Grilled Southwest Turkey Burgers

Arugula Pizza with Poached Eggs

May is (was) National Egg Month, and, well, the month of May ended more abruptly than I was expecting. So, happy June, and happy belated National Egg Month! (This Friday, June 3rd, is National Egg DAY though, so you can celebrate your little heart out then.)

I love using eggs in dinner recipes, because I don’t get much opportunity for a nice sit down breakfast with eggs. This Cooking Light recipe is the perfect eggs-for-dinner meal — Arugula Pizza topped with Poached Eggs.

Nellie’s eggs sent me some coupons, plus a cool little kit that included a t-shirt, stress egg, and a gift card so that I could try their eggs in a post, and this recipe seemed like the perfect opportunity. Nellie’s are free range, the hens are never caged, and have as much or as little access to the outside as they’d like.

Nellie’s works with over 40 independent, family owned and operated farms to provide their free range eggs produced from Certified Humane Free Range hens that are antibiotic and hormone free.

You can find where Nellie’s eggs are sold here.

On to the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (11-ounce) package refrigerated pizza crust dough (suggested: thin crust)
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shaved fresh Romano cheese, divided
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 6 large Nellie’s free range eggs
  • 2-3 ounces baby arugula
  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • grated fresh lemon rind from 1 lemon
  • fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Continue reading Arugula Pizza with Poached Eggs

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