Good For Casual Company or Anytime

I was recently at a friend's house for dinner and had a great meal that I knew I must try to replicate at home. Of course, I didn't think to make it myself until the day I realized we were having company over that night. Although I couldn't get in touch with my friend to get her recipe, I was able to find a similar recipe from Emeril, who always seems to get cajun cooking right in my book. I have adapted the recipe slightly to mimic what I was looking for, but you can certainly add your own spin on the dish, making it more or less spicy or even adding a different protein like chicken. I find that it is a great meal for company, and I love to serve it with spinach salad. 


Jambalaya Pasta with Penne, Shrimp, & Andouille 
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse
Serves 4-6


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plus 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 pound dry penne rigate
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp
• 2 tablespoons or more of Cajun seasonings, like Tony's 
• 3/4 pound andouille sausage, diced into small half-moons
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, small diced
• 1/2 cup red or green bell pepper, small diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (optional, I left this out)
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I added a little more for extra creaminess)
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (or more, for added flavor)

Directions:

Fill a large, 1-gallon stock pot with a pasta insert, 3/4 full with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add 1/4 cup of the salt as it boils. Place the penne in the salted water and return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta until nearly al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

While the pasta cooks, set a 14-inch saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, swirl the pan to evenly coat with the oil. Season the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place the shrimp in the pan and sear for 1 minute per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add another tablespoon of the olive oil to the saute pan and season the chicken breast with 2 teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. 

Place the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the saute pan and add the sausage, onions and bell peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is lightly caramelized and the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape with a spoon to remove any browned bits that have formed in the bottom of the pan, about 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes, fresh thyme, the remaining tablespoon of Essence and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the pan and cook an additional 2 minutes. Return the shrimp and chicken to the pan, as well as the nearly al dente pasta and the reserved 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp is cooked through, the pasta is al dente and most of the pasta cooking water has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the basil and Parmesan. Toss to combine and serve while hot.

Spinach Salad:

Ingredients: one bag of baby spinach, washed, one pint of sliced strawberries, 1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds or chopped pecans, and creamy poppyseed dressing (I use Brianna's). You could also add blue cheese or parmesan if desired. 

Directions: Toss and serve immediately. Serves 4+

Easy, Light Dinner

Here's an easy, weeknight dinner I threw together below. This meal is nothing fancy, but the flavors worked really well together. You could easily substitute some of your own favorite ingredients for the ones below. Also, if you are making the recipe for children, you can always separate the parts on their plates to give them what they like. Enjoy!

Weeknight Salad with Rotisserie Chicken 
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
3/4 bag of lettuce or greens of your choice
1/3 bag shredded carrots
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c toasted sliced almonds or chopped pecans
1-2 ripe, diced avocados
balsalmic dressing
1 rotisserie chicken (the flavor I used was lemon pepper, you could always just use leftover chicken)

Directions:
Toss first six ingredients in a bowl. Top with sliced, warm rotisserie chicken. Serve with wild rice and/or hearty grain bread.

Perfect Side for Your Next Cookout

By about halfway through the summer, I begin to get really tired of some of the traditional cookout sides...you know, potato salad, macaroni salad, etc. (actually, I am always tired of macaroni salad). Anyways, I have been going to our local farmer's market a lot this summer and I love how I can find all of these ingredients there. Plus, everything tastes so fresh and can be put together in less than 30 minutes. Although it says to serve this salad hot, it is great at room temperature too. Hope you enjoy my new favorite side!

Confetti Corn Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 small orange bell pepper, 1/2-inch diced (or red, but not yellow as it blends with the corn)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Kernels cut from 5 ears yellow or white corn (4 cups)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil (you could substitute chives)

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir in the bell pepper and saute for 2 more minutes.

Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Over medium heat, add the corn, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the corn just loses its starchiness. Season to taste, gently stir in the basil or other green herbs, and serve hot.This is an easy recipe to double or even triple.

"Husband-Approved" Blue Cheese Dressing & Spinach Triangles

So, a few nights ago, my husband asked what we were having for dinner and I replied, "Spanakopitas." After responding with a quizzical look and "Bless you," I wondered if this would be a dinner he would enjoy. Not only was this dish better known as Spinach Triangles foreign to him, but our meal would also include homemade blue cheese dressing, something I wasn't sure he was a huge fan of. To top it all off, this meal was entirely vegetarian.

The blue cheese dressing was a cinch. Simply throw all the ingredients into the food processor and get the consistency to your liking. However, the Spinach Triangles took a little more effort. I actually cut the recipe in half for just the two of us and we still had leftovers. Don't be discouraged, though, it is worth the work, and next time, I plan on making them in advance and baking right before dinner. I also included orzo topped with tomato sauce and parmagian as a side, which went nicely with the meal. At the end of the meal, all plates were clean and my husband fevervently requested that I make it all again very soon!

Green Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound Roquefort (or any good blue) cheese, divided
• 1 cup good mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons tarragon wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 heads green lettuce, washed and spun dry (I prefer Bibb)
• 3 pounds heirloom tomatoes, mixed colors and sizes, sliced (could also use grape tomatoes)

Directions:

For the dressing, crumble half the Roquefort cheese, the mayonnaise, heavy cream, vinegar, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until combined but still chunky.

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter and place the tomatoes on top. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes. Crumble the remaining Roquefort and sprinkle it over lettuce and tomatoes.

Yields: 6-8 servings. I cut this recipe in half and still had leftover dressing. It should keep in the fridge for about a week or so.

Dinner Spanakopitas

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped (I omitted)
• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
• 4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups small-diced feta cheese (12 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (I omitted)
• 24 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling (I used regular salt)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan, add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the scallions, and cook for another 2 minutes until the scallions are wilted but still green. Meanwhile, gently squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl.

When the onion and scallions are done, add them to the spinach. Mix in the eggs, Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Gently fold in the feta and pine nuts.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough flat on a work surface with the long end in front of you. Brush the dough lightly with butter and sprinkle it with a teaspoon of bread crumbs. Working quickly, slide another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first, brush it with butter, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. (Use just enough bread crumbs so the layers of phyllo don't stick together.) Pile 4 layers total on top of each other this way, brushing each with butter and sprinkling with bread crumbs. Cut the sheets of phyllo in half lengthwise. Place 1/3 cup spinach filling on the shorter end and roll the phyllo up diagonally as if folding a flag. Then fold the triangle of phyllo over straight and then diagonally again. Continue folding first diagonally and then straight until you reach the end of the sheet. The filling should be totally enclosed. Continue assembling phyllo layers and folding the filling until all of the filling is used. Place on a sheet pan, seam sides down. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with flaked salt, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the phyllo is browned and crisp. Serve hot. 

Yields: 12 triangles (two per person). I cut this recipe in half. 

Guacamole Salad

I am always trying to find fun, interesting sides to serve with hamburgers. You know, something besides potato salad and baked beans (both which my husband hates). Guacamole salad is a great alternative and even better, requires no cooking. So, save the cooking for the grill and enjoy this anything but boring side!

Guacamole Salad

Ingredients

* 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
* 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (can omit if desired)
* 1/2 cup small diced red onion
* 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
* 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
* 1/4 cup good olive oil
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
* 2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced (I used 3 because I LOVE avocados)

Directions

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

What I served with it: hamburgers, chips, and for dessert...Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes (recipe to come later)

Broccoli & Bow Ties Pasta Salad

This is a pasta salad that I need to make more often. The dressing is really flavorful, so even if you don't like the broccoli, you could substitute artichokes and add sun dried tomatoes. You could also substitute whole wheat pasta. This is the kind of salad I make early in the week and eat all week, but you could also serve it with chicken for dinner.


Broccoli & Bow Ties

Ingredients


* Kosher salt
* 8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)
* 1/2 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 lemon, zested
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1/4 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts
* Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions

Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pignolis and cheese, if using, and serve.

To toast pignolis, place them in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, for a couple minutes, until light brown. Be sure to watch them so they don't burn.

Healthy Grillin'

Here are two great recipes for the grill. Some of my favorite recipes come from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, and these two are of no exception. Her show on the Food Network is what fills my TiVo, much to the chagrin of my husband. The first is Tuscan Lemon Chicken, a whole flattened chicken that is grilled using bricks or a ceramic dish.

A few suggestions about this recipe:
*When using the ceramic dish to hold down the chicken, first cover it in aluminum foil so as not to ruin the dish.
*Have the butcher cut the back out of the chicken for you. Ina says this is easy to do, but why bother if you don't have to? Most butchers will do it free of charge and you can save the extra piece for stock.
*Keep in mind that if you are using a gas grill, you may have to cook the chicken in the oven even after it has been grilled in order to cook it all the way through. The same is true if you buy a chicken that is larger than suggested in the recipe.

Now that we have that out of the way, here is the first recipe.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

* 1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, flattened
* Kosher salt
* 1/3 cup good olive oil
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
* 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 lemon, halved

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating.

When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on 1 side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread most of the coals across half of the grill. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the opposite side of the grill and place the dish you used for marinating on top of the chicken to weight it. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again with the dish, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

The second recipe is called Grilled Panzanella, which is an Italian bread salad. Sounds kind of weird, but it is really tasty and fairly simple. I served the two recipes together and it was a great combination. Here is the recipe below...

Grilled Panzanella

Ingredients

* Good olive oil
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
* 1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
* 10 large basil leaves
* 3 tablespoons capers, drained
* 1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
* 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
* 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
* 1/2 small ficelle, cut into 1-inch thick slices

Directions

Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals. Brush the grilling rack with olive oil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Place the cucumber, tomato, basil and capers in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together. Set aside.

When the grill is ready, brush 1 side of the onion slices and the peppers with olive oil. Place them, olive oil side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Brush the other side with olive oil, turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board. Slice the peppers 1/2-inch thick, separate the onion rings and add them both to the cucumber mixture.

Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and toast them on the grill until golden. Add them to the cucumber mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together. Serve warm.