Peanut-Orange Marinated Tofu with Stir-Fry Vegetables

When it comes to tofu, I'm not very picky on how it's prepared. Sage and Beckett are another story. I've learned that if I making it at home, they only really care for it when it's been pressed, sliced thin, marinated simply in soy sauce with a touch of sesame oil and baked. Then I almost have to fight them for my share. While I'm pleased to have converted them into tofu-likers, I've been on the lookout for other marinating options I think they will enjoy just for some variety.

The other day, Heather at Where's the Beach shared a peanut marinade/sauce she used on some baked tofu and stir-fried vegetables and it sounded delicious. I had tofu on hand, and I got myself all excited about recreating it...and then I remembered I was out of soy sauce. Naturally, I'd just been to the grocery store that day, and I wasn't going to make a special trip back. Luckily, a couple days later Sage had to stop for something else, and I was able to have him grab it.

This was hands-down one of my favorite meals in recent history. I kept thinking about it for the remainder of the night and made sure to put a claim on the leftovers. Since Heather didn't give exact measurements, I just added the marinade ingredients to taste. I used vegetables I had on hand- carrots, snow peas, zucchini and celery- but you could use red pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, you name it. We had ours with rice, but it would be great over noodles, and if tofu isn't your thing, it would go wonderfully with chicken as well.

Peanut-Orange Marinated Tofu with Stir-Fry Vegetables
marinade/sauce adapted from Where's the Beach
3 generous servings, with the additon of a starch

for the marinade:
1/4 cup reduced sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
1/4 tsp creamy natural peanut butter
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 (16 oz) package extra-firm tofu, well pressed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp olive oil (you could use peanut or canola if you prefer)
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced 1/3 inch thick on the bias
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/3 inch thick half moons
3 green onions, sliced lengthwise and crosswise and separated
2 1/2 cups snow peas
brown or white rice, or noodles, for serving

Whisk together marinade ingredients until well blended. Toss tofu to coat and marinate for at least an hour.

Place tofu in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, and bake in a preheated oven of 350 for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time. Reserve remaining marinade.

After tofu has been baking for about 20 minutes, heat a wok (or large skillet) over medium-high heat. Add oil and once hot, add the carrots and celery. Use a wide, flat spatula to keep the vegetables moving. After a few minutes, add the zucchini and onion and cook (again keeping the vegetables moving) for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables have nearly reached desired tenderness. Add snow peas, baked tofu and remaining marinade, and cook for another few minutes. Remove from heat.

Serve over rice or noodles, as desired.

Coconut Curry Shrimp with Rice Noodles

I absolutely adore Thai food, but when it comes to trying to recreate curries at home, I've never had much luck. Even when I've scouted out some the more authentic ingredients, the results have always just been so-so. But I'm not a quitter, so I keep on trying. I realized the other day I'd had the makings of a Thai-inspired dish, including a can of coconut milk that had been sitting there for over a month waiting for a purpose, so I decided to give it another shot.

Instead of following a recipe this time, I decided to just go with it, and see what I came up with. I did borrow the technique I saw somewhere of using the coconut cream from the top of the can to saute vegetables, which didn't wind up being any amazing step, but I suppose it saved a few calories. I used the vegetables I had on hand- which worked for us as mushrooms, broccoli and carrots are all ones we particularly love- but I do wish I would've had a red bell pepper instead of green. You could switch out the vegetables for the ones you like best.

I was really pleased with the final outcome. It was definitely my favorite attempt of a Thai curry so far and a meal we all enjoyed- even Beckett, a little to my surprise. This certainly isn't authentic, but it was really good nonetheless. I'll still on the search for the perfect at-home curry, but until then, this is will be my go-to recipe.

Coconut Curry Shrimp with Rice Noodles

serves 4

1 (13.5 oz) can of lite coconut milk, opened without shaking first
1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
3 cups small broccoli florets (from 1 large or 2 small crowns)
1 1/2 tbsp red curry paste (or more or less, depending on the brand you use and your personal tolerance for heat)
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
2 large carrots, sliced thin
1 small bell pepper, sliced thin and cut into 1 1/2 inch long pieces
4 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
5 oz. thin rice noodles (vermicelli-style)
11 oz large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
2 tbsp lime juice
sliced green onions and chopped cilantro, for serving

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully scoop the cream from the top of the coconut milk and spoon into skillet. Add broccoli and ginger. Cook for 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining coconut milk with curry paste (use less to start, you can always add more), sugar and fish sauce. Add coconut milk mixture to pan, along with carrots, bell pepper and mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes, or until broccoli is getting close to being tender crisp.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add noodles, cook for 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside. If they began to stick, you can rinse with water.

Once broccoli is nearly cooked to desired tenderness, taste sauce and stir in more curry paste if you'd like. Add shrimp to pan of vegetables, and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.

To serve, divide noodles between four serving bowls, top with shrimp and vegetables, spoon sauce over top and garnish with green onions and chopped cilantro.

Turkey, White Bean and Wild Rice Soup

This old favorite standby is actually the third recipe I ever posted on my blog. Beside the fact that the photo is horribly bad, I used to make it with a seasoned rice packet, which I now realize is full of additives and high in sodium. I decided it was time for a little revamping of the recipe.

These days, I use a wild rice blend purchased from the bulk bins of my favorite, local natural foods grocer. It does take an extra half an hour to cook, but I think its worth it. I'd personally much rather go with a mix of long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, Wehani rice (a nutty, red-colored brown rice) and wild rice pieces over one containing white rice, dehydrated vegetables and monosodium glutamate.


I used to make this soup all the time at Sage's request. Because we don't eat meat that often and I don't make the same dishes over and over as I did years ago, it had been quite a while since we'd had it. I wasn't sure if it would as good as we remembered, but it absolutely was! (I may have even been nitpicking over the distribution of the leftovers for Sage and my lunch the next day.) The best way I can describe this is a cross between a white chili with ground turkey and a traditional turkey and wild rice soup, with the addition of tomatoes. It's a cozy, comforting soup, with just a little of heat. Great for a chilly weather, served with some crusty bread or crackers.

Turkey White Bean and Wild Rice

adapted greatly from allrecipes.com

around 5 servings

1/2 cup brown and wild rice blend, rinsed

1 1/2 cup water

2 tsp olive oil

1 large red pepper, chopped

1/2 large green pepper, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1.25 lb ground turkey

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 (14.5 oz) can of tomatoes with mild green chiles

1 cup of frozen corn, rinsed to thaw

1 (15.5 oz) can of white beans

2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt, or to taste

fresh ground pepper

Bring rice and water to boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 55 minutes. Remove lid, fluff and set aside.

Heat oil in a large stock pot or Dutch Oven over medium. Add peppers and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add turkey and onion, and continue cooking until turkey is no longer pink, using a wooden spoon to break up meat. Drain any fat off.

Add tomatoes, corn, beans, stock and spices. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cooked rice and simmer until just heated through. Adjust seasonings if needed, and ladle into serving bowls.

Mujadara

My grandma, who will be turning 96 next month, is one spunky lady. She managed to live alone into her nineties- still puttering around in her yard daily- but eventually it was decided she would be safer living with my mom. For the first three years, her house sat empty. But when my brother and sister-in-law found out they were having another child, it only made sense for them to move into the significantly bigger house. But that meant 50-plus years of stuff had to be sorted through, claimed, donated and sold first.

I was able to nab some special treasures, including a set of various sized glass bowls (very Smitten Kitchen-ish), the gorgeous teal serving dish from this post, and a set of glass canisters with cork stoppers, among other items. Once I emptied the canisters of their ancient contents and soaked off the 70's-era labels, I had some fun new vessels to store some of my bulk grains and legumes. Now, I am very anti-clutter when it comes to my kitchen counters. By the stove is my olive oil decanter, and salt and pepper. That's it. You will find no toaster, coffee pot, knife set, not even my Kitchen Aid mixer on display. But I decided I could spare a little space for my grandma's canisters.


One day, inspired by seeing brown rice and green lentils side by side, I decided to google those ingredients to see what might come up, and discovered endless versions of Mujadara, a simple Middle Eastern dish of rice or sometimes bulgur, lentils and caramelized onions. I was intrigued and filed it away for another day. When I went to make it, I began looking for which recipe I wanted to use. My search ended when I saw Molly at Orangette had a version of it from several years back.

Despite that fact, there is so little to it, this recipe is very full of flavor, thanks to the caramelized onions. Most versions I saw had them piled on top; in Molly's they are incorporated throughout. I used long grain brown rice instead of basmati, but next time, I may go with the quicker cooking bulgur. With the caramelizing of the onions and the time to cook the rice, this dish takes a while. From pulling out the onions and the cutting board to plating it, it was over 2 hours, but little of that is hands on time and it is seriously good stuff. And what an inexpensive and high-protein vegetarian meal, not to mention one made of pantry staples.

Molly suggests pairing it with a green salad, but I've been serving everything with a salad lately so I opted for roasted carrots instead. Sage chose to eat his Mujardara plain, while Beckett and I had ours with greek yogurt and chopped parsley. I had the leftovers with a squeeze of lemon, which was probably my favorite.

Mujardara (moo-jha-dra)
adapted slightly from Orangette
This is said to serve 4-6, but for us, it was more like 3 dinner sized servings.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 cup green or brown lentils, picked over
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
2 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt, plus extra for serving

to serve: greek yogurt or sour cream and parsley or lemon wedges (optional)

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil of medium. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized and even burnt in spots. This will take about 45 minutes to an hour.

While onions are cooking, place lentils in a medium saucepan, cover with an inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside.

Once the onions are caramelized to a rich shade of amber, stir in rice. Add cooked lentils, water and salt. Mix well and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and continue cooking at a slow simmer. Once all the water is absorbed and rice is tender, it is done. For me, this took about 40 minutes.

If desired, top with a dollop of yogurt/sour cream and sprinkle with chopped parsley, or serve with lemon wedges.

Cheesy Broccoli and Mushroom Rice Casserole

Forgive me for my absence lately. It's been a busy past week and a half for me. I worked quite a bit at the flower shop, which isn't normal for me, plus Sage was out of town for 5 days, also not typical. I got a feel of what it would be like to be a single, working mom...who just happens to be pregnant. I give major props to any pregnant, working, single mothers out in the world. (Especially if they have extremely energetic, precocious 2 1/2 year old boys.)

But even in hectic times, you have to eat, so I still spent plenty of time in my kitchen in the past week and a half. There were several recipes I was very excited to make and took the time to write all my steps down and take pictures...and none of them wowed me at all. The funny thing, this one I'm sharing was something I threw together on a whim after coming home very tired from work one night. It's pretty much a simple casserole, nothing fancy, but it wound up being my favorite thing that I made all week, and definitely something my family wants me to make again.

If you have cooked rice on hand already, this would be ideal for a weeknight. I didn't, but by starting the rice first and then prepping the vegetables, the rice was finished right around the time the rest of the recipe was. I think this screams to be served as a side dish with chicken, but we just had ours along with a huge salad and were completely satisfied. However, I think you could mix in some leftover cooked chicken or even white beans to make it more of a complete one dish meal.

Cheesy Broccoli and Mushroom Rice

I personally prefer my vegetables slightly more on the tender side. The broccoli was just a little crisp for my tastes, but when I suggested that next time I would saute the broccoli a little longer, my husband looked at me as if I had two heads and told me I was crazy. So I'm going to write it as I made it and leave that up to you.

1 cup uncooked brown rice

1 tbsp olive oil

3 broccoli crowns, cut into small florets (about 5 cups)

1 celery rib, finely chopped/minced

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

8 oz. button or cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup vegetable stock

1 cup 2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Combine rice with 1 1/4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 40 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is just slightly undercooked.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add broccoli and celery and season with a few pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper. Saute for 5 minutes. (If you prefer your broccoli a little more tender, here is where I would add a few extra minutes of sauteing.) Next add mushrooms, green onions and garlic, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add stock, bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes, until sauce thickens.

Add cooked rice and half of the cheese and stir well to combine. Turn into a 2 quart baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake in oven preheated to 350 for 15 minutes.

Curry Honey Roasted Vegetables with Chickpeas

You know when you take a perfectly good (and probably wonderful, as is) recipe and change it up so much it bares little resemblance to the original, and thankfully that gamble pays off because it winds up being absolutely delicious? Well, this was one of those meals. The other day, I was flipping through the most recent issue of Everyday Food, and spotted a recipe for a side dish of Honey-Roasted Vegetables, which contained carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnips, as well as with walnuts and thyme.

I didn't have parsnips or sweet potatoes, but I did have a golden acorn squash, a butternut and a few carrots, which I figured would work well. I was also out of the walnuts, but I thought I'd just sub in chickpeas, making it more substantial and suitable for a main dish. Now here is where I really took the recipe in a different direction: I decided not to use the thyme. Which if you know my love of the the herb, you realize this is strange. But I decided to go out of my comfort zone, and use curry powder instead. Since we don't always love a lot of curry seasoned dishes, I began to fret as this went in the oven, trying to think up a Plan B, just in case.

I need not have worried- this was awesome! Since I had some cooked brown rice in the freezer, I made a last minute decision to serve it with rice, which went perfectly. A sprinkle of cilantro, and I had a wonderful meal I felt quite proud of.

Curry Honey Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas
as an entree, serves 3
adapted from Everyday Food's Honey Roasted Vegetables, October 2010

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
1 golden acorn squash (around 1 lb), peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 (16 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
cooked brown rice and chopped cilantro, for serving

Preheat oven to 375. Arrange squash and carrots in a 3 quart baking dish.

In a glass measuring cup, measure the honey. To this, add olive oil, garlic, curry powder and ginger. Using a fork, whisk until blended, and pour over vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Roast until carrots and butternut squash are tender (acorn squash will have broken down a little bit, helping to "thicken" the sauce), about 40 minutes. Add chickpeas, stir, and return to oven for 5 minutes.

Serve with rice and cilantro.

Quick Chickpea Curry

If I posted all of the chickpea recipes I made, you probably think I was some kind of garbanzo bean loving freak. I guess I actually am, because I just can't get enough of them. So much that I tore a recipe out Everyday Food that was clearly Indian inspired, even though I don't typically enjoy Indian food. The problem was I couldn't seem to get myself to make it for fear I wasn't going to like it. Every week, I'd wind up making something in its place and pushing it to the next week.

After three or four weeks of this, I decided it was time to finally just make it. Only to discover once I started it, I was almost out of curry powder and didn't have enough. I could have just went with an alternative dinner plan, but after talking myself into it, I suddenly have to have it. That night. I didn't want anything else. So I improvised with additional spices, and then I figured since I was changing it up already, I might as well make a few others.

I'm not sure how different it would've been as originally written, but I loved the outcome and so did Sage. He did say it would be great with a little heat to it, which is surprising because he is usually a wuss about spicy food. Regardless, it was a winner in our house. I served it with white rice just because I had some already cooked in the freezer, but I think it would be great with brown rice too. The recipe claims to serve 4, but you would definitely have to bulk it up with rice and a big salad or a side of vegetables in order to get it to stretch that far.

Quick Chickpea Curry
adapted from Everyday Food (I believe it is from the February 2010 issue)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander
1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick
pinch of ground cloves
3 1/3 cup cooked chickpeas, or 2 (15 oz.) cans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp ketchup (I thought this was strange, but it worked.)
1 (14.5 can) petite diced tomatoes
2/3 cup water
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
chopped cilantro, for serving
lemon wedges, for serving
brown or basmati rice for serving, if desired

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon stick and cloves. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in chickpeas, ketchup, tomatoes and water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until sauce is slightly reduced, about 5-10 minutes.

Serve topped with cilantro and lemon wedges, and rice if desired.

Sweet Potato, Spinach & Peanut Butter Stew

The other day, I woke up with the combination of sweet potatoes and spinach in my head and wanted to pair them together in a soup. While spinach and sweet potatoes can be found together in many recipes, I had a hard time finding one I wanted to try. Either I was missing lots of ingredients, or they were more of an Indian-inspired recipe. I'm not sure why, but I don't usually care for most Indian dishes.

Then I began thinking of a favorite in our household, Peanut Butter Chicken. So I googled "sweet potato, spinach and peanut butter," and found tons of recipes! I found that combo is traditional in West African stews. Again, most of these I was missing ingredients, so I just decided to take my PB Chicken recipe and adapt it. It was a gamble for sure, but one that paid off because it was so good! Even Beckett loved it (but then peanut butter, sweet potatoes and mushrooms all rank in his top favorite foods list.) I will be experimenting with more vegetarian versions of PB Chicken in the future!

I intended garnishing this with cilantro, but forgot. And then forgot again, when we had the leftovers, but I imagine it would go well.

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large carrot, diced

2 medium sweet poatoes, in small dice (around 3 cups)

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz. sliced button mushrooms

1 3/4 cup vegetable stock

2 oz. (1/4 cup) tomato sauce

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I use crunchy, but either will work.)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1/2 (9 oz.) bag baby spinach

hot cooked rice (We had ours over Jasmine)

cilantro, for serving

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and sweet potatoes to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the stock, tomato sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir peanut butter into the sweet potato mixture until smooth. It will be quite thick, so add a little extra of the broth to thin the sauce. Add spinach to pan, and wilt. If needed add more of the broth to bring to desired thickness (I didn't measure, but I used somewhere between 1/2-3/4 cup broth to get the consistency I wanted.)

Serve over rice and top with cilantro, if desired.

Brown-rice Salad with Spinach, Tomatoes and Grilled Chicken

After weeks of too-cold weather and hearty wintery foods, this lighter salad (and the much warmer temperatures that occured the day we had it) was a pleasant and welcomed change. Found in the January issue of Everyday Food, it may have seemed almost better suited for the summer time, but with the additional of some grilled chicken, it really was a substantial (and delicious) dinner that we quite enjoyed.

I did reduce the amount of rice by a half cup and added extra spinach, but left most everything else the same. We topped it with two grilled chicken breasts (but I only photographed it with one, so you could see the other elelments.) The chicken really added to this salad- I think it would've been a little boring with out it (and that's coming from someone who really isn't that crazy about chicken a lot of the time,) and the red-wine vinaigrette with its subtle hint of dill was a perfect compliment. As a dinner salad, with the additional of the chicken, this fed 2 adults and 1 toddler perfectly, although as originally written, I believe it is meant as a side dish to serve 4.

adapted slightly from Everyday Food magazine, January issue

for the dressing:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red-wine vinegar

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (I only had about a 1 1/2 tbsp to put in mine)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (room temperature)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 in. by 1 1/2 in. pieces

3 cups baby spinach

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

seas salt and fresh ground pepper

2 breasts of chicken, pounded thin and seasoned with salt and pepper

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Set aside.

Add rice, cucucmber, spianch and tomatoes to serving bowl. Drizzle with dressing, season generously with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Grill chicken until no longer pink inside. Allow to cool slightly, slice and top salad.

Chicken Mushroom Saute With Wild Rice

I consider myself lucky to have a husband who loves nearly all of the same foods as me. However, when it comes to favorites, I prefer veggies and pasta, and he loves chicken and rice best. I am always trying to find ways to make chicken and rice dishes for him, but in ways that I'll enjoy it more too. I'm not much for the method of eating where you have a piece of meat, a starch and a veggie. But that's just because I don't usually care for the piece of meat to begin with.

After yellow rice, Sage's favorite is a long grain and wild rice blend. Everytime I say I am making rice, he asks if it can be wild, and I have to explain to him why wild rice wouldn't go with our Asian or Italian inspired dinner. So, I based this meal around the rice since it had been a while. I know it isn't much to look at, very bland in color, but it was so good! The Strognaff-like sauce it made was on the thin side, but absolutely delicious. Despite it not being thicker, I spooned extra on mine after taking the picture. Most nights we can hardly get our little guy to eat, but because this really only made enough for 2 servings- not 2 plus a toddler- naturally he tore this up and wanted seconds. That's saying a lot- Beckett's got a tiny appetite. This would also be just as yummy as a vegetarian meal. I was enjoying the rice and veggies so much, I gave Sage all of my chicken.

1 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 large chicken breast (or 2 smaller ones,) cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 medium sized onion, chopped

1 stalk of celery, diced

10 large button mushrooms, sliced

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup of chicken broth

1/4 cup lite sour cream

2 cups cooked, hot long grain and wild rice blend (mine was from a box that had seasonings- garlic, parsley, etc.)

Heat oil in a skillet. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until they are white on all sides, but not cooked completely. Remove using a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add onion and celery to pan, cook for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic, and cook for 3 additional minutes.

Return chicken to pan and add broth. Cover and cook (keeping on medium heat) for about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Add a few spoonfuls of broth from the skillet into a small bowl with the sour cream. Mix well, and add to the chicken mixture. Let simmer for a few minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, spoon chicken and vegetables over cooked rice. Add as much of the sauce to plate as desired.

Week 10: NE Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints- Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

When I first starting looking over the Patriots schedule in regards to the food I'd be cooking, we were most excited for when they'd be playing the Saints. Too bad it was such a lousy game for New England. We did have a very tasty dinner though!

I'm sure Jambalaya might be an ordinary choice considering all of the amazing food New Orleans has to offer. I'm still having aversion issues with seafood, and I had my elderly grandmother staying with us and had to keep in mind what she could eat. There are so many recipes and variations of jambalaya out there, but I decided upon one made with chicken and sausage.

I was first looking at Cajun/Creole recipe sites, but most of those have pretty strict rules about reposting recipes. The one I decided on was from allrecipes, and I did make a few minor adjustments to it. It was really good, with a rich tomato taste that I love, but both Sage and I decided we weren't crazy about anduille sausage. I used it because it was more authentic, but we both prefer the turkey smoked sausage that I've used in jambalayas in the past. I had to keep mine less spicy due to sensitive tongues, but served it with extra hot sauce at the table.

adapted from allrecipes, serves 5-6

2 tbsp olive oil

cajun (or creole) seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's)

3 links (12 oz.) andouille sausage (or either regular or turkey smoked sausage)

3/4 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped (It should be a green one, but I only had red)

2 stalks celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz) can of diced (or crushed) tomatoes

1 (6 oz.) can of tomato paste (can reduce if you're not into such a rich tomato base)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (I omitted and served tableside)

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 cup chicken stock or broth (original recipe calls for broth, but stock seems to be more authentic)

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Saute sausage until browned. Remove with slotted spoon, and set aside. Season chicken pieces with Cajun/creole seasoning. Add remaining oil, and saute chicken pieces until lightly browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

In the same pot, saute onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic until tender. Stir in tomatoes and paste, and season with red pepper, black pepper, salt, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce and parsely. Stir in chicken and sausage. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the rice and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. (My rice took over 30 minutes to become ready.)

Artichoke Mushroom Chicken Picatta

This tasty dinner came about because I had some mushrooms to use up. I was thinking of just doing something like spaghetti, but then chicken picatta popped into my head and the idea of doing a variation of it sounded great. Plus I knew my chicken-loving husband would be happy, especially if it was served over rice.

I typically think of chicken picatta as having white wine, but I didn't have any, and I included artichokes as well as the mushrooms, so it wasn't quite traditional, but it was delicious. Sage loved how tender the chicken was. I intended on thickening the sauce up at the end, but as I was plating it, I realized I'd forgot. It was fine though because the rice soaked up the thin juice.

We ended up having my cousin and her son join us for dinner, and I wasn't sure how far 2 breasts would go, but with the additional of a big salad and having the chicken over rice, it was plenty of food for three adults and two toddlers. (Okay, the little guys didn't eat much, but there was still some leftover chicken.) This was an easy dinner to make and a nice one for deciding on last minute, as most of the ingredients were things I always have one hand.

2 chicken breasts
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp light butter substitute, divided
1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 small onion, choppped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz. sliced mushrooms (using the entire 8 oz. pkg would be good too)

1 (14 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained, tough parts removed and coarsely chopped

1 tbsp capers

juice of 1 lemon (around 3 tbsp)

3 cups cooked brown rice

Pound chicken to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut each breast into 3 fairly equal sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper

In a shallow bowl, mix flour and paprika together. Dredge each piece of chicken into flour mixture. Tap off excess. In a skillet over medium heat melt one tbsp of butter and the olive oil together. Add chicken to pan, and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Remove from pan.

Use a small amount of the broth to deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits. Add remaining tbsp of butter to pan. When melted, add onions, and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms, cook for 3 more minutes. Add the rest of the broth, the artichokes, capers, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Return chicken to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

As the mom of an extremely active toddler, sometimes cooking dinner can be a challenge. Inevetably, everything needs attention at once-straining one pot, uncovering and stirring another, pulling something out of the oven, and realizing I forgot to prep an ingredient that is needed right then. This is made even more difficult by the toddler who is standing there asking me for a hug or a refill of his sippy cup. Sage is happy to help, but sometimes a kid just needs his mommy.

Because my time in the kitchen is supposed to be fun-time, I've found the afternoons, when he is napping, to be the best time to "play." A great way to get dinner going earlier in the day, is to make something in my crock pot. I love the ease of slow cooking, but I tend to do it when I'm home, unlike most people. When I was still working, I rarely used it when I was going to be gone all day- pretty much because I never had time for all of that chopping of vegetables or browning of meat before work.

This easy soup was a spur of the moment decision. I was planning on trying out a new vegetarian meal later, and I suddenly felt like making something special for my hubby instead. He is a lover of chicken and rice (in any form) so I wanted to create something something around those 2 ingredients and thought a soup would be nice. I gave him a choice of brown or wild rice (even though I knew which he'd pick) and he said: If you don't know the answer to that by now, I want a divorce. So wild rice it was. I had a package of mushrooms, without any plans to use them, so in they went. I didn't season the soup when it went into the slow cooker, and at the end, on a whim, I tossed in some Franks Red Hot. This was a great addition! It gave this yummy soup more depth, without adding much heat.

1 large chicken breast, halved
1 stalk of celery, diced
3/4 cup chopped carrots
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes, undrained (I used one with onion and garlic)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup wild rice blend (mine included bulgur wheat, barley, and basmati)
1 1/2 cups water
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
several dashes of ceyenne pepper sauce, or to taste

Add first eight ingredients to crock pot. Cover and cook on high for three to four hours. Remove chicken and shred or chop. Return to crock. (My chicken was done after three hours, so let it cool while my veggies finished cooking, which allowed me to shred it.)

While soup is in the last hour of cooking, bring (rinsed) rice and water to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 55 minutes. Fluff and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add to crock pot. Season with salt and pepper and pepper sauce.

Quick and Easy Chickpeas and Rice

I often see bloggers say they somewhat enjoy when their husbands are not joining for them to dinner. They can experiment in the kitchen, without worrying if it doesn't work out, or that they can make something their husbands don't like. I love sitting down as a family eating dinner, so of course I'd much prefer that, but when I am going to cooking for 1 (and a half) I try to take advantage of it, too.

Last night though, I was looking more forward to sitting down, once the little guy went to bed, with a glass of wine, and watching this week's episode of America's Next Top Model on DVR (my guilty pleasure, a show Sage despises) than what I was going to make for dinner. So I just threw something together and wound up absolutely loving it. It really isn't much of recipe, but it was so yummy and comforting, I decided to post it anyways. The only thing that took any time at all was the rice, and if you prefer an instant rice, you could have this meal in about 20 minutes.

I could've sworn I'd bought zucchini, which I wanted to put in this- but they aren't in my refrigerator, so I guess I didn't. Onions, celery and mushrooms, in one combination or another, wind up in so much of what I make that I almost consider them a non-vegetable. So with my only other vegetable being carrots, I worried it would be lacking in the veggie department; it wasn't. The great thing about a dish like this, you could really make it with almost any veggies. Another wonderful thing about this, a small portion is very filling. I was going to have salad afterwards, but I was too full. I'm not on my own for dinner too often, luckily, but I'm pretty sure I have a new go-to for a quick and easy meal for myself that I can change up without whatever I have.

makes two small servings

1/2 cup uncooked long grain brown rice
1 1/4 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped very small
1/2 small onion, choppped
3 oz. mushrooms, coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 (16 oz.) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2-3 tbsp tamari
juice of 1/2 large lemon
fresh ground pepper
chopped parsley

Bring rice and water to boil in saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes or until done.

With about 15 minutes left of the rice's cooking time, heat oil in a skillet. Add celery, carrots and onion and cook for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softening. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. Add chickpeas and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are done.

Add tamari and lemon juice and season with pepper. Fluff rice and stir into chickpea mixture. Serve topped with parsley.

Week 3: NE Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons- Vidalia Onion Chicken and Rice

Okay, so this week is a stretch. When I looked up food Atlanta is known for, all I could find was Coca-Cola and Chick-fil-a. Well, I don't drink soda, and of all the types out there, I dislike Coke the most. Chick-fil-a, I enjoy on occasion, but I didn't feel like trying to recreate a Char-grilled Chicken Sandwich, which is what we get.

So, I figured I'd have to do something Georgia is famous for- Peaches, Pecans, Peanuts or Vidalia Onions. I decided on the onions. Now here is the first reason it's a stretch: From what info I was able to find, Vidalia onions are from South Georgia; Atlanta is more North. But they are the official state vegetable. And I chose to include rice, which was a staple food in historical Georgia, because of all of the rice plantations.

And now for the biggest reason this meal is a stretch (to me:) I really cheated with this one. I used store-bought Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette as the base of this sauce. I even adapted this from the recipe off the bottle. It was already in my fridge, and I guess I was feeling a little unadventurous this week. But it was quick and easy, and actually pretty good. Sage liked it better than me, but then Chicken and Rice- in any form- is his favorite meal. Because I didn't want an overwhelming salad dressing taste, I added extra milk, but then I thickened it up at the end with a tiny bit of cornstarch and cold water, but it could be omitted. I paired this with roasted carrots and steamed broccoli, which I'm sure has nothing to do with Georgia, but I wanted to use up.

I promise I have something more exciting planned for next week!

Slightly adapted from Virgina Brand Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette

1 cup uncooked brown rice

1 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and pepper

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/3 Vidalia or sweet onion, sliced

1/2 cup Virgina Brand Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette

1/2 cup milk

cornstarch (optional)

Add rice to 2 1/2 cup water, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes.

When rice has about 20 minutes left, heat oil in a skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan with onions. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Mix milk and vinaigrette. Add to skillet and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 6 minutes, or until chicken pieces are cooked through. If desired, add a small amount of cornstarch to cold water. Blend completely and add to skillet. Stir until it returns to a boil, about 1 minutes.

Serve chicken and sauce over rice.

Peanut Butter Chicken

One of Sage's favorite dinners I make regularly is Peanut Butter Chicken, a dish that has what I suppose would be considered a Thai-like flavor. For no particular reason, it's been a while since I've made it and he wanted to know why. Last night his mom and sister joined us for dinner, so we wanted to make this for them, and they loved it.

I will admit, it's not the prettiest looking meal out there. The color of the sauce is a little odd but it is so yummy! I usually use three colors of bell peppers just to add extra color, although I didn't have a red in last night's.

My version of this is quite modified from the original I found a while back on allrecipes.com I use way more veggies, and one of the most important additions to mine is using tomatoes with green chiles instead of plain. It gives just the right amount of heat and compliments the other ingredients so well. Sage loves to top this with chopped peanuts or cashews when we have them. I hope you enjoy this house favorite much as we do!

2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups bell peppers, choppped (any color combination)
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
seas salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (8 oz. pkg.) sliced mushrooms
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild chiles, with juice
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
juice from 1/2 of a lime
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 - 3/4 cup peanut butter (I use chunky natural)
hot cooked white rice, for serving (I use Jasmine)

4-6 servings
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken, stirring frequently until chicken becomes white on all sides. Add onion, mushrooms, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring constantly until onions are translucent.
2. Add tomatoes, broth, tomato paste and lime juice. Reduce heat and simmer uncooked until chicken is cooked through (about 10 minutes.) Stir in peanut butter beginning with 1/2 cup. Stir constantly until the sauce begins to thicken (this will take about 2 minutes.) Add additional peanut butter if too thin.
3. Serve with rice.

Spanish-style Chicken with Saffron Rice (Arroz con Pollo)

Last night I made another special dinner for Sage. When we began dating, he was working nights as a bartender, so cooking himself dinner wasn't something he did often, but when he did, his favorite meal was saffron rice, chicken and peas. Guess what my very least favorite meal growing up was? (Well, other than other than ham.) So that means he's been able to eat it maybe three times in the past eight years!

But I thought perhaps a more authentic version I might like better, and even if I didn't, it was about him, not me. There are so many versions, because different countries prepare it differently. I choose a Spanish version. Why, I don't know. I just picked one. Maybe because the Spanish ones had tomatoes?? I will admit, I did like it. I found it a little bland, but I thought the olives really enhanced the overall flavor, but Sage pushed his aside, saying they were too salty. Of course, he really enjoyed this meal, but he also would've been just as happy with a package of Vigo yellow rice with peas only and chicken tossed on the George Foreman grill.

This recipe makes a lot. It calls for two cups of rice (which produces something like 6 cups of cooked rice!) I would've cut that back if I wasn't too lazy to try to figure out how to reduce the amount of liquids. Luckily I have a I hubby that likes leftovers. I cut back on the chicken, due to my personal preference, since I only ever take a small serving it for myself, but if you use the entire amount this would easily feed 4-6 people.

Spanish Style-Chicken with Saffron Rice, from Epicurious.com

1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces (I used 3 breasts, halved)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used 2 tbsps)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used 1/2 of a red and a whole green)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons paprika (I used sweet paprika)
2 cups long-grain white rice (I used Jasmine long grain)
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes including juice
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 bay leaf (not California)
1 cup frozen peas (not thawed)
1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped (mine were just sliced)

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet (at least 2 inches deep) over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate.
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet (that's all that was in my pan) and add onion, bell pepper, and salt to taste. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, and rice, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil, uncovered, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, saffron, and bay leaf. Nestle chicken in rice, adding any juices from plate.
3. Cook, covered, over low heat until chicken is cooked through, rice is tender, and most of liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. (It took much longer for my rice to become tender- more like 25 minutes, but it may have just been my rice.) Remove from heat and stir in peas, olives, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover skillet and let stand 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

This recipe claimed to take about half hour of hands-on time and an hour total. I tend to take my time in the kitchen (I have no problem spending an hour making dinner) but this dinner definitely took well over an hour and half. We went ahead and fed Beckett something else, and as I was cooking, Sage tells me to look and this is what I saw:

Sweet Potato Risotto

My hubby loves rice, so I wanted to make him risotto. I imagined it would be delicous with sweet potato- another of his fave's- so I did a quick search and found a recipe. I've never attempted risotto before, but I wasn't intimidated by the thought of all the stirring. Sage was impressed when he discovered that's what I was making though.

I'm not sure why, but my potatoes were a little firmer than I would've liked. I even added a little extra water and cooked it longer. Even though it didn't come out perfect, I still wanted to include it on the blog because the flavor was excellent and the consistancy was just right. I think the potatoes should've cooked a little longer before the rice was added, perhaps going in at the beginning with the onions. I will give this another shot in the future, maybe after I've mastered a basic risotto.

I know this is a lousy picture. I couldn't get the risotto to not come out blurry no matter what I did, and I had a hungry family waiting on me. Oh well, I never claimed to be an amazing photographer!

Sweet Potato Risotto, Real Simple

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (I used a reduced amount of dried)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

2.Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed.

3. Measure 3 1/2 cups of water. Add 3/4 cup at a time and cook, stirring occasionally and waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. It should take 25 to 30 minutes for all the water to be absorbed.

4. Stir in the Parmesan and oregano.

Apple Walnut Rice

My mother-in-law brought us a big bag of walnuts today. I was trying to decide what to make for dinner, and in my mind I kept pairing the nuts with apple...and brown rice? My husband loves rice (I'm a pasta girl at heart) and I've learned to enjoy rice a lot more in the past few years.

I jumped on allrecipes.com as I so often do for inspiration. I found such a recipe, although made with instant white rice, and I totally made my own version. I paired it with turkey kielbasa, which in my opinion was kind of a nice contrast with the salty and sweet. While he LOVED the rice, Sage didn't care for the two together so much. We both decided it would go perfect with pork tenderloin. Next time I'd like to add chopped celery but I didn't have any. And I may make less, since it isn't great leftover.

1 ½ cup plus ¼ cup water, divided
1 cup apple juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of celery seed
1 cup long grain brown rice
½ cup chopped onion
Cooking spray
1 small apple, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

1. In large saucepan, bring 1 ½ cup water and apple juice to a boil. Add rice, cinnamon, salt, and celery seed. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sauté onion in small skillet coated with cooking spray.
3. When rice has cooked for 45 minutes, add ¼ cup water, sautéed onion, apples and walnuts. Cook 5-10 minutes or until rice is done and apples lose their crispness.

Turkey Bean Soup

This hearty yet healthy soup is actually an old favorite at our house. Sage asks for it often and we like it regardless of the weather.

I found it years ago on allrecipes.com, but other than the ground turkey and cannellini beans, I've totally changed quanities and added or deleted ingredients. I don't ever measure the spices, so I've included the orginal quanties as a guideline, but I'm sure I use way more. You can easily change up the ingredients to suit what you have on hand. Other than the accompaniment of crackers or crusty bread for dipping, for us this a filling meal in itself.

1 (4.5 oz.) pkg of long grain & wild rice with seasoning (I use Mahatma)

olive oil

1 1/2 cups assorted bell peppers, chopped small

2 ribs of celery, chopped (I rarely have this on hand, so I use a few pinches of celery seed)

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 med. onion, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 small can of corn (or 1 cup frozen)

1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinced and drained

1 (14.5) can tomatoes with mild green chilies

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

salt to taste

.

1. Cook rice according to package.

2. In dutch oven, heat just enough oil to saute peppers. Cook peppers (and celery if using) for 5 minutes. Add ground turkey and onion, and cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat.

3. To pan, add broth, tomatoes, corn, beans, and spices (including celery seed if using.) Bring to a boil.

4. reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are to desired tenderness and soup is heated through.

5. Stir in prepared rice.

6. Allow to cool slightly before serving, which enhances the flavor.