Tag: Cooking

Spaghetti with Turkey Marsala Meatballs

I haven’t been posting many savory recipes… In other words, something I cooked instead of baked. That doesn’t mean I haven’t cooked. I cook every week, but lately I haven’t been trying new recipes. Just sticking with things that I know are good and are easy to make. Two important criteria when it comes cooking if you ask me. Last month though I finally tried a new recipe, and it was so good that I just made it again. So, what was so good that I had to make it again so quickly… Spaghetti with Turkey Marsala Meatballs.

Two quick things to note… While I do eat pasta, I normally don’t make spaghetti (not a fan of twirling to get it on the fork) and I never made meatballs before trying this recipe (I have eaten them though!). I was always concerned about getting the meat fully cooked. Silly, I know! Both of those things didn’t matter with this recipe though. The meatballs were super easy to make, and for peace of mind I left them in the oven a minute or two longer than the recipe suggested to ensure they were cooked. They didn’t dry out since the chopped mushrooms added to the meat helped to keep them moist. And twirling spaghetti isn’t that bad!

I started off by prepping the meatballs. Once they were formed, I baked them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

While the meatballs were in the oven (and for a little while after they came out) I worked on making the sauce for the pasta, boiled the pasta and tossed the pasta into the sauce.

I wasn’t planning on enjoying this the day I made it, so I packed it in containers and refrigerated it. I will say that it heats up very well and tastes better each day!

Spaghetti with Turkey Marsala Meatballs

Ingredients:

12 ounces cremini mushrooms*

1 pound ground turkey

1 large egg

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup Marsala wine

12 ounces spaghetti

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

*I used 10 ounces of baby bella mushrooms

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Finely chop a third of the mushrooms and thinly slice the rest.

In a medium bowl combine the chopped mushrooms, ground turkey, egg, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together. Roll into 18 to 22 meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Use a cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons) to make rolling the meatballs easier. Bake in the preheated oven 12 to 14 minutes, until the meatballs are browned and cooked through.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes so the mushrooms and onions can crisp. Stir and cook until browned, an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the Marsala wine and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes.

Add the chicken broth to the mushroom and onion mixture and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer until thickened, 5 minutes.

Drain the spaghetti and add to the skillet. Cook, tossing until al dente, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss the spaghetti until the butter has melted.

To serve, divide the pasta among bowls and top with the meatballs.

Recipe from Food Network

Sheet Pan Greek Pita

I’m constantly printing out recipes or ripping them out of magazines. Sometimes I take a second (or third) look at them and decide that I just don’t want to make it for various reasons. Usually it’s because it requires too many ingredients or more than I feel like buying. And while the ingredient list for this Sheet Pan Greek Pita is a bit long, it was thankfully ingredients that I normally have on hand or are part of a typical trip to the supermarket.

Another plus to this recipe… It came together in less than 45 minutes. Since the salad requires a little time to sit and marinate I decided to make it earlier in the day so it would be ready by the time my chicken was done.

And when it was time to eat, it was super easy to put together. I cut a pita in half, added in some of the salad, some of the chicken and topped it off with more of the salad.  This is one recipe that I won’t be tossing. This pita was delicious and I may have discovered a new way to make my chicken for salads!

Sheet Pan Greek Pita

For the Chicken:

4 boneless & skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon salt

For the Cucumber Tomato Salad:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cucumber, diced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 tablespoons chopped mint

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup black olives chopped (or Kalamata olives)

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Juice of half a lemon

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Pitas for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients for the salad and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Combine all the ingredients for the chicken in a medium bowl. Mix well and then spread on a large baking pan. Make sure to leave ample space between the chicken so it roasts as opposed to steam. Cook in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

To serve, slice a pita in half, spoon some of the cucumber tomato salad into the pita, followed by the chicken and top it off with more of the salad.

Recipe from Chef Jason Goldstein

Savory Focaccia Bread Pudding

As promised a second bread pudding recipe this week. This time a savory bread pudding made with focaccia bread. Once again, I had this focaccia left over after ordering Italian food. It was too much and I didn’t want it to go to waste and bread pudding is always a great way to use up left-over bread, but a typical bread pudding that is normally sweet wouldn’t work for this focaccia so I thought I could possibly make a savory version and I was right.

Here’s a look at the leftover focaccia. I let it sit for a day, so it became quite hard but that was perfect. It meant I wouldn’t have to toast it before using it.

I cut it up into cubes and added it to a large bowl.

In a large skillet I cooked mushrooms, onions, green pepper and celery that I seasoned with minced garlic, chopped thyme, salt and pepper until the vegetables were soft and most of the juices in the pan had evaporated.

While the vegetables were cooking, I made the custard by whisking together heavy whipping cream and eggs that I seasoned with salt and pepper.

Once the vegetable where ready I added them to the bowl with the focaccia cubes along with fresh parsley and gave everything a few good stirs.

I let the vegetables cool for about 10 minutes before adding in the custard mixture to the focaccia cube mixture. I then transferred it to a 9×13-inch baking dish that I sprayed with cooking spray and then topped it with shredded parmesan cheese. I let it sit for about 15 minutes so the focaccia cubes could soak in the custard.

I then baked it in a 350 F preheated oven for about an hour. After letting it sit for a few minutes it was time to slice. This was delicious. Definitely something I will make again. An added bonus, it tasted even better the next day as the flavors really had time to marry. And if you are trying to adopt a Meatless Monday diet this is ideal with a side salad and you will have leftovers for a few days. If you don’t have focaccia or want to use another type of bread, like an Italian or French loaf, I would suggest toasting the cubes before using them or letting the bread sit for a day or two so it can become stale and withstand the custard without becoming too soggy.

Savory Focaccia Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

10 cups cubed focaccia*

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 8oz. packages sliced baby portabella mushrooms

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

4 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

8 large eggs

1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Salt

Pepper

 

*Can use a different type of bread. Just make sure it’s stale or if using fresh bread, cube and then toast in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350 F.

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×13–inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Place cubed focaccia in a large bowl.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat-high heat. Add the mushrooms, chopped onions, chopped green pepper and sliced celery along with the chopped thyme and minced garlic to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are soft and most of the juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes.

Add the cooked vegetables and chopped parsley to the cubed focaccia. Give it a few good stirs and then let the vegetables cool for about 10 minutes.

While the vegetables cool make the custard. In a large bowl whisk together the heavy cream and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the vegetables have cooled, add the custard to the bowl with the cubed focaccia and vegetables. Give it a few good stirs and then transfer to the prepared baking dish. Top with the shredded parmesan cheese.

Let the bread pudding sit for 15 minutes and then bake in the preheated oven uncovered for 50-60 minutes, until set and the top is golden. Let sit for 20 minutes before slicing.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Modified from Epicurious

Baked Feta Pasta

Thanks to TikTok there are so many viral food trends / hacks / challenges that have gone viral. While I may not have the app myself that doesn’t mean I am immune to them. There are some I am willing to try and others that are a quick no.  I did try Dalgona Chocolate and while it was good, I have not made in since. As I mentioned in that blog post, I don’t see it worth the extra time. And while I may like pickles, I will pass on Pickle Juice Salad Dressing. I did recently make my own Hot Cocoa Bombs and those were a delicious success that I will definitely be making again. A post will be coming soon. Another success, one of the latest trends, Baked Feta Pasta.

This is probably one of the simplest things I have ever made. After preheating my oven to 400 F. I combined two pints of grape tomatoes, a quartered shallot and olive oil in a 9×13-inch baking dish. I seasoned everything with salt and red pepper flakes and then tossed it all together. I placed an 8oz block of feta cheese in the center and then drizzled the top of the feta with olive oil and placed a few sprigs of thyme over the tomatoes. I baked this in the oven for about 40 minutes. While the feta was in the oven, I cooked a box of pasta per the box directions, reserving a 1/2 cup of the water. I would avoid using spaghetti or angel hair pasta. I opted to use Rotini.

Once the feta began to melt and the tomatoes were bursting, I knew it was ready.

I removed it from the oven and added my cooked pasta along with the reserved pasta water and used tongs to toss everything together. And that was it! Dinner was ready in less than an hour and didn’t require much effort on my part. And yes, in case you are wondering, this did reheat well.

While I kept mine simple, you can add in spinach, garlic, basil and so forth to add in some extra flavor. One thing I will do different next time, add in more shallots. They have a nice sweetness when baked in the oven.

 

Baked Feta Pasta

Ingredients:

2 pints grape tomatoes

1 shallot, quartered

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

Crushed red pepper flakes

1 8oz. block feta cheese

3 sprigs thyme

10z. pasta

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In 9×13-inch baking dish combine the grape tomatoes, shallot and most of the olive oil (reserve 3 tablespoons to drizzle over the feta). Season with salt and red pepper flakes and toss to combine.

Place the feta in the center of the tomato mixture and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Place the thyme sprigs over the tomatoes and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are bursting and the feta cheese is golden on top.

While the feta is in the oven, bring a large pot of water to boil, season with salt and cook pasta per the box directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to the dish with the tomatoes and feta and toss to combine.

Recipe from Delish

Spinach & Mushroom Stromboli

I’m not a fan of working with yeast. I think it’s because the first time I did so it was a bit of a disaster. It took three tries before the yeast proofed and the bread I was making never fully rose. Ultimately the bread did taste good, but I knew that it could have been better. After that experience I have avoided certain recipes that involve yeast. The key to working with yeast is to make sure the temperature of your water/milk is spot on, that you knead your dough enough without overworking it and that you have the right environment for your dough to rise. With those three points in mind I am hoping to curb my apprehension and delve into making more yeast-based recipes. Recently I make homemade Stromboli.

A fellow blogger, Sally’s Baking Addiction , posts a monthly baking challenge for her followers to try. Along with recipe she provides full step-by-step directions as well as pictures and videos to help you along. For this first month of the year her challenge was homemade Stromboli. While hers was filled with sliced deli meats I opted to fill mine with vegetables – specifically spinach, mushrooms and jarred roasted red peppers.

To make the dough I began by combining warm water, instant yeast and sugar in the bowl of my stand mixer and covered it with a kitchen towel and let it rest for a few minutes. I then added in olive oil, salt and flour and using the dough attachment on my mixer, I mixed the ingredients on low for 2 minutes. Next, I dusted my counter with flour and kneaded the dough for a few minutes. I knew it was ready when I poked it and it slowly bounced back.

Next, I sprayed an ovenproof bowl with cooking spray and placed the dough inside of it, turning to coat it. After covering the bowl with aluminum foil, I placed it in a warm spot so the dough could rise for an hour. To ensure a warm enough environment, while prepping the dough I preheated my oven to 200 F and once I was ready to let it rest I turned the oven off and placed the covered bowl inside leaving the oven door slightly ajar. I ended up having to prop it open with a measuring cup so it would be open just enough. After 30 minutes I closed the oven door completely.

And this is what my dough looked like after an hour. It may not look like it doubled in size, but, it did.

Now, this dough was enough to make 2 Stromboli’s, but I was only planning on making one. So, I divided the dough in half, coated one-half in olive oil and then wrapped it in plastic wrap and placed it in the freezer. The other half I formed into a 10×16 rectangle and brushed it with melted butter and minced garlic.

I then sprinkled some dried parsley on top.

Next, I arranged cooked spinach and mushrooms along with jarred roasted red peppers I sliced, leaving a 3-inch border on one long edge and a 1-inch border on the other side and on both short ends.

And finally, since everything is better with cheese, I sprinkled shredded mozzarella on top.

Next it was time to roll it up. Before rolling, I brushed the edges of the dough with an egg wash. I then carefully rolled the Stromboli starting with the long-edge with the 1-inch border, tucking the sides of the dough in as I rolled it. I then carefully transferred it to a baking sheet I lined with parchment paper.

Before placing it in a preheated 400 F oven I cut 4-slits into the top of the dough and brushed it with the remaining egg wash and sprinkled it with dried parsley.

After baking for about 25 minutes my Stromboli was done.

I let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and enjoying.

Spinach & Mushroom Stromboli

  • Servings: 2 Stromboli's
  • Print

Ingredients:

For the dough (for 2 Stromboli’s):

1 1/3 cups warm water (between 100 – 110 F)

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 7g / 1/4 oz. packet)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoons salt

3 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting

 

For the filling (for 2 Stromboli’s):

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried parsley

5 oz. bag spinach

8oz. package sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup sliced jarred roasted red peppers

3 cups shredded mozzarella

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

 

For rolling and topping:

Egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

Additional dried parsley for topping

 

Directions:

In the bowl of your stand mixer whisk together the water, yeast and sugar. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for five minutes.

Add the olive oil, salt and flour and using the dough attachment beat the ingredients on low speed for 2 minutes. Lightly dust your counter and hands with flour and knead the dough for 3 – 4 minutes by hand. The dough is ready when it is soft and when poked it slowly bounces back.

Lightly grease a bowl with cooking spray (or oil) and place the dough inside of the bowl coating it with the cooking spray (or oil). Cover with aluminum foil and place in a warm spot to rise, about 60 minutes with instant yeast. The dough should double in size.

While the dough is rising cook the spinach and mushrooms. In a large non-stick skillet warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms begin to soften and release their juices. Add the spinach and season with additional salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the mushrooms are cooked and the spinach has wilted. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Once the dough is ready… Preheat the oven to 400 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Punch the dough down to release any trapped air. Divide the dough in half*. Dust your counter with flour and dust a rolling pin with flour and shape each half of the dough into a 10×16-inch rectangle.

Mix the melted butter and garlic together and brush on the dough and then sprinkle with parsley. Spread half of the spinach mushroom mixture and the sliced roasted peppers onto the dough leaving a three-inch border on one long edge and a one-inch border on the opposite long edge and on both short edges. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella.

Brush the egg wash along all 4 borders. Now you are ready to roll the Stromboli. Begin with the long edge with the 1-inch border. Carefully roll towards the opposite long edge while also tucking in the edges of the short sides. Once completely rolled tuck in the ends and carefully transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets.

Brush the top of the Stromboli’s with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with dried parsley.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing and enjoying.

*If you are only planning on making 1 Stromboli shape one-half of the dough into a ball and coat it with olive oil and the wrap in plastic wrap and then place in a resealable bag and freeze. When you are ready to use, place the dough in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Remove from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.

Recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach

Quick and easy dinners… Something we can all appreciate and are always in search of. This pasta dish is ready in about 30 minutes and you can switch up some of the ingredients to change the flavors. Instead of using regular canned diced tomatoes you can try one that is seasoned with different spices and instead of orecchiette pasta you can easily substitute small shells. And maybe instead of spinach try arugula. As you can see the possibilities are endless.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach

Ingredients:

16 ounces sweet Italian sausage

1 bunch scallions, chopped (white and green parts separated)

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

16 ounces orecchiette

5 ounce bag of baby spinach, roughly chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

 

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage meat and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned. Add the scallion white and rosemary and cook until the scallions have wilted. Add the tomatoes with their juices and 1/2 cup of the boiling water. Let simmer while the pasta cooks.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the directions on the box for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water then drain the pasta.

Add the pasta to the tomato sauce along with the spinach and half of the scallion green. Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce and continue cooking until the spinach has wilted. Gradually add the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and remove from the heat.

Sprinkle the cheese and remaining scallions over the pasta when serving.

Recipe slightly modified from Food Network

Mix & Match Shepherd’s Pie

I’ve had a subscription to Food Network magazine for quite a few years now. They always have a good mixture of recipes in each issue. Including snacks, appetizers, side dishes, main dishes, desserts and anything else that may be in between. One thing they have sometimes is a Mix & Match recipe option. They give you a foolproof formula for a recipe and you get to pick the mix-ins. So you can customize it for your tastes or if it’s a last minute meal for whatever you currently have in your fridge and pantry. In last month’s issue they had a Mix & Match option for Shepherd’s Pie. A delicious dish that is filling and gives you a good amount of vegetables in each serving. While there a numerous ways you can customize it I pretty much went the easy and basic route. Below are the ingredients I used, but, I have included the link to the recipe where you can get options to customize your own version of this dish. It’s the perfect dish for these days when you may rummaging through your fridge and/or pantry to use up the last of something or to be creative in making a good meal.

Mix & Match Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef*

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup red wine**

1 cup low-sodium broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)

1 cup frozen peas

4 tablespoons salted butter

2/3 cup milk***

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

*I used an 80/20 mix

**I used Merlot

***I used whole milk

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Season with salt and then bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking cook the meat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions and carrots and season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high and add the ground beef to the skillet. Break the meat up and cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper and add in the garlic cloves and fresh thyme. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Make a space the center of the skillet and add in the tomato paste, stir until darkened and then stir into the meat along with the Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the wine and then simmer until almost dry, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and simmer until the mixture becomes saucy, 4 to 5 minutes, then add in the frozen peas. Spread the meat into a 3-quart baking dish and set aside.

Once the potatoes are ready drain them and return them to the pot. Add the butter and the milk and mash the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and add in the shredded cheese. Spread the potatoes over the meat using the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying.

Recipe from Food Network

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year! The holidays are quickly winding down. Truthfully, and I think most would agree, the holidays just seemed to fly by this season. Mainly due to the short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. With Thanksgiving falling so late there was less than a month to get everything ready for Christmas. Besides posting my annual Cookie Palooza recipes I just didn’t have time to blog anything else during the month of December. That doesn’t mean I didn’t do a lot of baking though. There were chocolate covered pretzels, Almond Biscotti (these were so good that I ended up baking a second batch the day after making the first), a few cakes (one of which was supposed to be a tangled lights decorated cake but turned into a congratulatory cake for my oldest niece after competing in her very first gymnastics tournament and placing in a few of the events), and of course cookies, cookies and more cookies. I baked about 300 cookies in one day and by the end of the day the smell of sweets and sugar was just too much for me to handle.

So here we are in a new year and a new decade. Truthfully it didn’t really dawn on me that a new decade was upon us until I was watching the news and they started talking about it. I was just thinking of how the year had gone by so fast. And granted one could say that about every year, but, 2019 in particular seemed to fly by to me. I was thinking about things that happened and they didn’t seem like months ago but more so days ago. I have heard that one of the perils of getting older is that time goes by faster. Maybe it’s because you have a greater realization of things happening. As a kid I think you forget more than you remember but as an adult everything that happens gets filed away so it’s easy to measure things by the events in our lives. My dad has been gone 4 years and I still measure things from before and after his death as well as before and after he got sick. I’ll remember something or see something from a particular year and I measure it against these dates. Not always a good thing. But, it is a good reminder to me of how quickly things can change and can happen. It’s true what they say that life can change in the blink of an eye.

And for many a new year means resolutions to change things in their lives or do things differently. I myself have never made a New Year’s resolution. I personally believe that there is no time like the present to make a change for the better. Every day you are given the opportunity to do things better and/or differently than the day before. So why not grab on to that as opposed to waiting for the year to change. Let’s say you fail at your resolution in February, does that mean you should wait 10 months to try again? Absolutely not! So, instead of resolutions I’ll look back and see if I have grown as a person over the course of time. Of course there are things that I would like to be different, but, at the end of the day I am content. And being content makes it a bit easier to work on those things that I would like to change.

So, what’s on my plate for 2020 so far… A semi-monumental college reunion that I may or may not attend and a pretty exciting vacation! And of course more baking and crafting. Next month marks 8 years that I have been blogging. And while I may not have the amount of followers that others have, I am still trudging along and thankful for those of you who do follow me and welcome any and all new readers. I enjoy baking, crafting, photographing, writing, and everything else that makes up my blog so I will continue on! Besides, good things come to those who wait.

I leave you with two pics…

A pic of the Christmas cake I made (this was totally not the design I had in mind for this cake, but, I had a frosting fail at 10p on a work-night so I had to improvise and was happy with the outcome)…

And the cake I made for New Year’s Eve – I decided to try out the decorated sheet cake trend. After piping the designs on to the cake I then sprayed it with Wilton’s Color Mist in pearl and sprinkled it with a mixture of festive sprinkles…

Happy 2020!

 

 

 

Sheet Pan Cuban Rice and Beans

I just might be on a sheet pan cooking kick. I recently shared a recipe for a Teriyaki Barbecue Pineapple Chicken dish and today I am sharing with you a rice and beans dish. I would have never thought I would make rice and beans in the oven on a sheet pan, but, after coming across the recipe and figuring it was worth trying I may try making some other rice dishes this way. I usually make rice the “normal” way, in a pot with water. And while it’s always edible there are times that I miss the moment when I should lower the heat and cover the pot and my rice comes out a little crispy on the bottom, or vice versa, I cover and lower it too soon and I end up with rice that has one too many clumps. I wouldn’t say it’s mushy by any means though. But, my first time using this method turn out rice that was pretty perfect.

I began by combining two sliced bell peppers (red and green), a sliced yellow onion, and 3 sliced garlic cloves with olive oil and salt in medium bowl. After tossing everything together I transferred the vegetables to a sheet pan I sprayed with cooking spray. I roasted the vegetables in a 400 F preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes.

While the vegetables were in the oven I combined rice, 2 cans of rinsed black beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt and 2 1/2 cups of water in a medium bowl. Don’t worry, it’s not a lot of water and if you use a large enough sheet pan it will not spill over.

After removing the pan from the oven, I stirred the vegetables and then carefully poured the rice mixture to the pan. I gave everything a few good stirs using a spoon and tongs. I covered the pan with aluminum foil and returned it to the oven for 30 minutes.

I let the pan stand for five minutes after removing it from the oven and then removed the aluminum foil and fluffed the rice with a fork. This was definitely one of the easiest and foolproof ways that I have made rice and beans. The end result was flavorful and the rice was the perfect texture and consistency.

Sheet Pan Cuban Rice and Beans

Ingredients:

2 bell peppers, any colors cut into thin strips

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine the peppers, onion and garlic in a medium bowl and toss with olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Spread the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for 13 – 15 minutes, until softened. Remove the pan from the oven and stir the vegetables.

In another medium bowl combine the rice, beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, remaining salt and 2 1/2 cups of water. Pour the mixture onto the pan with the vegetables and stir to combine. Cover with foil and return the pan to the oven for 28-30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before removing the aluminum foil.

Remove the foil and fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Recipe slightly modified from Epicurious

Teriyaki Barbecue Pineapple Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Sheet Pan Dinners… They are pretty ingenious. You combine all of your ingredients on a pan, cook it in the oven and dinner is ready. It switches the idea of one pot cooking to a pan and lends itself to an easy and quick clean-up. You can’t beat that. Recently during a lull at work I clicked on a link for 50 sheet pan dinner recipes and came across a few that caught my eye. One is for gnocchi that included a variation to use Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi which I currently have a bag of in my freezer. It took me a few trips to Trader Joe’s to finally find it since it’s apparently so popular. On a side note, I normally shy away from making frozen meals or snacks, but I am coming to love some of the frozen food in Trader Joe’s. Some of my faves, their mozzarella sticks, chicken and cilantro wontons, and Mandarin Orange Chicken. Back to the recipe for today though… a Teriyaki Barbecue Pineapple Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner. That’s a mouthful of a recipe title for sure, but, one that turns out a delicious end product.

I began by chopping some of my ingredients into bite-sized pieces: chicken breasts, a green and yellow bell pepper, and a sweet onion. I combined them with broccoli florets – I purchased a bag of these in the produce section – and a can of drained pineapple chunks in a large zip-top bag. In a medium bowl I whisked together the ingredients for the marinade: soy sauce, barbecue sauce, minced garlic, pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple chunks), honey and pepper. I poured some of the marinade into the bag, reserving a cup, and then sealed it and shook and massaged the bag to make sure the marinade was evenly distributed throughout it. I then placed it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. You could leave it in longer if you have the time.

After the 30 minutes I preheated my oven to 400 F and using a slotted spoon I transferred the chicken and vegetables to a large baking sheet. You want to transfer as little as the marinade from the bag to the pan as possible as the chicken and vegetables will create more liquid as they cook. I then placed it in the oven and cooked it for 20 minutes. The recipe stated 10 minutes but when I checked the chicken at that point it looked way to underdone for my taste so I left it in for another 10 minutes. While the chicken and vegetables were in the oven, I poured the reserved marinade in a small saucepan and simmered it over medium-low heat until it was thickened.

Once chicken was done I removed the pan from the oven and switched it to the broiler setting. Using paper towels I soaked up some of the excess liquid on the pan and then poured the thickened marinade over the chicken and vegetables and stirred it all together. I placed the pan back in the oven and broiled it for about 6 minutes. To go along with this I made rice and had the perfect dinner (and leftovers.)

And there you have it… My first sheet pan dinner that I am sure I will be making again.

 

Teriyaki Barbecue Pineapple Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Ingredients:

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 orange bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 sweet onion, cut into bite-sized pieces

20 oz. can pineapple chunks in pineapple juice, drained and the juice reserved

 

For the marinade:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

Directions:

Combine the chicken, peppers, broccoli, onion and pineapple in a large zip top bag.

In a medium bowl combine the ingredients for the marinade and whisk them together. Reserve 1 cup of the marinade and pour the rest into the zip top bag.

Seal the bag and shake and massage the marinade into the meat until it’s evenly distributed. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Using a slotted spoon (or tongs) transfer the contents from the zip top bag to a sheet pan in a single layer. You don’t want to transfer too much of the marinade since the chicken and vegetables will let off their own liquid as it cooks. Discard the leftover marinade.

Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Until the chicken is just about done.

Meanwhile, pour the reserved cup of marinade in a small saucepan and cook on medium heat until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the sauce is thickened and has reduced by half.

Remove the pan from the oven and switch the oven to the broiler setting.

Use paper towels to remove any liquid from the pan. Pour the thickened sauce over the chicken and vegetables and lightly toss to coat.

Return the pan to the oven and broil for 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the chicken and vegetables are browned.

Serve with rice or noodles.

Recipe from Yellow Bliss Road

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