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Stuffed Artichokes (with blue cheese)

May 15th, 2013 by idiotskitchen

Hello Artichokes!

It’s spring! Time to commune with your favorite edible thistle!

If you’ve never had artichokes (other than possibly the frozen or marinated artichoke hearts), you’re in for a treat.

It’s a little bit of work to get those spiny pine cone looking things ready to eat, but once you start cooking your own artichokes, I predict you will be hooked.

Each leaf has a bit of “meat” that you scrape off with your teeth in an effort to get to the heart of the artichoke. That’s the prize waiting under all those layers.

The traditional French method of artichokes is a lovely steamed bulb served with creamy, lemony hollandaise sauce for dipping. I prefer Italian method of stuffing the artichoke with a combination of breadcrumbs, herbs, and cheese.

Here’s what you need:

IMG_6858

Artichokes, Lemon, Garlic, Breadcrumbs, Olive Oil, Pepper, Parmesan/Romano Cheese, Blue Cheese (optional but SO good) and Salt (not pictured).

Click here for a Stuffed Artichokes Shopping List

Put a large pot of water on the stove over high heat and bring it to a boil.

While you are waiting on the water to boil, prepare the artichokes by cutting the stem off and removing the very outer layer of small, hard leaves near the stem.

The stem is actually edible and quite good. If you want to eat it, trim away the outer green layer and cook it along with the artichoke bulbs.

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Posted in Appetizers/Snacks, Dinner, Italian, Sides, Vegetarian, Veggies | 6 Comments »

Sweet Potato Waffles

May 10th, 2013 by idiotskitchen

Sweet Potato Waffles!

This was my husband’s rather brilliant suggestion for breakfast last weekend. While we were out walking Sunday morning, I asked if he wanted breakfast when we got home. Not only was the answer a resounding “yes,” but he also fired out the idea for sweet potato waffles!

Apparently I married a genius when it comes to breakfast.

I happened to have 2 sweet potatoes already cooked that didn’t make it into the previous evening’s dinner. If you want to plan ahead, for the best flavor, bake a sweet potato the night before and put it in the refrigerator so it is all ready to go for breakfast.

Here’s what you need:

1 baked sweet potato, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, 2 eggs, orange zest, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, cinnamon, milk, canola/vegetable oil, and vanilla (not pictued). Chopped pecans (also not pictured) are optional but recommended.

Click here for a Sweet Potato Waffles Shopping List

Be sure you have butter and real maple syrup too!

As I mentioned, you can save yourself some time by baking the sweet potato ahead of time. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and poke a few holes in a medium sized sweet potato. I bake mine on a piece of foil right on the oven rack just in case the potato oozes while it cooks. Bake the sweet potato until soft and squishable, 45-60 minutes depending on size.

If you don’t have time to bake the sweet potato, you can also peel it and cook it in a pan of boiling water until fork tender. I’ve been told that you can also microwave sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes on high but I’ve never tried it. I think that baking gives the sweet potatoes the best texture and flavor so that’s the method I use.

For the dry ingredients, combine 2 cups of flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.

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Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Quick & Easy, Vegetarian, Veggies | 7 Comments »

Black Bean Veggie Tamale Pie

May 7th, 2013 by idiotskitchen

I’ve been on a bit of a Mexican/Tex Mex/Southwest cooking kick lately.

Somehow, I’m guessing that most of you won’t mind.

This happens in my weird cooking brain when I make one dish and it’s so good that I think, “Oh, I should make that with chicken!” or “Oh, I should make that with veggies!” or “Oh, I wonder if that could be in enchilladas!” All of those things happened here in the last couple of weeks but this Black Bean Veggie Tamale Pie was my favorite, so it gets to go first!

I love tamales but don’t always have the time (and and good lard) to make them. This is FAR from authentic for you tamale lovers (once again, please refer to the photo of me with red hair and freckles), but it has all of the basics of tamales in a pie or casserole form.

Plus, I like that unlike traditional tamales, with this dish you can go way overboard in the ratio of veggies to cornbread. You are only limited by how much your baking pan can hold.

Here’s what you need:

Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Sweet Potato, Zucchini, Cilantro (or parsley), Frozen Corn, Corn Meal, Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Milk, Vegetable or Canola Oil, Egg, Black Beans, Enchilada Sauce, Diced Green Chiles, Pepper Jack Cheese, Ground Cumin (not pictured), Chili Powder (not pictured), Salt & Pepper.

Click here for a Black Bean Veggie Tamale Pie Shopping List

In my grand experiment of tamale pies, I have tried crust on the top and crust on the bottom. Both were good. Today we’re going for crust on the bottom.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine 2/3 cup corn meal, 2/3 cup flour, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk to thoroughly combine all of the dry ingredients.

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Posted in Casseroles, Dinner, Mexican/Southwestern, Vegetarian, Veggies | 6 Comments »

Cucumber Basil Elixir

May 3rd, 2013 by idiotskitchen

TA DA!

Behold, my new favorite cocktail. I bet you were expecting bourbon or chocolate. Ha!

Cucumbers, Basil, Limes, and Gin. Say yes. Say yes right now if you have roofers pounding over your head. (Really, I’ll try to wait until 5 pm, but no promises.)

This little beauty is my take on a cocktail called the Palafox Fizz (???) from the latest Southern Living Magazine.

Trust me, you’re going to want to stop on your way home and get all the ingredients.

Here’s what you NEED:

Gin, Cucumber, Lime, Basil, Sugar, and Club Soda.

Click here for a Cucumber Basil Elixir Shopping List

Simple syrup made even simpler. Technically, you’re supposed to boil water, add the sugar, dissolve, let it cool…

Screw that. Heat 1/4 cup of water in the microwave. It doesn’t even need to be boiling, just hot. Add 1/4 cup sugar. Stir. Dissolve. Let it cool a bit while you make the rest of the drink.

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Posted in Drinks/Cocktails, Quick & Easy, Veggies | 13 Comments »

Let’s Grow Herbs!

May 2nd, 2013 by idiotskitchen

With my apologies to those of you still having winter in May…Let’s grow fresh herbs!

Henry invites you to take a small tour of the patio. He’s very diligent about checking out each and every pot – mostly to see if it provides a tasty snack or better access to the palm overhead.

Fresh herbs are an amazingly easy way to spruce up almost any dish. Thankfully you can buy a wide variety of herbs packaged in the grocery store but many people don’t realize how easy it is to grow your own.

You don’t need a big garden either. I have very little sun or space in my current yard for a garden so I have all my herbs in pots on the patio.

Come take a look!

THYME is one of the herbs that I throw in almost everything from soups and sauces to salad dressings. This is standard thyme (also called English thyme) but you can also get flavored plants as well. Lemon thyme is my absolute favorite and will be joining the patio pots after the next trip to the garden center.

One of the great things about thyme is that when it is fresh and tender, you can just toss the sprigs into your recipes without even stripping the tiny leaves off the stems. It adds a nice bright flavor and is one of the herbs that I think is DISTINCTLY different and better fresh than in dried form. Dried thyme always tastes like turkey dinner to me while fresh is much more light and grassy. Easy Skillet Chicken with Herbs, one of my favorite recipes, uses lots of fresh thyme and rosemary.

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Posted in Blog Posts | 11 Comments »

Chicken Pommery

May 1st, 2013 by idiotskitchen

Chicken Pommery  or Chicken with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce.

My extremely patient mother in law has been waiting for months for this recipe. The hold up has been that although this is a recipe I make quite often, I very seldom make it the same way twice.

My dad adapted this recipe from a Chicken Pommery served at the late, great Bellucci’s Restaurant in Kansas City. This was always one of my favorite dishes on their menu but their version was SINFULLY good – full of heavy cream and served over pasta. We’ve lightened things up quite a bit for a more healthful take on their recipe.

The name Chicken Pommery is from the wonderful French Pommery Mustard that comes in this neat ceramic crock.

I can occasionally find it at Whole Foods (and you can even order it from amazon), but it’s pricy. Unless I can find it on sale, a good whole grain mustard like Maille or even Grey Poupon is a fine sustitute.

Here’s what you need:

Chicken Breasts, Butter, Shallots or Onion, Mushrooms, Whole Grain Mustard, Capers, White Wine, Olive Oil, Chicken Broth*, Salt & Pepper.  (heavy cream optional)

Click here for a Chicken Pommery Shopping List

I usually use shallots in this recipe so if you have a large shallot, slice it nice and thin. If not, about 1/4 of a medium yellow onion will do. Thinly slice 8 oz of fresh  button mushrooms.

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Posted in Chicken & Poultry, Dinner, Quick & Easy | 4 Comments »

Sweet Potato, Sausage & Bean Soup

Apr 26th, 2013 by idiotskitchen

You probably already know how much I love Italian Sausage. It’s my #1, go to comfort food.

So it’s not surprising that this is one of my favorite soup recipes. It’s similar to two other soups that I make – Tuscan Bean Soup and Italian Wedding Soup, but since chunks of rich, savory Italian Sausage replace the meatballs, it’s much quicker and less fussy to make.

Beans and Greens (kale!) round things out for a bowl of soup that is pretty hard to beat.

This is a recipe that makes a big pot of soup. Enough to feed a crowd or for plenty of good leftovers.

Here’s what you need:

Italian Sausage, Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Onion, Garlic, Cannellini Beans, Chicken Broth, Water, Pasta, Pecorino Romano Cheese, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper.

Click here for a Sweet Potato, Sausage & Bean Soup Shopping List

Gus hasn’t realized yet that this recipe does not include chicken. I think it’s funny how many ingredient pictures I’ve taken to find him hiding in the background.

Finely chop one large onion. Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until tender but not browned.

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Posted in Dinner, Italian, Pork & Lamb, Quick & Easy, Soup & Stew, Veggies | 3 Comments »

Couscous with Butternut Squash & Pancetta

Apr 23rd, 2013 by idiotskitchen

A friend recently asked if I ever cook any of the recipes I find on Pinterest.

The answer is YES to recipes and a resounding NO to the many crafts I have pinned. In fairness to me, I did title my craft pin board “Crafty Stuff I Need Someone Else to Do For Me.”

Many of the recipes I make once and never again. Several have even made it here to Idiot’s Kitchen. However, this recipe for Couscous with Butternut Squash & Pancetta should win some sort of Pinterest inspired award. I have made it at least 4 times including once in back to back weeks.

Sometimes you can just look at the ingredients and know that you’re going to love it. That’s the case here. Pretty hard to go wrong with Pancetta (Italy’s version of bacon) and Butternut Squash.

As a bonus, this highly versatile dish can be served as the main entree, a side dish (I’ve served it with both salmon and grilled chicken), or as a salad. It’s equally delicious served hot or cold.

Here’s what you need:

Butternut Squash, Pancetta, Shallots, Garlic, Lemon, Parsley (or Cilantro), Chick Peas, Pearled Couscous, Chicken Broth, Olive Oil, Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes, Salt & Pepper.

Click here for a Couscous with Butternut Squash & Pancetta Shopping List

The most difficult part of making this dish is peeling and cutting up the squash. I’ve yet to find a secret method for this task except to say that investing in a Good Vegetable Peeler with a nice cushy handle is key. Cut the top or stem end off the squash remove the skin down to the bright orange flesh. You might have to take a few extra swipes with the peeler once you have the outer hard rind removed to get to the really nice part of the squash.

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Posted in Dinner, Pasta, Quick & Easy, Salads, Sides, Veggies | 1 Comment »

Saucy Balsamic Tomatoes

Apr 18th, 2013 by idiotskitchen

Saucy Balsamic Tomatoes! So simple and SO good.

When I was looking for the recipe for Salmon with Savory Lentils I found another Barefoot Contessa salmon recipe that was served on a bed of quickly sautéed tomatoes. I was torn between the two recipes until I got the bright idea to make the salmon and BOTH the lentils and the tomatoes.

I’m so glad I did as these tomatoes were a real treat. Incredibly quick and easy to put together, they would be a fantastic little side to almost any fish, chicken, or meat. They would also go great with quinoa or couscous for a light vegetarian dish.

The bonus is that since they are made with cherry (or pear shaped) tomatoes, you can make them all year round and not just in the summer when tomatoes are in season.

Here’s what you need:

Cherry Tomatoes, Onion, Garlic, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Fresh Basil, Salt & Pepper.

Click here for a Saucy Balsamic Tomatoes Shopping List

Finely chop 1 medium onion – about 1 cup, and 2 cloves of garlic.

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Posted in Appetizers/Snacks, Dinner, Italian, Quick & Easy, Sides, Vegetarian, Veggies | 6 Comments »

Salmon with Savory Lentils

Apr 16th, 2013 by idiotskitchen

I used to hate lentils.

Not lentils swimming around in soups and stews but lentils in a pile on a plate? No thanks.

I think that’s because I’d never had really great lentils. They were always an afterthought, sometimes not cooked all that well, and boring.

So imagine my surprise that I not only enjoyed these lentils (and the accompanying salmon), but I LOVED THEM.

When Jim tasted this dish the other night he pronounced it to be “restaurant quality”. What’s even better is that it is pretty quick and EASY!

Here’s what you need:

Salmon, Green “French” Lentils, Onion, Leeks, Celery, Carrots, Garlic, Thyme, Chicken Broth, Tomato Paste, Red Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper.

Click here for a Salmon with Savory Lentils Shopping List

The method for cooking these lentils requires a quick 15 minute soak. Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Rinse and pick over 1 1/8 cup of small green French lentils to remove any foreign bits. When the water comes to a boil, remove the pot from the heat, add the lentils, cover, and let them soak for 15 minutes.

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Posted in Dinner, Quick & Easy, Seafood, Sides, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

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