... Mushroom Stroganoff

Wow.  I'm such a liar.  "I'm back"... really Taylor?  Four months later and here I am again...  maybe there's something with the number four with me.  Last time I blogged, FOUR months ago, I said it'd been FOUR years and FOUR months since I'd previously posted and here I am again...

This time, with a perfect Sunday evening meal.  A perfect Sunday evening meal when you've had a full Sunday of bike riding, brunching, admiring art (finally saw the Picasso exhibit at the Nelson Atkins museum... FOUR weeks before it leaves!), errand running and a little pampering for the pigs... it's nearly Spring in KC, gotta get those toes ready for sandal season!  So with all that, an easy, quick, and delicious recipe was just what we needed.

So I give to you, Mushroom Stroganoff.  I'm actually not sure if I've even had the more well-known Beef Stroganoff.  My husband makes Hungarian Goulash, but it's more tomato-based, not cream-based, and probably isn't even anything like Beef Stroganoff.  Who knows?  Probably you.  Not me.  But what I do know is that I. Love. Mushrooms.  So when I saw this recipe posted by Gimme Some Oven, it was immediately added to "the list."

And why not?  You start with onions and cook them down until they're soft and browned and you know it's a good thing that you're eating them with your husband because if there's any talking or kissing going on the rest of the night, at least you've eaten the same thing.  C'mon, don't tell me you don't think about that.

Then you add in mushrooms and garlic (and with FOUR (see, it's a thing!) cloves of garlic the same rules apply with the talking and the kissing) and you watch those babies cook down and the smells that are coming from the pan are earthy and lovely and you really just want to stop there and grab a fork, but you know what's coming next will be so good.

And before you know it, you've created this delicious hearty sauce, of sorts, that goes over egg noodles.  And aren't egg noodles just comfort food in and of themselves?  I can remember, as a kid,  when I used to just add butter to them because I didn't like tomato sauce or probably even mushrooms (what was wrong with me?!?!), but they were So. Good.  And then you grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the top and pour yourself a glass of red and settle in to enjoy the last few hours of the weekend.

Cheers to you... and comfort food... and Sunday evenings.  And please check out Gimme Some Oven's pictures, because they're WAY better than those above.

Mushroom Stroganoff
serves 4-6

1 pound wide egg noodles
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound baby bella mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 1/2 tablespoons flour
3 small sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried thyme)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or light sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Optional: freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley, extra black pepper

Cook egg noodles al dente in boiling, generously salted water according to package instructions.  (For optimal timing, Ali recommended (and I agree) actually adding the egg noodles to the boiling water at the same time that the vegetable stock is added to the stroganoff.)

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add onions and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, garlic, and mushrooms, and stir to combine.  Continue sauteing for an additional 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked and tender.  Add the white wine and de-glaze the pan by using a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  Let the sauce simmer for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable stock, Worcestershire, and flour until smooth.  Pour the vegetable stock mixture into the pan, along with the thyme, and stir to combine.  Let the mixture simmer for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.  Then, stir in the Greek yogurt (or sour cream) evenly into the sauce.  Taste, and season with a generous pinch or two of salt and pepper as needed.

Serve immediately over the egg noodles, garnished with your desired topping.

Taylor's Notes:
I didn't actually have any brown bits to scrape when I added the dry white wine.  There was quite a bit of liquid from the onions and mushrooms that didn't really allow for that.  Although the brown bits are always delicious, I don't think it was that big of a deal.  I also had a little issue with my Greek yogurt in that I think I should have added it a little at a time, really stirring it into the mushroom mixture.  Again, not a big deal, but it didn't look as creamy as Ali's did.  

As always, I think this type of recipe just gets better with time, so next time (and there will be a next time, for sure) I may make the stroganoff and let it either sit and simmer for a while longer or make it a day in advance and then warm it on the stove before we're ready to eat it.  It's the same thing as with soups, stews, Hungarian Goulash... it always gets better when the flavors have time to mingle.  

 Enjoy!

... Chicken Verde Stew with Hominy

Hello, my name is Taylor.  It's been four years, four months, and seventeen days since my last blog post.  But I can promise it hasn't been that long since my last meal...

OMG, you guys!  How has it been so long??  I'm anxious to get back to posting about my favorite thing, food... so bear with me as I dust off the ol' blogging skills and try a few new recipes out on you.  

For my (re)debut, I made Chicken Verde Stew and you guys, it was everything I'd hoped it would be.  Warm for a super cold Kansas City night, filling, because well, we're trying to start watching our waistlines around here, and fun to make!  

I started by roasting Anaheim Chiles and Tomatillo Peppers - two things that I've never cooked with.  If this might be your first time, too, let me give you just a couple quick lessons learned from my experience.  First, depending on your oven, you may need more than 5 minutes to roast the Anaheim Chiles.  When I do it next time, I'll leave those babies in there just a minute or two longer to get a better char on the skin and make the skin easier to peel off.  

Second, do your research on how to buy Tomatillo Peppers.  After a quick Google search, I learned that you can peel back a little bit of the husk to make sure the flesh is firm and bright green.  Toss it back in the pile if it looks dried up or blemished.

And it certainly wouldn't hurt to throw a few extra into the bag just in case you accidentally pick up one or two that look like this one...

I'm pretty pumped to have stepped into the world of Tomatillos.  I love a good green salsa, so now I feel like I'm armed and ready to whip up some of my own.  

Here's another tip - make sure you prep everything in the recipe before you start cooking.  It seems like a no-brainer, and it's something I nearly always do.  Today, however, I had 'Friday Brain' or maybe 'I'm So Excited to Roast These Peppers Brain' that I didn't.  It's not the end of the world if you don't, obviously, but it'll make trying new recipes and cooking so much more enjoyable... and will also give you a minute to take a sip of your beverage of choice.  You know, if you like that sort of thing.  

So, chop all the veggies and get them into that pot.  I've spared you a picture of the raw chicken thighs because, well, gross.  And I think we all know what raw chicken looks like.  You're welcome.  

Before too long, you'll get this.  Look at that!  The peppers add a good bit of spice.  Nothing too hot, just a great bite and a little bit of heat.  The veggies and hominy make it almost feel a little bit like a chili and it's a little thicker like one, too, more than a soup.  I've never been a big fan of dark meat, but the thighs just have so much flavor and really take it up a notch from what I would imagine a regular ol' chicken breast might.  

Serve it with a dollop of sour cream, a side of chips (not shown because we tend to just take the bag to the table with us), and a cold Mexican beer and you've got yourself one heck of a dinner.  Shoot, there goes that whole waist-watching thing... 

Chicken Verde Stew with Hominy

serves 6

2 Anaheim Chiles

Cooking Spray

1 1/2 pounds Tomatillos

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1 (29-ounce) can golden hominy, rinsed and drained

6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream 

cilantro leaves (optional)

Preheat broiler to high.

Halve, stem, and seed chiles.  Place chiles, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil for 5 minutes or until charred.  Place chiles in a paper bag; seal.  Let stand for 15 minutes.  Peel and discard skins.  Arrange tomatillos on a prepared baking sheet, and broil 14 minutes or until blackened, turning once.  Combine the chiles, tomatillos, 1/4 cup cilantro, cumin, and oregano in a blender.  Add 1 cup broth; process until smooth.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add 2 teaspoons olive oil; swirl to coat.  Add onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper; saute for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in flour; saute for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add garlic; saute for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Place onion mixture in a large bowl.  

Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add half of chicken; saute 3 minutes.  Add browned chicken to onion mixture.  Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and 2 teaspoons oil.  Combine remaining 1 cup broth, tomatillo mixture, onion mixture, and hominy in pan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. 

Taylor's Notes...

I didn't have a paper bag on hand to steam the chiles in, so I used a tupperware bowl with a lid.  Worked great.

I read a review on the original recipe that someone used white hominy instead of golden.  I had to buy two cans to get to the 29 ounces, so used one of each.  I liked the additional color it added - and actually, have no idea if the two taste differently or not.  Perhaps I should have tasted both before tossing them into the stew, but hey, if you ask me, it worked out!

Enjoy!

... Southwestern Quinoa Salad

I'm becoming quite a fan of quinoa.  My first foray was the Superfood Salad, which I've made several times since.  I also made a Mediterranean version... unfortunately (for you) I ate it too quickly to write a post about it.  I'll make it again soon... promise!  The beauty about these salads is that they're quick and easy to make, they're pretty darn inexpensive (I made this one for less than $10), and they're good for you.  Win. Win. Win.

This one takes great southwestern flavors - avocado, red bell pepper, cilantro, black beans - and blends them together in a terrific salad that would be perfect as an entree or a side dish.  The cumin-lime dressing really brings it all together.

I've also started making my own tortilla chips.  I go back and forth between corn and flour tortillas.  Corn is better for you, but you don't come home with an obnoxious amount of tortillas if you buy flour.  Either way you go, you follow the same simple steps.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Brush the tortillas with a little olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.  I like to add other seasonings to mine, too... a little cayenne pepper this time.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, but keep an eye on them because they'll brown pretty quickly.  They take a little (and I mean little) more time than opening a bag of store bought chips might, but just think of all the flavor combinations you can create!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad
serves 4-6

1 cup dry quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, chopped into chunks
handful of cherry (quartered) or grape tomatoes (halved)
1/2 red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks
small handful cilantro, diced
juice from one lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
salt, to taste

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare all other ingredients.  Prepare the dressing by combining the lime juice, oil, cumin, and salt.  Whisk it until combined.  Adjust seasoning as necessary.

When the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from the heat and fluff it with a fork.  Add black beans and toss to warm them through.

Let the quinoa cool for about five minutes and then add all the remaining ingredients, including the dressing, and mix.  Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Taylor's Notes:
It's as simple as that.  What's so great about this recipe is that it'll keep in your refrigerator for a week... if you don't eat it before then!  

Enjoy!

... Potato Frittata with Feta and Scallions

I realize I've been a little M.I.A. lately.  It's partially because I've just moved (if 7 months ago qualifies) and I've been busy with updating the house, getting settled, and waiting for my new dining room furniture to arrive.  Now that it has (hip hip hooray!!), I've been enjoying entertaining friends and family.  Today I got to host my dad, brother-in-law, nephew, and Grandma and Dale.  As breakfast / brunch is one of my most favorite meals, I'd say this might turn into a bit of a ritual.

Somewhat traditional breakfast ingredients - potatoes, eggs, bacon - are taken up a notch in a delicious frittata.  While the potatoes are roasting, take a few extra minutes to add Cinnamon Brown Butter Puffs and fresh fruit to the menu.

I don't mean to brag, but check out that frittata!  It was pretty darn tasty, but I'm convinced that what made it so good was the skillet.  I was lucky enough to get to use my Grandpa Jack's cast iron skillet (thanks for the loan, Dad!).  Whether you have a well-seasoned, well-loved skillet or a new one, I have no doubt your frittata will be a success, too.

Potato Frittata with Feta and Scallions
serves 6-8

3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more for roasting potatoes
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound bacon, thick-cut, cut crosswise into 1/4" matchsticks
1/2 bunch (about 3 or 4) scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2/3 cup crumbled Feta cheese
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk or cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a roasting pan or baking tray generously with oil, about 1 to 2 tablespoons.  Peel potatoes, and cut them into 1/4" - 1/2" slices, then halve them lengthwise into half-circle shapes.  Pile them in the prepared pan, and generously season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Don't worry if they don't fall into one layer - the combo of some steamy / softer and some crisp-edged potatoes will work great in this dish.  Roast 30 minutes, or until potatoes are mostly cooked (they'll finish cooking with the eggs), tossing once halfway through.  Let cool slightly.

Cook bacon in well-seasoned 9" cast iron frying pan until crisp.  Scoop out with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Add additional tablespoon oil to the bacon drippings in the pan, and reheat it over medium heat.  Swirl the oil and drippings around in the pan and up the sides, being sure to coat it fully.

Arrange roasted potatoes in your skillet.  If there are pieces with browned undersides, flip the toasty sides up.  Scatter bacon, then scallions and feta over potatoes.  Whisk eggs with milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl, and pour over potatoes.  Cover skillet with foil and bake 20 minutes.  Remove foil, and bake another 10 to 15 minutes or until puffed at the edges and set in center.

Serve right from the skillet in 6 to 8 wedges.

Taylor's Notes:
This is another winner from Smitten Kitchen.  It doesn't look like Deb has posted it on her website, but it's in her cookbook.  Buy it if you haven't already - you won't regret it.

I used small gold potatoes rather than the Yukon Gold, solely because my grocery store only offered a 5-pound bag of Yukon Golds and one girl just doesn't need that many potatoes.  I reduced the roasting time of the potatoes by 5 minutes, but other than that I followed the recipe.  And really, when it comes to recipes that come out of the Smitten Kitchen, that's exactly what you should do.

Enjoy!

... Berry Parfait

Summer has officially arrived (well, let's be honest, it arrived before it was actually 'official').  Although I try to watch what I eat most of the year, there's something about swimsuit season that really brings it home.  I refuse to give up desserts, though, no matter what time of year it is.  This one may not be entirely healthy, but it's certainly not completely guilt-inducing.  

Berry Parfait
serves 6 (individual) or 12 (in one pan)

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 1/2 sleeves of graham crackers, crushed)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.  Press firmly in a 9"x13" baking dish (or individual parfait cups) and bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool.

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cold milk
8 oz Cool Whip, thawed

Beat cream cheese with sugar and milk until smooth; fold in Cool Whip.

Topping:
Berries!  Berries!  Berries!  I used one container each of strawberries and blueberries.

Spread filling mixture over graham cracker crust.  Top with berries.  Add a dollop of plain Cool Whip and a sprig of mint as garnish.

Taylor's Notes:
I've mentioned Pinterest a time or two, yes?  This recipe is an adaptation of one I  pinned.  I've linked the original recipe there, but I left out the vanilla pudding aspect of that recipe.  To me, it seemed like a little too much and I chose to make the berries shine rather than have them coated with pudding.  To pudding or not to pudding... that is your choice.  

Enjoy!

... Salted Peanut Butter Cups

I think I'm in love.  I have been for a while, really, and it's one of those loves that will last a lifetime.  Taylor + peanut butter + chocolate... what a wonderful relationship we have.  So you have to know that when I came across this recipe for making my own peanut butter cups... and salted (!) no less, I was all over it.

{reference my notes below for an explanation of that glob of chocolate...}

I mean honestly, how can you look at that and not be in love?  Here's the problem, though.  These babies are so easy to make, with ingredients that you likely have on hand (or am I the only one who stock piles peanut butter and chocolate chips?), that you'll probably fall in love soon, too.  Hey, don't say I didn't warn you.

My friend Kerstin introduced me to these via the blog A House in the Hills.  It's a beautiful blog - check it out when you have some time!  The recipe on the blog, however, is vegan.  I'm absolutely not saying there's anything wrong with that, but I did tweak my version of the recipe and it's most certainly not vegan.  Here's my version...

Salted Peanut Butter Cups
serves makes 24 cups

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup peanut butter (I missed the 'crunchy' part of her ingredient... I recommend that you use it!)
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
sea salt to sprinkle on top

Line a mini muffin tin with papers.  You certainly could use a regular size muffin tin, but I'm warning you, these babies are sweet and rich... More power to you if you can eat a regular size!

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and then stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar.  When it's melted and mixed, spoon the mixture into the muffin tins.

In a separate pan, combine the chocolate and milk.  Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted.

Spoon the chocolate over the peanut butter, filling the papers almost to the top.

Sprinkle with sea salt and then refrigerate.

Taylor's Notes:
Ok, like I mentioned, mine aren't vegan or good for you (well, not good in terms of healthy at least), but man... they are delicious.  Here are a few things I found... 

• The peanut butter mixture didn't set up on it's own (refer to picture above where the chocolate started sinking into the peanut butter).  I ended up sticking them in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes or so before I poured the rest of the chocolate on.
• I do think that actually using crunchy peanut butter may have helped that.  I suppose I'll have to make them again to try out that theory.  Darn.
• I made another half-batch of chocolate based on Sarah's notes.  You can tell how that affected the peanut butter to chocolate ratio.  You can definitely play with it based on how you like your chocolate and peanut butter to play together.
• These are best eaten right out of the refrigerator.  Actually, better yet, out of the freezer.  I served them at a party and the longer they sat out, they got a little soft and were kind of difficult to eat.  

Other than that, these are way too easy to make and I'm going to try to forget that I ever made them.  Yeah right.

Enjoy!

Side note... Baxter's face looked exactly like this the entire time I was making these.  He's a huge fan of peanut butter, too.  I'm sure he'd love chocolate as much as me, too, if I'd let him...

... Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

This may be one of the quickest and easiest pasta recipes to make.  And when you have a night full of catching up with an old friend planned, quick and easy is the best way to go.

A little pre-get together prep and you'll be well on your way to getting the scoop on what's been happening over the last couple months.  

Shrimp pasta is the perfect meal for spending the least amount of time in the kitchen possible.  They both cook up very quickly.  Keep your eye on those shrimp, as soon as they're pink, they're ready!

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

serves 4

vegetable oil

kosher salt

1 1/2 lbs linguine

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

5 tablespoons good olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)

2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

grated zest of one lemon

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic.  Saute for 1 minute.  Be careful, the garlic burns easily!  Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes.  Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and put it back in the pot.  Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Taylor's Notes:

I would add a little salt to this and / or a few more shakes of the red pepper flakes.  But, you know, I like it spicy so proceed at your own risk!  We had this with some crusty French bread and a nice red wine.  Hey, what's girls night without a little vino?  And, in case you were wondering, yes, I found this recipe on Pinterest.  I'm telling you, it's the best site since, well... I don't know what.  But it's good.  If you're on it, check out my 'foodie' board for recipes I'm planning to try and my 'check list' board for recipes I've already tried... and my comments about them :)  

Enjoy!