a little of each

A family's cookbook

Spicy Apple-Glazed Chicken with Gorgonzola Grits December 20, 2012

Filed under: Main Dishes,Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:03 pm
Tags: , , , ,

Ingredients (serves 4)

    For the Chicken

    • 4 skinned, boned chicken breast halves
    • 1/4 cup apple butter
    • 1/4 cup spicy brown or Dijon mustard
    • 1/4 t salt
    • 1/4 t ground red pepper
    • 1/8 t black pepper
    • 2 T chopped green onions to garnish
    • Oregano sprigs (optional)

    For the Gorgonzola Cheese Grits

    • 2 cans (14.25 oz.) chicken broth
    • 3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
    • 1 cup (5.8 oz.) creamy Italian Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
    • 1/3 cup sour cream
    • 1/4 t ground nutmeg
    • 1/4 t fresh ground pepper

    Instructions

    For the Chicken

    Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten to 1/2″ thick. Place chicken in a greased baking dish.

    Combine apple butter, mustard, S & P; brush sauce over chicken. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

    Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add grits, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and remaining ingredients.

    Cut chicken into 1/2″ slices. Spoon grits onto salad plates or into shallow bowls. Top with slices of chicken and garnish with green onion & oregano.

    Powered by Recipage
     

    Pasta with Fresh Spinach and Feta

    Filed under: Main Dishes,Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:45 pm
    Tags: , , , ,

    Ingredients

    • 1 box of penne pasta
    • 3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped small
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 can of diced tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
    • zest of 1 lemon
    • 4-6 oz fresh spinach
    • 4 oz feta cheese

    Instructions

    Cook pasta.

    Drain the pasta and use the same pot to heat oil and cook garlic until the garlic is softened.

    Add a can of diced tomatoes, basil and lemon zest and cook a few minutes longer, stirring often.

    Add the pasta back in. Stir in some fresh spinach (I used almost a full bag, but I really like spinach). Stir until warmed through. Salt and pepper to taste.

    Serve on plates with feta cheese sprinkled on top.

    Powered by Recipage
     

    Summer Squash Pizza

    Filed under: Main Dishes — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:43 pm
    Tags: , , , ,

    Ingredients

    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
    • 1 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
    • Cooking spray
    • 1 (12-inch) packaged pizza crust
    • 2 plum tomatoes, cut into (1/8-inch-thick) slices
    • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
    • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
    • 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano

    Instructions

    Prepare grill.

    Combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, zucchini slices, and yellow squash slices in a large bowl, tossing gently to coat. Place squash mixture on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until tender.

    Reduce grill temperature to medium.

    Lightly coat pizza crust with cooking spray; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Arrange zucchini and squash over crust. Arrange tomatoes over squash; sprinkle with pecorino Romano cheese. Grill 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from grill; sprinkle with basil and oregano.

    Powered by Recipage
     

    Steak and Blue Cheese Pizza

    Filed under: Main Dishes — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:38 pm
    Tags: , , , , ,

    Ingredients (serves 6)

    • Cooking spray
    • 2 cups vertically sliced onion
    • 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
    • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
    • 1 (8-ounce) boneless sirloin steak, trimmed
    • 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
    • 3 (7-inch) refrigerated individual pizza crusts
    • 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
    • 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

    Instructions

    Preheat oven to 450°.

    Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms; cover and cook 3 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt; remove onion mixture from pan.

    Sprinkle steak with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add steak to pan; cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes; cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

    Place crusts on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 3 minutes. Remove crusts from oven.

    Combine mayonnaise and horseradish; spread each crust with about 2 teaspoons mayonnaise mixture. Arrange onion mixture evenly over crusts; bake at 450° for 2 minutes. Divide steak and cheese evenly among pizzas; bake an additional 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut each pizza in half.

    Powered by Recipage
     

    Almost-Famous Swedish Meatballs

    Filed under: Main Dishes — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:18 pm
    Tags: , , ,

    Prep Time: 15 minutes

    Cook Time: 35 minutes

    Ingredients (45 meatballs)

      For the meatballs

      • 1 cup breadcrumbs
      • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
      • 1/3 cup minced white onion
      • 2 cloves garlic, minced
      • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
      • Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
      • 1/2 cup milk
      • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
      • 3/4 pound lean ground beef
      • 1/2 pound lean ground pork
      • 1 large egg plus 1 egg white, beaten
      • Vegetable oil, for brushing

      For the gravy

      • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
      • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
      • 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
      • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
      • 1/4 cup heavy cream
      • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
      • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
      • Lingonberry jam, for serving (optional)

      Instructions

      Make the meatballs: Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Pour the milk mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir to make a thick paste; let cool. Add the beef, pork, egg and egg white to the bowl and mix until combined.

      Brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the meatballs until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

      Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth. Whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and meatballs. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving dish; sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lingonberry jam, if desired.

      Powered by Recipage