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Archive for the ‘Main Dishes(For the High Cal Right Brain)’ Category

Black Beans and Rice

Posted in Main Dishes(For the High Cal Right Brain), tagged , , , on August 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

We were pretty lucky with Hurricane Irene, but we still drowned ourselves in comfort food while we waited out the storm.  After consuming pizza dip, chips and salsa, peach rings, dried mango, eggs and toast, we decided we needed a dinner meal.  This is really simple to put together, has a slight kick, and will help you forget about the giant looming crane that is outside your window during a hurricane.  However, the giant gaping holes of the 2nd avenue subway and the debris to match?  That you may need some wine for.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons of onion powder
  • 2 cups of rice
  • 2 cans of Rotel (or if you like it less spicy, one can of Rotel and one can of plain old diced tomatoes)
  • 2 cans of Black beans (15 ounces)
Drain the black beans and tomatoes, reserve the liquid.
Add enough water or chicken broth until you hit 4 cups.  Heat the oil in a large cast iron pan until shimmery.
Add the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes.  Add in the spices, and cook stirring constantly for a minute.
Add the rice and toast for about 30 seconds, then add the liquid and tomatoes.
Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for about 20 minutes.  Add the beans and cook until the rice is cooked through and fluffy.  Remove the bay leaves and serve.
Preferably to some hungry Irene survivors.

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Arroz con Pollo

Posted in Main Dishes(For the High Cal Right Brain), tagged , , , on May 1, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

I have a complete inability to cook rice correctly.  I burn it, it’s crunchy, or completely mushy and gluey.  I usually Milli Vanilli my rice and buy the overpriced “boil in bag” kind or just buy it premade.  Main problem here? I LOVE Arroz con pollo and I consider it my perfect comfort food.  I always refuse to allow myself to eat rice and pasta, considering them tightly packed, calorie carb bombs.  But when rice is covered with cumin and tomatoes, I cannot resist and I needed it this weekend.  I saw Smitten Kitchen’s version, plus also had some good renditions from growing up at my Ecuadorian friend’s house.  I use to watch his mother cook this one pot dish and marvel at how little care she gave the pot, but how easily everything came together.   She was a master of a mis en place and it is quite useful in this multi-ingredient dish.

At the end of cooking, I was expecting the rice to be a gluey mess, or completely stuck to the pot, but I was wrong.  The chicken was tender, the rice was fluffy and flavorful and there was a little bit of crispy rice at the bottom of the pot, which was definitely a highlight and meant to occur.  So even if you are afraid of rice, please try this.  It is pretty foolproof, just make sure that the rice is submerged and you don’t open the pot too often to stir– letting steam escape ruins the cooking rice.  I made a half recipe because I only had one broken down chicken, but I could easily see myself making a double or triple recipe for a crowd.  If I can do it, I promise, you can too.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 8

Chicken:

  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
  • 4 chicken breast halves with bone, halved crosswise
  • 4 chicken drumsticks
  • 4 chicken thighs

Rice:

  • 6 ounces Spanish chorizo (cured sausage), skin discarded and sausage cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices  ( I just used hot chorizo from Fresh Direct and removed the casing and let it fall apart.  Yum.)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder (optional)
  • 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
  • 1 lb. tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1 12-ounce. bottle beer (not dark)
  • 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups long-grain white rice (14 ounces)

Marinate chicken: Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 2 teaspoons salt, then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in vinegar and oregano.

Remove skin and excess fat from chicken, then toss chicken with marinade until coated and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 1 hour, two hours max.

To cook chicken and rice:  Cook chorizo in olive oil in a 6- to 7-quart heavy pot (12 inches wide) over medium-high heat, stirring, until some fat is rendered, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add cumin, oregano, paprika, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add chicken with marinade to chorizo mixture and cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a separate plate for a quick second.  Stir in tomatoes, beer, broth, and rice and bring to a boil, making sure rice is submerged.  Add back in the chicken.

Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover mixture directly with a round of parchment or wax paper and cover pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook, stirring once or twice, until rice is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Discard parchment paper and bay leaves.

Enjoy!

My final picture came out awful because of the steam, so I leave you with this…

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Chicken Stew with Biscuits

Posted in Main Dishes(For the High Cal Right Brain), tagged , , on March 15, 2011 | 1 Comment »

I have been commonly known around both work and with friends for my strange celebrity crushes.  Mark Harmon, Miley Cyrus…the list goes on.  However, my newest crush, Arnold Vosloo, is for many different reasons.  Not only did he star in the Mummy movies, some of my absolute favs (with a soundtrack that helped get me into metal music \m/), but he finds a way into every crime drama I love. So Arnold Vosloo, your acting in Bones, NCIS, Psych, and a slew of other television shows gets this dish dedicated to your bald little head.  Enjoy, because this is hands down on of the top 5 things I have ever made.

And let’s just ignore that you are the same age of my parents…

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook

Ingredients:

  • 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots), blanched for 2 minutes  (I just used 10 ounces of frozen chopped carrots instead.  Lazy!)
  • 1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

For the biscuits:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
  • 3/4 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and

saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent.

Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick.

Add 2 teaspoons salt (I didn’t add this, I thought it was salty enough already), 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream.

Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley.

Mix well. Place the stew in a 10 x 13 x 2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half-and-half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley. Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

Note:  To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.

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Layered Baked Ziti

Posted in Main Dishes(For the High Cal Right Brain), tagged on June 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Alright everyone,

True Blood is back!!  As an avid vampire supporter, one who went as far to do her college final in Public Speaking about my anger towards people who like vampires to be cool, aka Twi-suck, I am SO happy that True Blood is back.  Now, this may seem off topic to you and you may wonder what True Blood has to do with baked ziti, and well you’re right, it has nothing to do with ziti.  I just wanted to share some excitement before I get this super fattening recipe going.

This dish serves a crowd.  It can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and baked just before serving, just be sure to take the chill off by letting it sit at room temperature for 3 hours before baking.  You can use any type of spaghetti sauce you like–homemade or bottled.  I love using 3 jars of  Rao’s Roasted Eggplant Siciliana Sauce combined with 1 jar of Rao’s Arrabbiata–if I can afford it!  However, my lovely local grocer, Zeytuna, sells it for only $6.99 a bottle. Stock up people!

Ingredients:

  • 2 boxes (16 ounces each) ziti
  • 3 pounds whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 4-5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 jars (24 ounces each) bottled spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In very large soup pot or 2 large pots, cook pasta according to directions on box for pasta that will be baked.  It will have a shorter cooking time, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile (I usually do this while the pasta water is coming to a boil.), in large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, oregano, garlic salt and pepper.

Mix well; set aside.  I suggest using your hands; it’s cold and squishy and wonderful.

When pasta is done cooking, drain it and return to pot.  Combine with sauce.  In very large lasagna pan or 14x10x3-inch disposable aluminum pan, place half of sauced ziti.  Spread into one smooth layer.

Top with ricotta mixture.  With spatula, spread into smooth layer.

Cover with remaining sauced ziti.

Sprinkle with 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.  May be covered and refrigerated for up to 48 hours at this point.  Bring to room temperature for 3 hours before baking.

For easier handling, place ziti pan on baking sheet.  Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and casserole is hot throughout.  Makes 12-16 large servings.  Note:  If ziti is not at room temperature when placed in oven, it may take longer to heat through.

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Baked Rigatoni with Four Cheeses

Posted in Main Dishes(For the High Cal Right Brain), tagged , on January 9, 2010 | 1 Comment »

I have been on the hunt for this recipe for two years.  A young lady, who will not be named, used to make this for me.  Now after our relationship (as well as her relationship with everyone she knows) went sour because she went ABSOLUTELY CRAZY, I had no access to the recipe.  I finally found it again on this website, but it’s originally from the cookbook “From Our House to Yours”.  Make this, share it, enjoy it that day and the day after.  I made two trays of this baby for New Years and it was perfect!  Nothing like a four cheese, vegetarian option.  The pasta ends up in a creamy white sauce with the wonderfully melty, burny cheeses on top.  I’ve never ever seen food disappear so fast.

I forgot to take a picture of the pasta since there were about 50 people in my apartment when it came out of the oven.  However, I will leave you with a nice picture of the Girlfriend, her sister, and myself.  Oh, and the soda we stored above our fridge.  Almost as classy as our broken doorbell which we marked with a manilla folder telling people just to come on in.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 pound dried pasta such as fusilli, penne, rigatoni, or ziti
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
  • 4 cups milk
  • 2 cups evaporated milk
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups each freshly shredded Gruyère cheese (about 5 ounces), freshly shredded emmentaler cheese (about 4 1/2 ounces), freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 5 ounces)
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces), preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

Stir the 1 tablespoon salt into a large pot of rapidly boiling water. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook, stirring frequently, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain into a colander, rinse under cold running water, drain again, transfer to a large bowl, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking or stirring almost constantly, until bubbly and fragrant, about 5 minutes; do not brown. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the milk and evaporated milk and bring just to a boil over medium- high heat. Pour all at once into the butter and flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking or stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour over the cooked pasta and stir to thoroughly coat the pasta. Spread the pasta evenly in the prepared baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the four cheeses, then sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Lightly dust the top with grated nutmeg and bake until the cheese melts and the pasta is heated through, about 25 minutes.

Transfer the baking dish to the broiler and cook until the cheese is slightly golden, about 3 minutes.

To Make Ahead: Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To Reheat: Heat in a microwave or a preheated 350 degree oven until heated through.

Serves 4 to 6

If you’re really curious, here is the picture from the cookbook/website.  Yes, it looks exactly like this.  Oh God, I’m dying looking at it.

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Strata

Posted in Main Dishes(For the High Cal Right Brain), tagged , , , , on December 17, 2009 | 1 Comment »

When Little Mommies told me she would be making a “strata” for Hanukkah, I assumed that it would be some form of a multilayered cake and I was excited.  Then when she told me that a strata was an egg dish filled with cheese, I was even more excited.  Then, when she told me she was going to put in pancetta as well, I cried.  Wept like a little baby.  Well not really, however, I did make fun of Rico for about an hour that he was missing Hanukkah brunch due to prior engagements and that he would miss this cheesy, pork creation.  I hope he still loves me. 

Commence Strating.

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces pancetta, diced
  • 12 slices firm white bread
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 pound shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 8 eggs
  • 3 ½ cups milk
  • 8 dashes Tabasco sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Pepper to taste

Butter a 3 quart rectangular (approximately 9 x 13 inches) baking dish.

In frying pan, sauté pancetta until brown and fat is rendered.  Drain on paper towels.

Cut bread into 3/4 inch cubes.  Place in prepared baking dish.  Add scallions, pancetta and cheeses.  With hands, mix well to evenly distribute ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs together; add milk, Tabasco, mustard, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over all in baking dish.  Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight (up to 24 hours).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until strata is puffy and brown.  Serves 8 to 10.

The lady of the house made two, one with and one without pancetta.  I liked them both.  See that spoon in the plain cheese one?  That’s because my uncle promptly stole a bread cube with his fingers before we could take a picture.  Little Mommies and I went a little crazy.  You think I’m cranky?  You should see the two of us angry, together, involving food, pictures, and manners.  The pain, suffering and noisy reactions were similar to the sound that comes out of a small dog when you step on its tail by mistake.  Exactly.

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Herb Roast Chicken

Posted in Main Dishes (For The Low Cal Left Brain), Main Dishes(For the High Cal Right Brain), tagged , , on November 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Cooking chicken is easily the root of all issues related to living with a member of the opposite sex.  In my home, as well as in my parents’ home (with my mom and dad), or any time I have cooked for a man, I have found the same problem.  I want white meat, skinless, and sometimes on the bone–obviously only for health and caloric reasons.  Men want dark meat, skin on, and as crispy as possible.  I’ve come to the point of ordering bone in chicken breasts (and taking off the skin) and bone in, skin on thighs and drumsticks and trying to find a way to cook them together.  I came up with this recipe as I was walking home from work.  It will satisfy both sides, keep your waistline trim (if you’re watching it) and both sets of taste buds full.

Picture 003

When I was looking at chicken recipes for ideas about roasting times, I came across a chicken recipe called “Cheating on Your Boyfriend Chicken”.  It was basically fried chicken covered in cheese, and it’s supposed to help you find someone to cheat on your boyfriend with.  I think I would just leave my boyfriend for the chicken.

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken, split up into breasts, thighs and drumsticks, leaving skin on where preferred
  • 1/4 cup light butter, melted (Mine is 45 calories per tablespoon, therefore around 180 altogether.)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pinch dried rosemary, ground up between your fingers
  • 1 pinch dried thyme, ground up between your fingers
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt  (If you don’t have garlic salt, just use an extra 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together butter, olive oil, and all the herbs and spices.  Dip each of the chicken pieces in the mixture, coat well, and place into a well greased high sides pan (NOT a flat cookie sheet).  Let sit for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grind black pepper over the chicken, making sure the skin side is up and there’s a little space between each piece of chicken.  Bake for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees.  Let cook for at least another 10 minutes (or until at an internal temperature of 170 degrees).  Turn the broiler on high for 5 minutes to let things crisp a little.  Remove from the oven and let sit, covered in aluminum foil, for at least 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

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Cheesy Burgers, Two Ways

Posted in Main Dishes (For The Low Cal Left Brain), Main Dishes(For the High Cal Right Brain), tagged , on October 4, 2009 | 3 Comments »

There’s something quite special about burgers that are stuffed with things, especially cheese. I don’t know what it is, but when you bite into a burger and it’s filled with something special, it’s just like those days when you put on a pair of jeans you haven’t worn in a while and you find 20 bucks in the pocket. Often when I am cooking for Rico and me, I will make two things at the same time, his including slightly more calories than mine, because, well, he’s got a few less inches on him than I have. Here is the recipe for burgers we made the other night, the only difference being that my burger meat was formed around a 30 calorie Light Swiss Laughing Cow Cheese, and his had a good 3/4 of an ounce of thick cut cheddar chunks mixed in. Calories for my burger (no bun) set you back about 280, and Rico’s around 325, 425 with English muffin bun.

Picture 001

Perfect cheese ooze moment.  I just want to take this opportunity to let everyone know I had to go to jury duty this past Tuesday– sat there for over 4 hours and nothing happened.  Didn’t speak to a judge, didn’t speak to a lawyer for questioning, just sat there.  Ah, tax dollars at work.

Ingredients:

  • 5 ounces lean ground beef
  • 3/4 ounce of cheddar cheese or 1 light Laughing Cow Wedge
  • 1/8 cubanelle pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Mix the meat and cubanelle pepper in a bowl.  Mix in the cheese if using cheddar, or form the meat around the wedge.  Pam up a hot pan, and cook on each side for about 4 minutes.  Then, if you’re feeling fancy, throw the pan under the broiler for about a minute for a nice crust on top.

230

Public Service Announcement:  If you ever see Little Mommies out anywhere, especially Walmart, dressed as pictured above, please, please, please bring her home! (www.peopleofwalmart.com)

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