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
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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.

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    Pasta with Fresh Spinach and Feta

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

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    Butternut Squash Ziti

    Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:40 pm
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    Prep Time: 1 hour

    Cook Time: 45 minutes

    Ingredients

    • 1 butternut squash
    • 1 pound ziti
    • 1 cup half & half (or cream)
    • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh grated is best)
    • 8 ounces Gruyere cheese
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • Salt and pepper

    Instructions

    Place halved squashes cut-side down on a cookie sheet. Poke repeatedly with a fork.

    Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until the squash are super-tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash.

    When the squash are cool enough to handle, scoop all the meat out with a spoon and add it to your food processor bowl, or just a big bowl for mashing.

    Combine the half and half (or cream), cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and about half of the cheese with the butternut squash. Puree it until smooth and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

    If it’s not really creamy, add a bit more Half & Half or cream. Also, give it a taste at this point. It should be really smooth and flavorful with just a tiny amount of spice.

    Cook the ziti and then mix the butternut squash mixture and the ziti noodles together. Butter a 9×13 baking dish well. Add all the ziti and smooth it out, then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.

    Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is really melted and the ziti is slightly browned around the edges. Let it cool for a few minutes before eating/serving.

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    Baked Ziti

    Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:08 pm
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    Ingredients (serves 8 to 10)

    • 1 pound cottage cheese (not fat-free)
    • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
    • 3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
    • Table salt
    • 1 pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
    • 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
    • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • Ground black pepper
    • 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

    Instructions

    Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).

    Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.

    Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

    Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

    Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

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