Crunchy Noodle Salad

Adapted from Ina Garten

Nick and I hosted our 2nd Annual Deep Fry party this past weekend. The concept is that everyone brings something to deep fry, and we all share in the goodness that is produced! Not that I wouldn't love to only eat deep fried foods, but I wanted some variation for those that cannot eat a lot of fried food (including myself). I had seen this recipe on the Food Network and it looked quite tasty! I would recommend serving this immediately instead of letting it sit in the refrigerator for too long. The dressing was so delicious and I think it would be tasty on other items as well. I did alter this recipe a little so that it wouldn't be too oily. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1/2 pound thin spaghetti
• 1 pound sugar snap peas (I wouldn't use frozen)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1-2 bell peppers (I used yellow), cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
• 3 scallions (with and green parts), sliced diagonally
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Lift the sugar snap peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain. For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl. Combine the spaghetti, sugar snap peas, peppers and scallions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and the parsley and toss together.

Fried Arancini

Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

As I mentioned in a previous post, Nick and I hosted our 2nd Annual Deep Fry party this past weekend, which was a major hit! I mean, who doesn't love throwing multiple food items into a deep fryer? Exactly. Each guest brings something to fry and we had quite the variation this year. I was lucky to be able to try fried avocado, fried asparagus, fried buffalo chicken egg rolls, fried chicken wings, fried onion rings, fried jalapeno poppers, deep fried turkey (thanks to Nick), and fried candy bars and Oreos. My contribution was Fried Arancini (risotto balls). I am a sucker for these things and decided I would attempt them myself. They turned out very well, served with my homemade marinara sauce. Don't be intimidated by risotto or these risotto balls. They really weren't difficult! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 cups Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs, for breading
• 1-2 tb finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 4 ounces Smoked Mozzarella, at room temperature, cut into 16 (1/2-inch) cubes
• oil, for frying (we used peanut oil)

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep the broth hot. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup hot 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. Cook the rice until tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Spread on a cookie sheet and cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Put the bread crumbs in a medium bowl.

With damp hands, using about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture, form the mixture into 1 3/4-inch diameter balls. Make a hole in the center of each ball and insert a cube of smoked mozzarella. Cover up the hole to completely enclose the cheese. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat. You have two options to fry: use a deep fryer and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes OR in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about 1/3 of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. (If you dont have a thermometer, a cube of bread will brown in about 2 minutes.) In batches, fry the rice balls, turning occasionally, until golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with marinara sauce.

Skillet Pork Sirloin Roast with Roasted Veggies

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I love buying pork. It's usually very cost efficient and there is always a certain cut on sale. This go around I went with a sirloin roast, which was only about 1.5-2 pounds. This was a really satisfying meal and as usual, was great for leftovers :) I did throw together the parsley sauce which we are obsessed with, just to top off the pork! Yum.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tb Lawry's seasoning salt 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (1.5-pound) boneless pork sirloin roast
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
• 1 zucchini, cut into bite sized chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• approximately 1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, thyme, and garlic. Season all sides of the pork with the Lawry's seasoning salt and pepper. Spread the dijon mixture over the pork and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Combine the vegetables in a bowl and add olive oil, melted butter, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Pour the vegetables into a deep cast-iron skillet, and cook for 30 minutes. Add the pork loin to the pan, along with the chicken broth and cook for another 15 minutes and then remove the vegetables from the pan (cover to keep warm). Continue cooking the pork until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the pork reads 155 degrees (approximately another 30 minutes). Place the meat on a cutting board, cover it with aluminum foil, and let it to rest for 7 minutes. Cut the pork into thick slices, and arrange the meat and vegetables on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. If using, top the pork with the parsley sauce.

Shrimp Avocado Salsa

Adapted from Skinnytaste Blog

I have been on the hunt for healthy food items, especially for lunch. I usually love to rely on leftovers, but sometimes we eat it all (oops).  I can thank my new obsession, Pinterest, for this recipe idea. I stumbled across it and it just sounded so refreshing and delicious. The main changes I made were that I scaled it down (just wanted a portion for myself), eyeballed everything, left out the jalapeno because I didn't have any, and added avocado (just because it's so yummy and it's healthy)! I highly recommend this recipe, especially during the spring and summer!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb peeled, deveined shrimp (I took tails off)
1 tomato (I actually used about 4 cherry tomatoes), diced
1/4 red onion, diced
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 limes (depends on your preference for lime - I love it)
1/2 avocado, chopped into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
splash of olive oil

Directions:
Toss the shrimp in a bowl with the zest and juice of half a lime, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet over aluminum foil and bake/roast at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro. Once the shrimp are out of the oven and cooled, dice and add to the salsa mixture. Add the juice of the other half of lime. Stir together and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. I did mine overnight. The next morning (this morning), I cut up half an avocado and threw that in along with the juice of another half lime. At lunch time, it was fantastic!

Spicy Basil Chicken

Adapted from Cooking Light


Who doesn't love spice and basil? This dish caught my eye because of the basil, but also because I love Thai type dishes. I don't actually know if this qualifies as Thai or a different type of Asian cuisine, but regardless, a lot of them catch my eye! This was a nice healthy alternative because there were no rice or noodles involved (in my version), and you can add whatever vegetables you desire! I went with fresh broccoli, which was wonderful. I think next time snow peas would be fantastic too. This would go well with noodles or rice, for those lucky enough to not have to watch what you eat these days!

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 minced shallot
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 tb fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar 
• 2 tb lower-sodium soy sauce 
• 1-2 dashes sriracha sauce
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sliced basil leaves
• 1-2 cups fresh broccoli, cut into florets 

Directions:

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots to the pan; cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the chicken to the pan; cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often, until cooked through. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Toss in the broccoli. Combine the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, sriracha, water, and cornstarch together, stirring with a whisk. Add the mixture to the chicken, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture thickens, stirring to coat chicken and broccoli. Remove from heat then add the fresh basil. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Easter Dinner - 3 Cheese Potato Gratin

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Yum. This was just heavenly. I thought there was no way 3 of us would kill this entire dish, but we did. It was absolutely delicious and will definitely be a new favorite! I followed the directions for the most part, but did switch up the cheese a little. I also used all yukon potatoes, instead of using one yam. Nick isn't a fan of yams, so figured I'd just stick to regular potatoes. This is a real treat, enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Butter, for greasing the baking dish
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated gruyere cheese (about 5 ounces)
• 1/2 cup finely grated fontina (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, optional

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until tender and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir 1 minute. Add the cream, broth, rosemary, salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat. Mix all the grated cheeses together in a medium bowl.

Arrange one-third of the potato mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with one-third of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers twice more ending with a layer of the cheese mixture. Pour the cream mixture over the layers and cover the pan with foil.

Bake the gratin until the potatoes are almost tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the potatoes are tender and golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let the gratin rest, 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, if using, and serve.

 

Easter Dinner - Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Courtesy of Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman)

I cannot find words to describe how delicious this Easter Dinner was...it was difficult to stop eating! If you've never made a beef tenderloin, you are missing out big time. Do not let it intimidate you. It's not the cheapest item by any means, but it was so worth it! Most tenderloins you see are between 5-6 pounds. I asked the butcher to cut one of them down to about 3 pounds. This fed 3 very hungry people, and we had a serving left over. You can either ask the butcher to trim the meat for you, or you can do it yourself. This is definitely one of my favorite things I have ever made. This will now be our Easter tradition :) and maybe Christmas too since it was so delish. I served this with a homemade potato gratin dish, which can be found here.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole (3 lbs.) Beef Tenderloin
• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup Whole Peppercorns, More Or Less To Taste
• Lawry's Seasoned Salt (Or Your Favorite Salt Blend)
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• Olive Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse meat well. Trim away some of the fat to remove the silvery cartilage underneath. With a very sharp knife, begin taking the fat off the top, revealing the silver cartilage underneath. You definitely don’t want to take every last bit of fat off—not at all. As with any cut of meat, a little bit of fat adds to the flavor. (Hint: you can also ask the butcher to do this trimming for you if the process seems intimidating.) Sprinkle meat generously with Lawry’s. You can much more liberally season a tenderloin, because you’re having to pack more of a punch in order for the seasoning to make an impact. Start with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. Rub it in with your fingers. Sprinkle both sides generously with lemon & pepper seasoning. (There are no measurements because it depends on your taste, but be sure to season liberally.)
Place the peppercorns in a Ziploc bag, and with a mallet or a hammer or a large, heavy can, begin smashing the peppercorns to break them up a bit. Set aside. Heat some olive oil in a heavy skillet. When the oil is to the smoking point, place the tenderloin in the very hot pan to sear it. Throw a couple of tablespoons of butter into the skillet to give it a nice little butter injection before going in the oven. A minute or two later, when one side is starting to turn nice and brown, flip and repeat. Place the tenderloin on an oven pan with a rack. Sprinkle the pummeled peppercorns all over the meat. Press the pepper onto the surface of the meat. Put several tablespoons of butter all over the meat. Stick the long needle of the thermometer lengthwise into the meat. Place it in a 475-degree oven until the temperature reaches just under 140 degrees, about fifteen to twenty minutes. Stay near the oven and keep checking the meat thermometer to make sure it doesn’t overcook.
Let meat stand ten minutes or so before slicing, so the meat will have a chance to relax a bit. To serve, you can spoon the olive oil/butter juices from the skillet onto the top of the meat for a little extra flavor.

Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken

Courtesy of Cooking Light

I have had this recipe on my list for a while now and tonight I finally decided I was in the mood for chicken. So, maple mustard chicken it was! It was nice in that it has a sweet, yet hint of mustard taste. I used deli mustard instead of stone ground, just because that's what I had on hand. I literally had every other mustard besides stone ground, but this one worked just fine. If I made this again, I would probably add more mustard. It was a quick and easy chicken dish, which is great during the week! As always, this makes great leftovers :) NOTE: I was not able to use the sauce after taking this out of the oven - it was way to syrupy and thick already.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon deli mustard (or your favorite mustard, but not honey mustard, that would be sweet overkill)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. Add chicken to pan; sauté 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add broth, syrup, thyme, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vinegar and mustard; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan, and spoon mustard mixture over chicken. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Place pan over medium heat; cook mustard mixture 2 minutes or until liquid is syrupy, stirring frequently. Serve with chicken. 

Eli's Asian Salmon

Courtesy of Ina Garten / Food Network

I feel like most of my postings start off with "I was watching the Food Network and knew I had to make this...". Well, that is exactly what happened, so I apologize if there's a trend. I love salmon and it's an added bonus that it's healthy :) I served this with some sauteed spinach, but you can serve it with whatever you desire. I will say  one thing about this recipe...while it was delicious, I did feel that the panko was a bit soggy, so be careful not to overdo it with the panko (I think that was my problem). Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 pounds center-cut salmon fillet (1 1/2 inches thick)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste (I used sriracha)
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions (2 scallions)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (8 large cloves)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Directions:

Line an 8 by 12-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Place the salmon in the pan. In a mixing cup, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, scallions, garlic, and ginger. Pour 1/3 of soy sauce mixture over the salmon fillet. Sprinkle the panko evenly over the fillet. Pour the rest of the soy sauce mixture evenly over the panko. Be sure to soak the panko completely and if any runs off, spoon back onto the salmon. Set aside for 15 minutes, leaving all the sauce in the pan. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Roast the salmon for 18 to 20 minutes, or for about 12 minutes per inch at the thickest part of the salmon. The internal temperature will be 120 degrees F on a meat thermometer when it's done. Remove from the oven, wrap tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.*NOTE: I would be careful with the cooking time - be sure to check it since mine actually took less time.