November 16, 2024

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

December 6, 2013 by

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli Resize… or as it’s known at my house—Magic Sauce!  This recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Aioli is easy to whip up at a moment’s notice, and is infinitely customizable.  Like it spicy?  Add some hot sauce of your choice, or a spoonful of adobo sauce from a jar of chipotle peppers.   Depending on my mood and what else I have laying around, this aioli also gets a few shakes of smoked paprika, or a half a teaspoon of ground cumin.  Mix it up in your blender, taste it, and then see where you want to take it.

We eat this on roasted asparagus.  My husband dips steamed broccoli in it.  I love it on oven-roasted sweet potato fries.  And it’s the best sandwich spread in the world!  Try it in place of regular mayonnaise on your next turkey sandwich or veggie wrap and you’ll ditch that jar of Miracle Whip for good!

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

Ingredients:

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and patted dry (or roast your own!)
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise (make your own!  Or use store-bought, but not low-fat mayo)
  • optional:  paprika, cumin, hot sauce

Directions:

  1. In a blender or small food processor, blend together the garlic, red pepper, lemon juice and salt until almost smooth.  Add the mayonnaise and optional ingredients and blend again.  Keep refrigerated.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Chicken with Fennel and Olives

November 29, 2013 by

.Chicken with Fennel and Olives resize

 

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving yesterday!  If you have leftovers, by all means, eat those first!  Once you finish off your turkey, ham, or whatever else you had, try this recipe for Chicken with Fennel and Olives.

Fennel is in season now and has a delicious anise flavor.  When you are shopping for the olives, buy the biggest green olives in a jar you can find – sometimes they’re called Queen olives – and make sure they’re pitted.  You can find them plain, but I used a jar of large green olives stuffed with cloves of garlic.  Amazing!  You can also find them stuffed with almonds (but for this recipe, I would avoid the ones stuffed with blue cheese or hot peppers!)  This recipe also calls for a cup of white wine.  Use a chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio – these are dry white wines that will pair perfectly with the chicken.  If you prefer, you can substitute chicken broth.

This is a healthy, light recipe that will warm your house and keep you from feeling like a slug after all the Thanksgiving feasting is over.  (But feel free to have that last piece of pie for dessert!)

Chicken with Fennel and Olives

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken, or a package of skin-on chicken thighs, or skin-on chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon fat for cooking
  • 1 large fennel bulb
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 jar large green pitted olives
  • 1 cup dry white wine (or substitute chicken broth)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.  If you are using a whole chicken, remove the legs and breasts – you should have 4 pieces.  Reserve the rest of the chicken for soup or another use.  Season the skin with salt.
  2. In a very large oven-proof pan, heat the olive oil or bacon fat.  When very hot, add the chicken pieces skin-side down and cook over medium heat for about ten minutes.  When chicken skin is crisp, remove the chicken pieces from the pan and place skin-side up on a platter and set aside.  Set the pan aside – do not drain!
  3. While the chicken is cooking, slice the onion into thin strings.  Cut off the stalks of the fennel, but keep a few green fronds for garnish.  Cut the fennel into very thin rings or slices, about the same size as the onion.  Drain the jar of olives and slice the olives in half.
  4. Heat the pan again and add the wine, stirring to scrap up any stuck-on bits of chicken.  Add the onion, fennel and olives and stir to combine.  Remove from heat.  Place the chicken pieces skin-side up (so it stays crispy) on top of the bed of vegetables and place in the oven.
  5. Cook for 30 minutes.  Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.  To serve, make a bed of vegetables, place a chicken piece on top, and add a sprig of fennel frond.  Season with salt and pepper

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Mocha Brownie Torte

November 22, 2013 by
mocha brownie torte
I remember the first time I had something other than pumpkin pie for dessert at Thanksgiving, and it BLEW MY MIND.  We spent the holiday with another family when I was 12, and for dessert they had pumpkin pie and a chocolate silk pie.  It was inconceivable to me that there could even be anything else for dessert besides the standard pumpkin pie, yet here was chocolate! It was a game-changer for me.  So while I always look forward to pumpkin pie, I like to make a second dessert too.  Believe it or not, there might be someone at your table who doesn’t adore pumpkin pie.  For a change of pace, and for those non-pumpkin people, may I suggest Mocha Brownie Torte?
You can, of course, omit the nuts if you have an allergic family member, but I really recommend you leave them in – the walnuts add crunch amidst the dense and chewy brownie. And the frosting? Heck, I’d happily mix up a batch right now to eat with a spoon. I dare say I like the frosting more than ice cream. Yes, it’s that good!  To simplify your Thanksgiving day, bake the cakes the night before, cool on racks, and wrap in plastic wrap overnight.  The morning of Thanksgiving, frost the cake and let it chill in the fridge while you make the rest of your dinner.
Mocha Brownie Torte
(recipe is courtesy of my Mom’s battered and splattered 1970’s Betty Crocker Cookbook)
Ingredients:
  • 1 package (15 oz.) fudge brownie mix
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (pecans would be nice too)
  • 1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon powdered instant coffee or espresso
  • Shaved chocolate for garnish
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix brownie mix, water and eggs. Stir in the nuts. Grease and flour (2) 8-inch cake pans. Divide the brownie mix evenly in the pans.
2.) Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely on a baking rack.
3.) Chill a big metal bowl and your beaters in the freezer for a while. Pour the whipping cream into the cold bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Gradually add the brown sugar and powdered coffee. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
4.) Put one cake down on a serving tray, flattest side down. Top with one cup of the whipped cream frosting. Put the other cake on top of the frosting, so the flattest side is up, and use the rest of the frosting to cover the top and sides of the torte. Grate or shave some dark chocolate over the torte and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Layered Greek Dip

November 15, 2013 by

Layered Greek DipThis month I am focusing on side dishes and things you can bring to your Thanksgiving table.  When my family gets together, we all commit to bringing a piece of the dinner puzzle:  whichever family member is hosting usually makes the main dish, and the other family members decide on who is going to make dessert, salad, vegetable, and appetizer.  My sister brought an appetizer called Layered Greek Dip – and I was hooked!

This dish is easy to put together and is healthy to boot!  Assemble it right before your guests come, or make ahead and covered in the fridge until you are ready to serve.  Offer a variety of dippers:  I like pita chips, tortilla chips, Triscuits (my favorite cracker of all time!) and veggies like carrot sticks and red pepper slices.  This will take the edge off people’s hunger long enough for you to finish up your last-minute dinner duties.  Offer some white wine with this appetizer and your guests may forget all about the main course!

I should have taken a photo of my sister’s dish when she  made it, but it slipped my mind, and before I remembered, we had all smeared it all over the plate and eaten half of it!  I made it again this morning, so the photo is of a “personal-sized” serving.  And you know what?  It makes a yummy, unusual breakfast too!  I used sundried tomatoes because I didn’t have any cherry tomatoes (and I don’t care for them anyway.)  Try it and let me know if you love it like I do!

 

Layered Greek Dip

Serves 8 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounce container of hummus (or make your own!)
  • 4 ounces crumbled Feta cheese
  • 6 ounce container of plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 4 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 4 ounces Kalamata olives (or other black olives)
  • 2 green onions, diced
  • handful of parsley, minced

Directions:

  1. On a large plate, spread out the hummus.  Cover with a layer of Feta, then cover that with the Greek yogurt.  Arrange the cucumber, tomatoes, and olives over the top in any way you find aesthetically pleasing.  Sprinkle with green onion and parsley.  Serve with chips or veggie sticks.  Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

 

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Frozen Pea Salad

November 8, 2013 by

Frozen Pea Salad Resized

Here we go, ladies – we’re heading into the holiday season!  Every time I go to the supermarket now I see dozens of magazines at the check out, with photos of glorious turkeys and fantastic centerpieces.  But let’s be honest – not everyone will have to make a turkey this year. In my case, my newlywed brother-in-law and his wife will be hosting Thanksgiving, so they are in charge of the turkey.  But it’s always good to have a couple of  side dish recipes in mind.  I’m usually responsible for making at least one pie and cornbread stuffing, plus some kind of vegetable  dish.  This year, I plan to bring this Frozen Pea Salad.

Before you think I’ve gone off the deep end, No, the peas are not frosty little balls of ice.  They are thawed and cold, but not actually frozen anymore.  The version of this recipe my Mom used to make featured sour cream and a little mayonnaise.  I’ve switched that out for Greek yogurt to up the protein and lower the fat a little bit.  This can easily be doubled or tripled, depending on how many people you are serving, but I would suggest not adding in the cashews and bacon until you are ready to eat, so the textures stay distinct.  It’s sweet and salty, crunchy and chewy, cold and delicious!  If you need an easy, off-beat vegetable side dish, read on, friends!

Frozen Pea Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or more, to taste)
  • 2 green onions, finely sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup salted, roasted cashews (you can break them up a little or leave them whole)
  • 4 slices bacon, fried crisply and drained

Directions:

  1. Take the peas out of your freezer and empty the bag into a Pyrex or other casserole dish.  Set them by the stove as you fry the bacon.  The heat from the stove will help the peas thaw.
  2. Fry the bacon crispy, drain it well, blot with paper towels, and dice.
  3. Are your peas thawed yet?  If not, microwave them for thirty seconds at a time, stirring well each time, just until the ice melts and you can squish a pea between your fingers.  You still want them very cold, just not icy and crunchy.  When thawed and still very cold, drain any extra water in the bowl.  Mix in yogurt and green onion, and season with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  4. When serving, sprinkle the pea salad with cashews and bacon.  If you have leftovers, either keep the cashews and bacon separate, or make sure they stay on top.  If they get mixed into the salad and then saved that way, they will soften up.  It will still be delicious, but it won’t have the crunchy versus soft texture difference that makes this salad so fun!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Oven-Roasted Pork Chops with Lemon-Caper Sauce

November 1, 2013 by

 

Where others have a sweet tooth, I have a sour tooth.  I’ve been known to use only vinegar, and skip the oil, when dressing my salad.  I eat cornichons like other people eat bon-bons.  So when I saw this recipe for Oven-Roasted Pork Chops with Lemon-Caper Sauce, I knew I was going to like it.

Using a recipe from my Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook (which I highly recommend!), I made a few changes to work with what I had.  If you don’t have a shallot, feel free to use a red onion – just mince as finely as possible.  These pork chops were easy, quick, and nearly fool-proof.  They were tart and tangy (but not pucker, so if you are not a sour-lover like me, you won’t be put off.)

Oven-Roasted Pork Chops with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 4 pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 tablespoons oil or bacon fat for cooking
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 3 tablespoons butter

 Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450*F.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat, and brown the pork chops on one side, for about 2 minutes.  Flip and brown the other side, another 2 minutes.
  2. Transfer the chops to a foil-lined baking sheet or large, wide baking dish (so they aren’t crowded or touching each other.)  Roast in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 140*F on a thermometer, about 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through cooking time.  Remove from the oven, place on a platter, and cover with aluminum foil. Let the chops rest for about 5 minutes, and check to make sure the internal temperature has reached 150*F.
  3. While the chops are in the oven, add the shallot to the skillet you cooked the pork chops in, and cook over medium heat until softened, about 30 seconds (about 2 minutes if you are using an onion.)
  4. Increase the heat and add the broth, stirring to scrape up any bits stuck to the pan.  Add the lemon juice and capers and cook until the sauce reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes.
  5. Off the heat, whisk the butter into the sauce, and pour over the pork chops.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

October 25, 2013 by

 

Cheers!

Cheers!

Since the website is called Girlfriend’s Coffee Hour, I think we should have a post actually about coffee!  One of the hardest things I’ve ever done for my health was changing how I took my morning coffee.  I was a teaspoon of white sugar plus half and half kind of girl.  I was also a big fan of Coffeemate creamer – you know, Irish Cream, French Vanilla, Hazelnut – the good stuff. Unfortunately, white sugar first thing in the morning creates a huge insulin spike, setting you up for inflammation, sugar cravings, energy crashes – the list goes on.  And I dare you to pick up a bottle of flavored coffee creamer at the store and tell me what half of those ingredients are. Chemical city!  So I decided to surf the web and find something to jazz up my coffee (because a splash of almond milk just isn’t making magic in my cup.)  After some experimentation, I present to you:  Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer!

This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and processed sugar-free.  I used maple syrup for a little sweetness, but you can use honey or stevia if you prefer.  This recipe calls for an egg.  Try to find organic, best-quality eggs – hopefully you can find a farmer’s market that carries local eggs, because that really lowers any salmonella risk.  If it freaks you out, you can skip the egg, but it really does add body and substance to the creamer.  I keep this in a mason jar in my fridge.  I go through it in about a week and that seems to work well.  It may get solid, and that’s fine – just scoop out a ball of creamer with a tablespoon and it will melt immediately in your coffee.  If you want to make a fall treat for the kids, heat up some milk in a pan on the stove, stir in a quarter cup of the Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer, and garnish with whipped cream and a little extra cinnamon!

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

(makes about 16 ounces)

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (13.5 ounces) full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or try half vanilla and half almond extract!)
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional, but I like it!)

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients to the blender and mix for 30 seconds.  That’s it!  Pour into a jar with a lid and store in the fridge for up to one week.

Enjoy!

Dana

 

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Baked Fish with Cilantro Sauce

October 18, 2013 by

Baked Fish with Cilantro Sauce

 

Monday I went to Costco and found some really beautiful fish.  It was so yummy-looking, I couldn’t pass it up, even though I didn’t know what I was going to do with it.  Google to the rescue!  I went to a site called Epicurious.com that I’ve had luck with before, and found a recipe for halibut, but it said you could use any firm-fleshed white fish.  Bingo!  I changed a few things, and now I’m calling it Baked Fish with Cilantro Sauce!

Use whatever firm-fleshed white fish you have.  I used rockfish, which is like red snapper.  You can also use halibut, cod, and probably even tilapia.   And if you’re not really a fan of fish, I bet you could even get super crazy and make this with thin-sliced chicken breast (though you’ll probably want to cook it a little longer.)  The cilantro sauce is phenomenal!  The original recipe called for shitake mushrooms.  I didn’t have any, so I used regular button mushrooms.  But I really liked the mushroom flavor in the recipe and wished it was stronger.  I would suggest a wild mushroom mix, or maybe portobello mushrooms if you can find them.  Regular button mushrooms will work fine, but if you like mushrooms, maybe use more than the recipe calls for.  And if you can find shitakes, by all means use them!

Full disclosure:  My girls didn’t really like this.  I think this is maybe more of a grown-up dinner.  So make this for you and your adult diners, and maybe throw some fish sticks in the oven for the kids.  That meant I had leftovers.  I ate them yesterday for breakfast … and finished the rest off at lunch!  (Can you tell I really liked it?)

Baked Fish with Cilantro Sauce

(Serves 4)

  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, ends trimmed off (but use the stems too, not just the leaves!)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1-inch piece ginger, peeled
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small squirt Sriracha chili sauce, or other hot pepper sauce of choice
  • juice of one large lemon
  • 1 1/2 pounds filets of rockfish, halibut, cod, or other firm white fish
  • 1 pound green beans, trimmed
  • 1 bunch mizuna or arugula
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450*F. Combine first 7 ingredients (through the lemon juice) in a food processor and blend until mostly smooth.  If you’d like it a little smoother, you can add more olive oil.  Taste and add salt if desired.  Set the sauce aside.
  2. Wash and trim the green beans, and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Place in a covered bowl and add a tablespoon of water.  Microwave for 2 minutes.  You just want to help them along so they can bake in the oven and not still be crunchy when the fish is done.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the mizuna or arugula, sliced mushrooms, sliced garlic,and green beans.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Place in the bottom of a very large casserole dish (like one you would use for lasagna.)  Place the fish filets on top, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
  4. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish filets.  Divide fish and vegetables among 4 plates, and serve with the cilantro sauce.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Creamed Kale

October 11, 2013 by

 

Creamed Kale

My favorite side dish in restaurants is creamed spinach.  There’s just something about it that I crave.  And lucky for me, it’s not hard to make at home.  But spinach is a little fussy – it goes mushy in the fridge really quickly, so I don’t have it on hand unless I’m cooking it that day.  But kale on the other hand … that hearty veggie will hang out in your fridge for a few days without appreciable loss of texture or taste.  So I had 2 bunches of curly kale hogging space in my fridge and decided to see if I could cream it.  In short, yes I did!  Creamed Kale for dinner!

Use whatever hearty green you have – kale, chard, or spinach.  If you are using spinach, just wash and blanch it quickly.  Kale and chard need more time in the pot to soften up, so plan accordingly.  I made this with one part whole milk and one part half-and-half, but I think next time I can just use whole milk.  If you like a richer flavor, use all half-and-half.  As for the onion, I used just a regular brown onion.  I think a sweet variety would be even better, so if you see Vidalias or Walla Wallas, pick one up!  Also, I left it out, but you can certainly add a little (or a lot, your choice) grated parmesan cheese to garnish.  Ready to check it out?  Let’s go!

Creamed Kale

(serves 2 as a side dish)

Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches kale, any kind, or chard, or spinach (see note above if using spinach)
  • 1 onion
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Set a large pot of water to boil.  Prepare the kale:  tear out the tough center stem, and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.  Wash well.
  2. Slice the onion as fine as possible – you want thin strings.  In a large pan, cook the onions in 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring to make sure they don’t burn.
  3. Boil the kale for about 3 or 4 minutes.  You don’t want it too soft – a little chew is nice.  Remove to an ice bath.  When cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as possible from the kale.
  4. When the onions are soft and browning, add the kale to the pan.  In a bowl, whisk together the milk, half-and-half, and cornstarch.  Pour over kale and onions and stir to incorporate.  Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 3 minutes until thick and creamy.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Stir in last tablespoon of butter, then serve hot.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

October 4, 2013 by

 

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Fall is here, and I couldn’t be happier!  One of my favorite cool weather veggies is Brussels sprouts.  I remember growing up, my sister hated them so much, she only managed to choke them down if she smothered them in yellow mustard.  If you have someone like that in your family, reintroduce them to this wonderful, healthy vegetable with this recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Bacon!  This side dish comes together quickly…and, yes, you can feel free to double the amount of bacon in the recipe.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices bacon
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Fry the bacon.  You want it pretty crispy.  When done, remove from pan to cool, but do NOT drain the bacon grease from the pan.
  2. While the bacon is cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts:  Trim off the bottoms and slice in half lengthwise.  Remove any outer leaves that are yellow or spotty.
  3. Add the sprouts to the bacon grease in the pan.  Saute for about five minutes until they start to color a little.  Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover with a lid, so you are now steaming them.  Cook for another five minutes, then remove the lid and cook them uncovered for about 3 minutes.  They should be getting golden and softening up a bit.
  4. While the sprouts are steaming, combine the yogurt and horseradish in a large bowl.  When the sprouts are done and al dente, pour them into the bowl and toss with the yogurt mixture.  Dice the bacon and add it to the bowl, or you can sprinkle it over the top if you like. Season with salt and pepper, and toss again.  Serve warm!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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