Chili Rellenos with Roasted Pepper and Tomato Sauce

October 11, 2014November 10, 2014 / featherheadlady / 1 Comment

On one of our first visits to Santa Fe New Mexico we had Chili Rellenos at a place on the square called the LaFonda. It became an immediate favorite dish at a favorite destination in a favorite town. It’s a dish with many interpretations, not all of them to my liking. I came across a recipe that I tweaked a bit and though it’s something I rarely make it’s something we really enjoy! The preparation is a bit tedious but the end result is worth it. The first thing I do is make the sauce.

Roasted Pepper and Tomato Sauce

2 T olive oil

3 red, yellow or orange sweet peppers roasted and diced

1 large sweet yellow onion diced

3-4 cloves of garlic roasted

1 pint jar (or 14.5 oz can fire roasted) tomatoes

1/4 cup diced cilantro

1 T honey

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Halve the sweet peppers and remove the seeds and stem. Rub with a little olive oil and, along with the garlic, roast on a foil covered sheet pan for 20-30 minutes until peppers are blistered. Remove from oven and put peppers and garlic in a bowl and cover with Saran Wrap. Wait until the peppers are completely cool and peel and rough dice peppers and squeeze roasted garlic from their skins. Meanwhile heat 2 T of olive oil in a heavy skillet. Rough dice onions and add onions, peppers, and garlic to hot oil and simmer 10-15 minutes until tender. Add tomatoes and cook until thickened and reduced. Put tomato mixture in the food processor along with the cilantro. Pulse a few times. Stir in the honey and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and hold at room temperature to serve with the chilies.

Rellenos

5-6 pablano peppers

2 1/2 cups chickpeas

2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 1/2 cups goat cheese

1/4-1/2 cup cilantro

1 bottle of beer

1/2 c flour

3 eggs

1 cup corn meal

peanut oil for deep frying

Roast the whole peppers in a 400 degree oven until skins are blistered, 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven, put in a bowl and cover with Saran Wrap. Set aside until completely cooled. Put chick peas, shredded Monterey Jack, goat cheese, and cilantro in a food processor and pulse until well blended. Remove cheese mixture and shape to resemble the pablano peppers.

Leaving the stems intact remove skins from the pablano peppers, slit on one side and remove seeds and membranes. Place peppers on paper towel to drain. Place cheese mixture inside of the peeled and cleaned pepper and, using your hands, shape to seal around the filling.

Heat oil in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven to 400. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. With a whisk lightly beat the 3 eggs in a medium size bowl. Whisk in the beer. Put the corn meal in a shallow bowl or on a plate and do the same with the flour. Once the oil is at the appropriate temperature dip the stuffed pepper into the flour, then into the beer/egg mixture and then the cornmeal. Deep fry until golden on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Serve with the roasted pepper and tomato sauce and guacamole if you choose.

Chili Rellenos with homemade refried beans. It’s what was for dinner tonight.

TIP: I always shred my cheese versus purchasing it pre-shredded. It is more economical and there are no additives. And I think the cheese has much better flavor.

Tuna Steaks with Caper-Olive Sauce

October 10, 2014November 10, 2014 / featherheadlady / 1 Comment

I’ve always loved fish. I grew up eating awesome fresh water fish that my dad would catch; brook trout, coho salmon, rainbow trout, perch, bluegills, even smelt. I never had ahi tuna until I was an adult and it’s become one of my absolute favorites. Where I live it’s rare that I can find ahi tuna in any kind of grocery or specialty market so I’m always thrilled when I do find it. I was able to purchase some tuna recently and found a recipe that I had clipped from a magazine and it’s what was for dinner.

2 5-6 oz tuna steaks

olive oil and salt and pepper

Lightly rub the tuna steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

For the sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup capers

1/4 cup pitted and sliced kalamata olives

2 T minced shallots

2 T minced fresh parsley

2 T fresh lemon juice

Mince the shallots and parsley. Slice the kalamata olives. And juice the lemon.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet. Once the oil begins to shimmer add the capers, olives and shallots. Simmer 3-4 minutes over medium/low heat. Remove from the heat. Just before serving stir in the lemon juice and parsley.

Heat a heavy skillet (I used a cast iron pan) over medium high heat. Sear the tuna steaks 3 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to dinner plates and spoon the caper-olive sauce over the tuna. Serve with a wedge of lemon. Hopefully you will remember to put the lemon wedges on the plates…I noticed mine when we had finished eating.

I served the tuna with oven roasted cauliflower with a cheddar/fontina cheese sauce.

This was a great dinner! I will definitely make this sauce again and think it would taste great on a salmon steak or mahi mahi.

TIP: Be careful not to overcook your tuna. It should be seared for a few minutes on either side and should be rare or medium rare in the center. If you overcook it you should just buy a can of tuna for a lot less money because that’s what it will taste like.

Stuffed Baby Eggplant

October 8, 2014 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

I grew up up eating meals of meat, potatoes and bread. The basics. Vegetables included peas (canned), corn and green beans. NO purple vegetables on our table. But it’s a brave new world. I can’t think of a vegetable I don’t love now and, in fact, enjoy meals that include NO meat, potatoes or bread. Tonight purple vegetables were what’s for dinner.

3 T olive oil

3-4 small eggplants

1 large onion diced

1 fennel bulb diced

1 cup diced baby portabellas

5-6 cloves of garlic minced

1 pint (14.5 oz can) diced tomatoes

2 T capers

1/2 cup asiago cheese grated

fresh parsley

fresh basil

red pepper flakes to taste

salt and pepper

1 cup homemade bread crumbs

1 T butter

Preheat oven to 375.

With a sharp knife halve the eggplants and, leaving a quarter inch or so of meat, hollow out the inside. Heat 2 T olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Sauté diced onion, fennel, mushrooms, eggplant and garlic until tender, 15-20 minutes.

Add tomatoes, pepper flakes, basil, capers and salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking until the tomatoes have cooked down. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded asiago.

In a food processor prepare bread crumbs. After the bread crumbs are done add fresh parsley and pulse to incorporate parsley. Heat 1 T of butter over medium heat and toast the breadcrumbs.

I used individual casseroles but you can use one large casserole dish. Splash the remaining T of olive oil on the eggplant halves, season with salt and pepper, fill with the vegetable/tomato mixture and top each with some of the toasted bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy! This is perfect for lunch with a tossed salad. Or for a heartier meal serve with sausage and peppers. You could also add fresh spinach, diced celery, sweet bell pepper. Substitute diced pitted kalamata olives for the capers and feta cheese for the asiago.

TIP: I like to add fresh herbs and/or garlic to my bread crumbs. The herbs add great flavor and color to the bread crumbs. Add them in after the bread cubes have been thoroughly processed so they become incorporated but don’t lose their integrity.

Lemon Breaded Breast of Chicken

October 6, 2014 / featherheadlady / 1 Comment

I have a dear friend who is famous for her lemon breaded chicken. She makes tons of it every year for her Fourth of July party and it’s one of the first things to go. I’ve never tried her special recipe because I know mine would never taste quite like hers. But today I decided to try my own variation and it was pretty darn good! I served it with Amish noodles in a creamy chicken sauce. It’s what was for dinner tonight.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cut each in 2 and butterfly)

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (home made are best)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 generous T lemon pepper

2 cloves fresh garlic

1/2 cup fresh parsley

salt and pepper

2 eggs

1 cup flour

2 T butter

4 lemon slices

Preheat your oven to 350.

Save your stale bread; that good crusty loaf that you didn’t finish makes the best bread crumbs for breading, topping Mac and cheese, etc etc. For this recipe cube your bread and run it through your food processor. After the first run through measure out 1 1/2 cups of crumbs and put them back into the processor along with the garlic cloves and parsley. Process once more and then put them onto a plate. Grate your Parmesan cheese and add it to the bread crumbs as well as the lemon pepper and toss to combine.

Get out a casserole dish and spread the olive oil in the bottom. Dip your chicken pieces first into the flour that you’ve added a little salt and pepper to, then the egg that you have lightly whisked, and finally the bread crumbs. I like to do this whole process with my hands but if you like you can use tongs and keep your fingers from getting gooped up. Lay the breaded chicken pieces in your greased casserole dish. Put a small pat of butter on top of each piece of chicken as well as a thin slice of lemon.

Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes or until chicken is 165 degrees. Bake time depends on the thickness of your chicken pieces but don’t over bake or your chicken will be dry.

I always like to have cranberry sauce with chicken dishes but I didn’t have any. That’s the next canning project! There will be plenty of fresh cranberries in the grocery soon and I’ll be grabbing up lots of those. The noodles sounded good tonight but any sides would go well with this dish.

Tip: I ended up with a few extra cups of breadcrumbs today. I put them in quart freezer bags, get as much of the air out as possible and I freeze them. I can take them out another time when I need them for topping a casserole or a vegetable dish. Just toast them on top of your stove in a skillet with a little butter. Good food is a terrible thing to waste.

Enjoy the chicken. I may have to invite my friend over to sample it next time I make it.

Beef Short Ribs with Vegetables

September 27, 2014 / featherheadlady / 2 Comments

I don’t cook a great deal of beef but I get some excellent cuts from a local organic farm. And tonight the short ribs sounded good. Beef short ribs, it’s what’s for dinner.

5 or 6 short ribs trimmed of fat

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 fennel in a large dice (fronds, stems and core removed)

1 large onion in a large dice

2 large carrots sliced

3-4 stalks of celery in a large dice

3-4 cloves of garlic minced

2 T tomato paste

1 bottle dry red wine

rosemary and thyme

4 cups beef or mushroom broth

Put ribs on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Generously salt and pepper them and put in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Heat oil over medium high heat in a heavy Dutch oven. Add diced vegetables and cook over medium heat about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic and cook 2 more minutes.

Pour in the bottle of wine and tomato paste. Cook over high heat until mixture is reduced by half…approximately 20-25 minutes.

Add salt and pepper and 1 tsp each of rosemary and thyme. Put the ribs in the Dutch oven with the veggies and wine reduction. Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and put in 300 degree oven for about two hours until ribs are tender.

Remove ribs to a platter and cook the veggies and broth over medium heat until reduced by half…about 20 minutes. Put the ribs back in and heat through.

We had mashed potatoes but you could serve them with buttered noodles or just a good crusty bread.

Since the oven was going to be on for 2 hours I decided to roast some beets. I peeled them and put them in a casserole dish lined with heavy duty foil. I put some olive oil and kosher salt on the beets, sealed the foil tight and roasted the beets. I love finishing them with balsamic vinegar. I put a cup of vinegar in a saucepan and simmered it until it was reduced by half. Before serving I slice the beets and drizzle the balsamic reduction over them. They are always excellent.

TIP: Recipes are always asking for a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. A little trick I learned a long time ago was to open one end of a can of tomato paste and put it in the freezer for an hour or two. Then I take it out, open the other end of the can, push the paste through and slice it into 4 or 5 slices. Put each slice into a little zip lock snack bag and freeze. When you need a tablespoon of tomato paste it’s ready for you!

The short ribs were excellent. Enjoy!

Salmon Patties aka Burgers

September 25, 2014 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

Do you remember salmon patties and creamed peas from your childhood? Actually I don’t. I don’t think we ever had salmon patties but almost everyone I know remembers them. And not necessarily fondly. I decided I wanted to give salmon patties a try. Minus the creamed peas. Corn on the cob instead.

1 1/2-2 pounds salmon; fresh is best (skin removed, bones removed)

1/2 red or yellow bell pepper diced

3/4 cup panko crumbs

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 T soy sauce

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp salt

Pulse the salmon in your food processor. If you don’t have a food processor cut into a small dice.

Add the remaining ingredients to the salmon and and gently combine. Don’t over mix. Form into patties or burgers. Lightly oil a heavy skillet. I used my cast iron. Heat the skillet over medium heat and cook 5 minutes per side.

Serve on a bun with lettuce, tomato, mayo, a nice slice of onion. Or with no bun and sides of your choice like corn on the cob, red skin potatoes, left over Mac and cheese or creamed peas.

If I had had these salmon patties as a kid I think I would remember them fondly.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

September 22, 2014September 25, 2014 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

Stuffed bell peppers…it’s what’s for dinner.

1 pound ground beef, pork or turkey

4 sweet bell peppers (red, yellow, orange or green…you choose)

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion diced

2 stalks of celery diced

pepper tops diced

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

1 cup cooked long grain white or brown rice

1 pint/can stewed tomatoes

1 14-oz can tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1 T dried basil

1/2 cup shredded asiago or Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cut off the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds. Par-boil the peppers in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes. Remove and put the peppers in a casserole lined with non-stick foil. Preheat oven to 350.

Sauté diced onion, pepper, celery and garlic for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add meat of your choosing and brown. Remove from heat. Stir in rice, seasonings, and asiago or Parmesan cheese.

Combine tomatoes and tomato sauce and whisk together. Add approximately one cup of tomato sauce to meat and rice mixture. Fill peppers. Top with remaining tomato sauce.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and top with shredded mozzarella and bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and peppers are thoroughly heated. Plate peppers and top with some of the tomato gravy.

Serve with crusty bread, apple sauce and a tossed salad.

Today someone posted a recipe for stuffed pepper soup. Maybe tomorrow I’ll use the leftover peppers and make them into soup.

Addendum:

Day two of stuffed peppers. I decided to reinvent the leftover peppers and make soup. I sliced a carrot, diced a medium onion, diced a couple stalks of celery, and shredded a cup or more of cabbage. I put a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a heavy soup kettle and once it was hot sweated the vegetables for 3-4 minutes. I added a pint of stewed tomatoes, 4 cups of chicken broth, and the leftover peppers that I had diced. I also added a can of cannellini beans for a little extra protein.

I brought the the soup to a simmer and simmered it until the flavors were married.

I thought the soup was yummy served with some crusty bread and crackers. If you have family members who refuse to eat leftovers reinventing them is a perfect option.

Lamb Stew with Puff Pastry

September 15, 2014 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

It’s a cold September Sunday and stew sounds comforting. I have lamb stew meat in the freezer but this recipe would be good with beef as well. Stews and soups are the kinds of one pot meals you can throw together with whatever you have on hand.

Get out your large Dutch oven and let’s get started with our stew. It’s what’s for dinner.

3 T canola or olive oil

1 # lamb or beef stew meat

1/3 c flout

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 c dry white wine

3 T butter

3 T flour

4 c broth (beef, mushroom or vegetable)

14-oz can stewed tomatoes

1/2 c celery diced

1 c carrots diced

1 c rutabaga diced

1 c onion diced

1 1/2 c potatoes diced

3-4 cloves of garlic minced

1 pkg frozen puff pastry (optional)

1 egg beaten + 1 T water

Heat 3 T oil in heavy Dutch oven over med high heat. In a large zip lock bag combine 1/3 c flour and spices. Add stewing meat and toss to coat. Add meat in batches being careful not to crowd and brown.

Remove meat to a plate and continue until all meat is browned. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 c white wine (or broth) and stir to incorporate all the browned bits. Add 3 T butter and melt. Whisk in 3 T flour to form a roux. Continue whisking over medium high heat and gradually add the broth. I like to use “better than bouillon” to make my broth but use your favorite.

Once you’ve added the broth and it’s come to a boil reduce heat and add tomatoes (I use my home canned tomatoes) and diced vegetables.

Cover your pot and put in a 325 degree oven for 1 1/2 – 2 hours until meat and vegetables are tender.

Once the stew is done ladle into four individual oven proof dishes. Roll out the puff pastry and cut to fit the ramekins. Brush with egg wash and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

Serve with a tossed salad.

You can change out or add other vegetables to your stew…green beans, turnips, parsnips, peas. You can serve your stew without the pastry… Just ladle into serving dishes and serve with bread and salad. Stew is one of the ultimate comfort foods.

Tomatillo and Pork Chili

September 3, 2014 / featherheadlady / Leave a comment

I love to go through cooking magazines and find recipes that look interesting, have lots of veggies, and different spice combos. I’m fortunate that I have a husband who eats almost everything and anything. This is a recipe that I found in Eating Well. I’ve made a couple modifications…one on purpose, another quite by accident. But I’ve made it several times and we always enjoy it.

Tomatillo and Pork Chili…it’s what’s for dinner tonight.

In a large Dutch oven heat 3T of olive oil over medium heat. Add:

1 large onion diced

1# ground pork (I used ground pork breakfast sausage)

Cook until meat is no longer pink.

Add:

3 cups diced tomatillos

1 cup diced pablano pepper (about 2 medium)

Now add your seasoning:

2 T minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

3 T dried oregano

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

Now add the canned goods:

1 15 oz can cannelloni beans (white kidney beans)

1 15 oz can white or yellow hominy

Rinse the beans and hominy before adding.

1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (I used my home canned stewed tomatoes)

Finally, add the liquid:

4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

OR, as I mistakenly did,

3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth and

1 12-oz bottle lager style beer 🙂

Bring to a boil and reduced heat to a simmer. Cook on low partially covered for about 50 minutes until the liquid is reduced and thickened.

Serve this chili with any or all of the following garnishes:

Sliced black olives , cheddar or jack cheese, diced green onions, diced avocado, or jalapeños. Like me, you can modify to your personal taste. I’m fortunate that I have an awesome organic farm very near by where I get excellent meats. I love their breakfast sausage and tried that as an experiment and it worked!

Now I need to make us some cornbread to go with the chili. I’ll post the cornbread later.

White Enchiladas

August 25, 2014September 13, 2014 / featherheadlady / 1 Comment

Enchiladas with a little twist. Red on the inside, white on the outside. It’s what was for dinner tonight.

Chicken breast
2 cups chicken broth
2 cloves of garlic

Poach a chicken breast (mine was approx 12oz) in chicken broth along with a couple cloves of garlic. Once the chicken is done set it aside to cool and save the broth to use in the sauce.

1 medium onion diced
1 sweet red pepper diced
1T olive oil
Sauté over medium heat in olive oil.

1 cup fresh or frozen corn (thawed)
1 cup black beans
1 small can mild green chilies chopped
1 can or jar of stewed tomatoes
2 chipotle chilies in Adobe sauce finely diced

Stir into onion/pepper mix and simmer over low heat.

2 T cumin
1tsp garlic powder
1 T oregano
Salt to taste
Stir into veggie mix.

Using two forks shred the chicken breast.

Add the chicken to the veggies. Remove from the heat.

Now for the sauce.

4 T butter
4 T flour
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c half-n-half
1 T Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1 1/2 c shredded cheese (sharp white cheddar, Monterey Jack, any combination of your choosing)

Melt butter and whisk in flour. Continue whisking for a bit over medium heat to work in the flour. Gradually stir in the broth and half-n-half and continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken. Reduce heat and add cheeses a little at a time stirring to blend. Stir in Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.

Now it’s assembly time. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread about a third of the sauce in a 9×13 pan. I line mine with the magical non stick Reynolds foil.

10 tortillas (flour or yellow or white corn)
Warm the tortillas in the microwave or over a flame on the stove.

Spoon a generous amount of filling in the center of the tortilla and roll. Place the filled tortilla seam side down in the prepared pan. Continue filling the warmed tortillas until you’ve used all the filling.

Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas and top with additional grated cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and browning on top.

Use as many garnishes as you like:
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Lime
Avocado
Black olives
Jalapeños
Salsa

Enjoy!!

For those of you that would rather go meatless add additional beans, corn and other veggies such as mushrooms, summer squash, etc) and omit the chicken. Veggie broth can be substituted for chicken broth.

I’m a little shy of really spicy dishes but you could add more chipotle chilies or a T of hot chili powder.

The Finnish Dish

Cooking in Michigan with Ruth

Main Dishes

Chili Rellenos with Roasted Pepper and Tomato Sauce

Tuna Steaks with Caper-Olive Sauce

Stuffed Baby Eggplant

Lemon Breaded Breast of Chicken

Beef Short Ribs with Vegetables

Salmon Patties aka Burgers

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Lamb Stew with Puff Pastry

Tomatillo and Pork Chili

White Enchiladas