Saturday, June 30, 2007

tuna casserole

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup frozen green peas
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained
  • 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup crushed potato chips

DIRECTIONS

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  3. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix noodles, onion, 1 cup cheese, peas, tuna, soup and mushrooms. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and top with potato chip crumbs and remaining 1 cup cheese.
  4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is bubbly.

Arroz Con Pollo


2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-size pieces*
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1/2 cup
onions, chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 (7-ounce) jar "roasted" red peppers, drained
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoons salt or to taste
Pinch of saffron, crushed
1 cup frozen petite peas
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste

In a large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat, heat olive oil; add chicken pieces and saute, turning until browned, approximately 7 minutes. Remove chicken and transfer to a plate; set aside.

In the same frying pan, stir together rice and onion; cook approximately 2 minutes or until rice is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, red peppers, chicken broth, parsley, rosemary, salt and saffron. Return chicken to pan; cover and let simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in frozen peas and pepper; cook until rice is tender and almost all liquid is absorbed, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

watermelon gazpacho

8 cups finely diced seedless watermelon (about 6 pounds without the rind)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt


or

  • approx 3 cups of watermelon, chopped
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
  • dash salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Puree 3 cups of the mixture in a blender or food processor to the desired smoothness; transfer to another large bowl. Puree another 3 cups and add to the bowl. Stir in the remaining diced mixture. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 6 servings, generous 1 cup each.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

dirty risotto

Dirty Risotto
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Italian Southern Comfort

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 link (about 6 ounces) spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 ounces button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.

bean dip

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Dinner and a Movie
White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 pitas
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.

Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.

balsamic chicken

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Dinner and a Movie
Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (giblets, neck and backbone reserved for another use)
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Roasted Wild Salmon with Tomatoes, Basil, and Capers, Parmesan-Crusted Cauliflower, and Rice

Copyright, 2006, Robin Miller, All rights reserved
Show: Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller
Episode: Two if By land, and Two if By Sea
Roasted Wild Salmon with Tomatoes, Basil, and Capers, Parmesan-Crusted Cauliflower, and Rice
Roasted Wild Salmon with Tomatoes, Basil, and Capers, Parmesan-Crusted Cauliflower, and Rice

Cooking spray
6 wild salmon fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon and herb seasoning
4 cups cauliflower florets
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped Roma (plum) tomatoes
1/4 cup slivered basil leaves
2 tablespoons drained capers
4 cups instant brown rice, cooked according to package directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Brush lemon and herb seasoning all over both sides of salmon.

Place salmon on prepared baking sheet. Arrange cauliflower on another baking sheet, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with Parmesan. Roast 15 minutes, until fish is fork tender and cauliflower is golden brown and tender.
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, basil and capers. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Serve 4 of the salmon fillets with tomato mixture spooned over top. Serve half of the rice and all of the cauliflower with this meal. Reserve extra salmon fillets and extra rice for other meals.