Quinoa Pine Nut Pilaf, by Cheryl

This post goes hand in hand with the California Turkey Chili recipe that I just posted. It's an excellent accompaniment to the chili as well as a side dish to other recipes as well - I think chicken dishes would be great with it! And it's sooooo easy to make! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups quinoa
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (or Italian parsley)
1/3 cup pine nuts

Directions:

1) Cook quinoa according to package directions using chicken broth instead of water, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter pine nuts on a small rimmed baking sheet (I used my toaster oven). Toast the nuts until golden, about 5 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet.

3) Mix the cilantro and pine nuts into the quinoa.

Steamed Moroccan Vegetables, by Diane

This is a recipe I created to mimic the side of vegetables I get at Moroccan restaurants. They always serve a mixture of squashes, carrots, and potatoes on the side and for whatever reason they are the most tastiest part of the dish! They are also super healthy as they're steamed and spiced with lots of anti-inflammatory ingredients. But my favorite part is how they melt in your mouth with a complex and uniquely Moroccan flavor.

I did some research and found a few web recipes, which I mixed together to create the dish. I also added leftover shredded rotisserie chicken to make it more filling for my carnivorous counterparts. The dish turned out really great, and I will definitely be making this again!!


Ingredients:

approx. 32-64 oz. chicken stock, unsalted
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
4 large carrots, peeled
1 large butternut squash, peeled
2 medium acorn squash
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup raisins (any color is fine)
1.5 tbsp each: ginger, cumin, sweet paprika
1 tbsp each: cinnamon, kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 handful each cilantro and parsley sprigs
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted and tossed in 1/4 tsp honey

Directions:

1. Cut all veggies into large chunks (they should not be bite-size) and place at the bottom of a large soup pot in the order listed (quickest to cook will be at the top).

2. Add in broth until it covers 2/3 of the veggies, then add in remaining ingredients through seasonings.

3. Lay the sprigs across the top and cover, cooking for about 30 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Do not lift lid until 20 minutes has passed, and only stir once towards the end as you don't want to let the steam escape or break apart the veggies.

4. Remove sprigs, drain (save some of the broth to pour over the veggies if you want more flavor, or to cook couscous in as a side dish), and sprinkle with almonds.

Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Soup, by Diane

This recipe comes from cooking light. It was a total hit!! One of those dishes that gets better with time, and is super comforting on a cold day. I didn't wind up making the stock from scratch, so I just used store bought stock and a rotisserie chicken, but it still came out amazing! My only fix would be to add the thyme in earlier to help it cook out the flavor, and to get it in underneath the dumplings (mine stuck to the tops of the dumplings and were very intense in flavor bc they didn't cook). Definitely a make again recipe!!

Ingredients:

1 (4-pound) whole chicken
10 cup water
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped (about 6 ounces)
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 ounces)
2 bay leaves
1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges (about 10 ounces)
1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 2 ounces)
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sliced celery
1 carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Remove giblets and neck from chicken; trim excess fat. Place chicken, 10 cups water, and next 7 ingredients (through parsley bunch) in an 8-quart stockpot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 1 hour, skimming foam from the surface as necessary. Remove from heat, and let stand for 20 minutes.
2. Remove skin from chicken; remove chicken from bones, discarding skin and bones. Shred chicken with 2 forks. Strain stock through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Cool stock and chicken to room temperature. Cover and chill stock and chicken separately for 8 to 24 hours. Skim solidified fat from surface of stock; discard fat. Reserve 8 cups stock and chicken. Refrigerate remaining stock in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion, 1/4 cup celery, and sliced carrot to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and ground pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in 8 cups reserved stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces flour (about 1 cup) into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk. Cut in remaining 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring until moist.
5. Drop dough in 24 portions (about 1 teaspoon each) into stock mixture. Cover and cook 8 minutes. Gently stir in reserved shredded chicken and thyme. Simmer over very low heat for 6 minutes or until thoroughly heated and dumplings are done. Remove from heat, and ladle into shallow bowls. Sprinkle evenly with chopped parsley.

California Turkey Chili, by Cheryl

Served over quinoa pine nut pilaf

Holy spiciness Batman! If it weren't for the extreme spiciness of this dish I would give it five stars. The flavors really pop out and I could taste the cloves and cinnamon in this amazing chili. I got the recipe from Giada's cooking show, Giada at Home. Paired with her quinoa pine nut pilaf (next post) it is savory and delicious. But I would cut down the spice by 2/3 because we couldn't enjoy it the way we wanted to. Nonetheless, I will be making this again with that very slight, but important modification. Yum!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 large poblano chilis, stemmed, seeded, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1.5 pounds ground turkey
1 tbsp flour
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tbsp chili powder (I would reduce this to 1 tbsp next time)
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp (packed) dark brown sugar
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano (I used regular)
kosher salt and ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves (I used 1/4)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Quinoa and Pine Nut Pilaf (next recipe)

Directions:

1) Heat the oil in a heavy, large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, poblanos, and onions. Saute until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.

2) Add the turkey and saute until no longer pink, breaking up the turkey, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over and stir to blend.

3) Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, cloves, and cinnamon. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring to blend.

4) Add the broth and the beans. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the flavors blend and the chili thickens to desired consistency (about 1 hour), stirring every 20 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper.

5) Eat plain or ladle the chili over the quinoa pine nut pilaf.

Noodle Kugel, by Cheryl

I barely had time to take a picture before it was just about gone!

Jon and I decided to host our first "Break-the-Fast" dinner to end Yom Kippur at our new home in Chapel Hill. There are quite a few other Jewish fellows and residents working at Duke so this worked out perfectly... we went over to other people's houses for Rosh Hashanah dinner so why not return the favor and make new friends while we're at it? Even though not many people were fasting (one of the plusses of being pregnant right now... hey I need some positives at this point!) we held a traditional break-the-fast meal with bagels, lox, whitefish salad, tuna salad, cream cheese, and kugel. I had never made it before, but decided to give it a try with a recipe I found on the Food Network. Not only was it super easy, but it was fantastic!!! The entire dish was gone in minutes and people were looking for more! I will definitely be making this again for other Jewish functions! Yum!

Modified from here

Ingredients:

1 package (12 oz) medium egg noodles
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 pound cottage cheese
1.5 cups sour cream

6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 raisins

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375.

2) Boil the noodles in salted water for about 4 minutes. While noodles are cooking, combine all remaining ingredients together in a large bowl.

3) Strain the noodles and combine with the bowl mixture. Mix.

4) Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake until custard is set and top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Ravioli with Tomato, Arugula, and Pancetta, by Cheryl

Hooray for U.S. television again!!! More specifically, hooray for cooking shows that I have missed while being abroad! Before moving overseas I used to watch Giada a lot and have gotten a lot of recipes from watching her show. Since being back I've watched quite a few episodes and that's where I got this recipe from. Since you're not making the ravioli from scratch this recipe is pretty easy and is very good. I think it needed a little bit more flavor so I put more salt on it as I was eating it. But I tend to like a lot of salt on my meals as well. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 pound cheese ravioli
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (I used bacon)
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, plus extra for seasoning
3 cups arugula
1/2 cup thinly sliced basil leaves, divided
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Directions:

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli and cook according to package instructions.

2) In a large non-stick skillet of medium-high heat, add the pancetta, and cook - stirring frequently until crispy. Remove to paper towels to drain.

3) Add the tomatoes, olive oil, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper, and cook for two minutes until tender.

4) Add arugula and 1/4 cup of basil and cook until wilted.

5) Stir in butter and melt. Add the ravioli and cooked pancetta and toss until coated.

6) Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

7) Garnish with the remaining basil and serve.

Flank Steak with Tomato-Balsamic Sauce, by Cheryl

I found this recipe in Cooking Light Magazine and it incorporates a lot of ingredients that I love: tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and steak! It's a super easy recipe and was very tasty. They recommend putting the sauce on top of the steak, but I like to control how much sauce I use so I put it on the side. I served it with an ear of sweet corn and sweet potato fries (not pictured). I would definitely make this again. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 pound flank steak, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup torn fresh basil, divided
1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced and divided

Directions:

1) Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, swirl to coat. Sprinkle with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add steak to pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or to desired degree of doneness. Transfer steak to cutting board; let stand for 5 minutes. Cut across grain into thin slices.

2) Add shallot and garlic to pan; saute for 1.5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add vinegar, and cook for 1.5 minutes or until liquid is almost evaporated. Add tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup green onions, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 2 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and have released some of their liquid, stirring occasionally. Serve tomato mixture of sliced steak. Sprinkle with remaining basil and green onions.

Ratatouille with Goat Cheese Polenta, by Diane

This week I made an awesome dinner- filling, delicious, and full of veggies! Served with a side of grilled chicken seasoned with italian herbs, it was the perfect pairing. Ratatouille is a french dish but this recipe had an italian flair. It consists of layered summer veggies with lots of fresh herbs, and looks very similar to a lasagna at the end:

Using fresh tomato sauce is key for this recipe! As for the polenta, it comes together quickly and pairs perfectly with the sauce and veggies. My only suggestion is to increase the cooking time on the ratatouille to around an hour, unless you like your veggies with a little crunch (I did, family did not).

Recipe is from: http://skinnyms.com/ratatouille-with-goat-cheese-polenta/

Ingredients

Ratatouille:

1 medium eggplant
1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash
1 medium red bell pepper
3 cups prepared marinara sauce
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Goat Cheese Polenta:

3 cups water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups medium grind cornmeal
1/4 cup low fat milk
1 teaspoon butter
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Fresh basil leaves, slivered, for garnish


Directions:

Make the Ratatouille: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Slice all the vegetables as thin as possible using either a sharp knife or mandolin slicer, doing your best to slice them as uniformly as possible. Layer them in a 9x9 casserole dish one vegetable at a time, seasoning with salt and fresh ground pepper between each layer, until you run out of vegetables.

3. Pour the marinara sauce overtop of the veggies, covering well, and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil. 

4. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

About 10 minutes before the ratatouille is done, make the polenta:

1. Put the water, garlic, and salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal to the pot, turn down the heat to medium low, and stir with a whisk until liquid is absorbed and no clumps remain. 

2. Stir continuously for about 5 minutes and then add the milk, butter, and half of the goat cheese. Stir until well combined and turn off the heat.

3. To serve, top the polenta with the baked vegetables, and top with a sprinkling of goat cheese crumbles and a few slivers of fresh basil.