The Perfect Beef Stew

Rarely (if ever) do I claim that something I make is "the best." I am hesitant to call this recipe "perfect," since it's not something I eat (red meat), but my family claims that it's amazing, and Kevin has even proclaimed, "I'd give this SIX bowls if I could!" I have to admit - it makes me feel great!

Anyway, I made this dish for my sister in law, when she had a baby recently. I found it on the Food Network website, and it had gotten very good reviews, so I decided it was worth a try. Now, mind you, beef stew is an afternoon affair. It takes about 3 hours to make. Granted, it's not all "hands-on time," but it's fairly labor and time intensive. I was excited to make it, though, and I put a lot of love into it. When Kevin tried it, he was really blown away, and actually a bit sad, since I had to give it away. I made the stew again last weekend - this time, in the slow cooker. It was equally as good, despite the fact that it was way too big for my crockpot, and basically overflowed onto my counter (oops). Also, because it's such a massive amount of stew, it took a whopping 10 hours to cook (a.k.a. I started it at 7 a.m., and we ate at 6 p.m.). All that being said, it was a great slow cooker meal, because I was able to start it when I woke up at 6, and then I didn't need to think about it until an hour before dinner, when I whipped up the barley.

The point is, you should make this. It's a very basic beef stew recipe, with no bizarre ingredients or directions. Oh, and it tastes terrific. My sister in law even told me that she would order it in a restaurant! You know, my little sis swears by the recipes she finds on Food Network, but I haven't had as much luck. I think I might be coming around, though...




A note about the beef: I have always used "Stew Meat," when I've made stews in the past. I just assumed everyone used stew meat, because it's already cut into perfect "stew sized pieces." Well, a few months ago, Kevin commented that stew beef is usually pretty low in quality. Hmph. So, this time, I bit the bullet, and bought beef chuck, and cut it myself. It makes a HUGE difference, and it's really no big deal. I mean, yes, it takes 10 more minutes to cut it, but it's well worth it. I bought a 3 pound package at BJ's Wholesale, and used the whole thing. I'd highly recommend it!


Make this. 5 Bowls!

Beef Stew

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil, for searing
• 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium onions, cut into 6ths
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, or to cover
• 10 cups cold water, or chicken or beef broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
• 6 sprigs parsley
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/4 pounds medium red potatoes, quartered
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 7 canned whole, peeled tomatoes, lightly crushed
• 2 to 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar, or to taste
• Cook's Note: Beef chuck, from the shoulder, because of its marbling of intra-muscular fat, is the choice for any type of stew. If you can't find chuck cubed for stew in your meat department, buy a thick chuck steak and cut it into 2-inch cubes.

Directions

Heat a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil to fill the pan about 1/4-inch deep. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, and add to the pan. Saute half the meat, uncovered, stirring only occasionally, until well-browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef. Discard the oil and wipe out the pan.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Return the pot to the stove and melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Add the reserved beef and scatter the flour over the vegetable and beef mixture (enough to lightly coat) and cook stirring until lightly toasted. Add the water or broth, and bring to a simmer. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves together with a piece of kitchen twine and add the bundle to the pot. Season with 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook the meat until just tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (This can also be done on the stove at a low simmer.)

Remove pot from the oven. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid with a spoon or ladle. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and the tomatoes, and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the herb bundle. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among bowls and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Latkes

I made latkes about a week before Hanukkah, and figured I'd done my latke duties for the year. Then, on the first night of Hanukkah, I came down with tremendous latke guilt, and decided to make them again. This time, I had a big bag of sweet potatoes on hand, so I opted to do a little sweet tater/Yukon Gold tater batch. I took a recipe from Epicurious, and one from MyRecipes, and married them together, to create a lovely, sweet potato and scallion pancake. These got terrific reviews at my house. I'll admit - I skimped on the oil/frying a little, so they didn't have quite the grease factor that typical latkes have, but they were delicious, nonetheless. A mild sweetness from the sweet potatoes, with a nice, subtle bite, from the onions. Next time, if I'm more prepared, I'd like to add shredded carrots and zucchini to the mix. I think I have latkes down to a science. This batch was much neater and easier to assemble than last time. This recipe is a keeper. If you have a food processor, and an extra helper for clean-up time, I'd strongly suggest you try this one!



Make these. Even if you don't celebrate Hanukkah. 4.5 Bowls (had to remove a half bowl, for a couple of slightly underdone latkes!)

Sweet Potato Latkes
Adapted from Epicurious and Southern Living recipes

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and grated (or a mixture of sweet and Yukons)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper

Preparation

Stir together potatoes and flour. Stir in eggs, green onions, and salt; blend well.

It is a good idea to line a collander with paper towls, and put the end mixture in it. You need to drain latkes extremely well, before frying, or they fall apart. Mark my words! As you create the patties, you need to squeeze out the liquid from each pancake, individually, as well.

Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a large heavy skillet. (I just heat 2 tsp of oil at a time - no deep frying in our house!) Drop potato mixture by tablespoonfuls into hot oil; gently flatten latkes with back of a spoon. Fry, in batches, 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Potato-Scallion Latkes

Quick story:

Last year, during Hannukkah, Kevin innocently suggested we make latkes one night. Well, I took it upon myself to make latkes from scratch. Let me clarify - I made them without a Cuisinart. Let me clarify (again) - I made them by shredding 2 pounds of potatoes by hand. It was very challenging, very messy, and not worth it. The reviews of my "made from scratch latkes?" Not so good. I believe the words, "bland, eggy, tasteless, unseasoned, and falling apart," were among the expressions used at dinner that night. I vowed never to make an attempt at latkes, again.

Fast forward to tonight, when I was making lentil soup, and thinking about what might be tasty as a side dish. I had a bag of potatoes, some leftover scallions, and a brand spankin' new Cuisinart sitting around, so I made the executive decision to break my vow, and give it another try. I am so glad I did. This recipe makes 12, delicious potato pancakes. They taste so flavorful, with a perfect blend of green onion, salt, and potatoes. There was no need for applesauce, either! These are a definite keeper - I would make them for a Chanukkah party, in a heartbeat. I am always looking for an alternative for the run of the mill, frozen latkes in the grocery store, and I think this is it.

Anyway, I learned several things tonight, about making latkes. If you ever have the desire to try your hand at making them, you might want to read my tips first. Otherwise, you will be faced with a very tedious project. Okay... Here goes...



1. Do NOT attempt latkes, without a Cuisinart or other food processor. It isn't worth the trouble or scraped knuckles.



2. You MUST do an excellent job, squeezing the liquid out of the latkes. Otherwise, they fall apart. Seriously. Do a good job. It will be worth it.



3. You do not need to deep fry latkes, but they are perfectly tasty, pan fried in just a bit of olive oil. My recipe from last year was baked, not fried. Um, latkes are fried. They just are. Period.

4. Don't rush the latkes. They take as much time as they take. If you rush them, and take them off the stove before their allotted "5 minutes per side," they will be undercooked, and under-golden browned. Stop rushing the latkes!

5. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but do NOT, under any circumstances, make these without a Cuisinart.

6. Making latkes is messy. Suck it up and do your dishes. It's not that big a deal.

Make these. They are really good. Kevin gave my second batch 4 stars, but only after I rushed the first batch (thus, they were undercooked).

Potato-Scallion Latkes


Latkes are a classic Hanukkah dish. The patties are cooked in oil, symbolizing the small amount of oil in a temple lamp that burned for eight days, the miracle the holiday commemorates. Garnish with extra green onions.


Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 patties)


4 1/2 cups shredded peeled baking potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Combine potato and onions; squeeze moisture from potato mixture over a sieve. Combine potato mixture, flour, salt, and egg whites in a large bowl. Divide mixture into 12 equal portions, and squeeze out any remaining liquid. Discard liquid. Shape each portion into a 1/4-inch-thick patty.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 6 patties to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 6 patties.


CALORIES 157 (27% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 0.7g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.5g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 13mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.8g; SODIUM 321mg; PROTEIN 3.7g; FIBER 1.9g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2007

Chickpea and Winter Vegetable Stew

We love soups and stews here, at Casa de Marji and Kevin. I haven't been cooking all that much lately, because Kevin has beenn working constantly, and it's difficult to cook and clean, when he isn't home for dinner. Yesterday, he has the afternoon off, so I decided to make something warm and toasty for us. This winter veggie stew is quite delicious. It involves a lot of chopping, but miraculously, it doesn't take all that long to prepare. We are not big fans of turnips here, so I just added more carrots, a green squash, and butternut squash to the mix. I'm sure that changed the flavor a little, but it was definitely to our liking! I was also able to use 2 ingredients that I rarely have a chance to break out. First of all, I used caraway seeds, which involved a mortar and pestle. I love being able to make use of my fun toys. Second, the recipe called for Harrissa, which I used in a lentil dal recipe a few months ago. It's a spicy, tangy, Moroccan condiment, that adds an excellent flavor to soups and stews. Anyway, this dish ended up being a really tasty, mellow blend of sweet (from the squash and honey), and a tangy, underlying spiciness from the harrissa. The cumin, caraway, and coriander made a really delicious, but subtle blend. We loved it - especially with the addition of whole wheat couscous. I will definitely be making this again. Hey, who knows? Maybe next time I'll go crazy and try the turnips... But probably not...

Maya wanted to use my "toy," so I gave her some allspice and coriander to crush. All night, she kept saying, "CRUSH! CRUSH!"

Toasted and crushed caraway seeds.


All aboard. One pot. Lots of veggies. Mmmmmm.

The finished product.


Bottom Line: Try this. It's the ultimate comfort food...
Kevin says: 4 OR 5 Bowls... So, 4.5!

Chickpea and Winter Vegetable Stew

Harissa is a fiery spice paste used in Moroccan cooking. Look for it at Middle Eastern markets. I got it at our local Co-op, in NH, but I think they probably sell it at Whole Foods. It's definitely worth buying!

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup squash mixture, 1/2 cup couscous, and 1 lemon wedge)


2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup (1/2-inch) slices leek (I found frozen, sliced leeks at Trader Joe's! Awesome find!)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 2/3 cups veggie stock (I used Penzey's Veg Soup Base)
2 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 cup (1/2-inch) slices carrot
3/4 cup (1-inch) cubed peeled Yukon gold potato
1 tablespoon harissa
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound turnips, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges (about 2 medium) (I used a zucchini, and also added more carrots and butternut squash, instead)
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (Meh. I omitted this one.)
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 1/3 cups uncooked couscous (Try the whole wheat variety. Get it cheap at TJ's, or in the bulk bins at Whole Foods!)
8 lemon wedges (Omitted)

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and leek; sauté 5 minutes. Add coriander and next 4 ingredients (through garlic); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 3 cups Simple Vegetable Stock and the next 8 ingredients (through chickpeas); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and honey.

2. Remove 2/3 cup hot cooking liquid from squash mixture. Place cooking liquid and remaining 2/3 cup stock in a medium bowl. Stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.

CALORIES 264 ; FAT 2.3g (sat 0.3g,mono 1g,poly 0.6g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 92mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54.5g; SODIUM 425mg; PROTEIN 8.3g; FIBER 7.5g; IRON 2.4mg

**5 Points, in case you're counting!

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2009

Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash

I love Fall - the weather, the trees, the apple picking, the chill in the air... But mostly, I love the recipes. Yeah, summer is great, but the food is boring. There is just something about rich soups, stews, and casseroles, that makes Fall and Winter exciting and comforting. Anyway, I haven't cooked anything new in about a week, because we moved into our new house. The move was relatively overwhelming, so I took a break from being a cooking junkie, and only cooked a few oldies but goodies throughout the week.

Anyway, I had all the ingredients to this recipe, so I excitedly whipped it up last night. I followed some of the reviewer recommendations, about adding more potatoes and squash, and using chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken. I ended up using 3 boneless skinless breasts, 3 large potatoes, and probably about a pound of butternut squash - I bought the pre-cut kind, because it was on sale at our local market. Anyway, this recipe is easy, but it's fairly time intensive, because it needs to cook for an hour in the oven. Anyway, the result is a deliciously flavorful, 1 dish dinner, that my family devoured. I mean, literally, the casserole dish was basically scraped clean by Kevin, who absolutely loved it. In fact, here is a snippet of our conversation, after he took his first bite:

Kevin: "This is great! What's different about this?"
Me: "What do you mean? It's a new recipe..."
Kevin: "I mean, it tastes different. Like, it has a lot of flavor."
Me: "Um, thanks. I didn't realize everything else I make, doesn't have a lot of flavor... But... Okay."

Men...

Anyway, it you are wondering what it is that gives this one a lot of flavor, it's the addition of a whopping 2 tablespoons of minced garlic. Yes, we will stink for a couple of days, but it will be worth it. This was a good one. Butternut squash is on sale all over the place. Try this - you won't be disappointed (I hope).





You should make this. Kevin gave it 4 bowls, but I give it 5. It's a garlicky masterpiece.


Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces chicken and about 3/4 cup vegetables)


2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided (I used bottled, minced garlic - it was much easier!)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 (3 1/2-pound) roasting chicken (I used 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, and cut them into large chunks)
Cooking spray
12 ounces red potatoes, cut into wedges (3 large)
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 8 ounces) (I used 12-16 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I only used about a tablespoon, and it was more than enough)

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and sage in a small bowl. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Rub garlic mixture under loosened skin. Place chicken, breast side up, on rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Place rack in broiler pan. (I made the rub in a bowl, then threw the cut up chicken in the bowl and tossed to coat. I also used a casserole dish, as opposed to a broiler pan.)

3. Combine potatoes, squash, butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Arrange vegetable mixture around chicken. Bake at 400° for 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 165°. Let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin.

CALORIES 399 ; FAT 12.1g (sat 5g,mono 3.2g,poly 1.7g); CHOLESTEROL 147mg; CALCIUM 77mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.9g; SODIUM 791mg; PROTEIN 43.8g; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 3.5mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2010

Classic Shepherd's Pie

The idea of Shepherd's Pie has always appealed to me. After all, what's better than meat and veggies topped with mashed taters? This recipe came from Food Network (I think Bobby Fla and it's a really basic recipe, though it involves quite a bit of prep work. I made the mashed potatoes early in the day, and then prepped everything else, and stuck the un-baked pie in the fridge, until an hour before dinner. It cooked up beautifully, and it looked lovely, when we scooped into it. Kevin liked it, though he claims that all Shepherd's Pies are created equal. Hmph. Well, it looked and smelled divine, and both Maya and Kevin enjoyed it. Maya didn't like the marshmallows (a.k.a mushrooms), but besides that, it was a winner.

Beef Shepherd's Pie

Adapted from the Food Network Kitchens and "How to Boil Water."

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 rib celery, sliced
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup canned low sodium beef broth
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Directions

Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, half the salt, and oregano. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until mushrooms are soft and tomato paste has turned brick red, about 8 minutes more. Stir in the beef, the broth, the remaining salt, the Worcestershire, and some pepper, breaking up any large clumps of meat, cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the meat and vegetables to a 2-quart oval casserole dish and spread the mashed potatoes over the top, leaving a 1/4-inch boarder around the edge. Make a decorative pattern on the top of the potatoes, if desired. Sprinkle with cheese, if using, and dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake until potatoes brown and the juices bubble around the edge, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Copyright 2005 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.

Mashed Potatoes:

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled quartered

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

3/4 cup whole milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes in a saucepan with cold water to cover by about 1-inch and add the salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes. At the same time, combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Toss the potatoes over medium heat until dry. Add the heated milk mixture and mash the potatoes until just slightly chunky, then stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Basil Chicken Hash

The morning of Rosh HaShanah, called my mom and said, "Mom, what are you making for dinner tonight?" She answered, "I'm making Chicken Hash. It's an Ina Garten recipe." After sprinting to the computer to look it up (within 15 seconds, I might add), I decided I'd make it too. You see, I am in a recipe rut, at the moment. I need some new material. My mom adores Ina Garten (she has a show on Food Network, and several cookbooks), and I love my mom's cooking, plus, the recipe looked pretty simple, so I ran with it. The only bone I have to pick with this recipe, is that, like many other Food Network recipes, it calls for an insane (in my opinion) amount of butter. 6 tablespoons for 4 servings, plus olive oil. Honestly, there is no part of me that can possibly use 6 tablespoons of butter in anything, unless it has at least 10 servings (i.e. a cake, cookies, etc.) Anyway, I decided to swap it, for 2 tablespoons of olive oil, which I stretched through the recipe. I'm sure, if I'd used the butter it would have been much more rich, moist,decadent and delicious. Instead, my version came out pretty tasty. It was a very simple array of well seasoned, sauteed veggies and chicken. I liked it, and would eat it again in a second, but it didn't blow me away. I felt it was a little dry, which was obviously my own fault, for skimping on the fat. I was wanting it to be stew-like, for some reason, but instead, it felt like it was missing something wet. Next time, I would use a rotisserie chicken, instead of making my own. I think that would make it more flavorful, and I might (don't faint) actually use a tablespoon of butter, just to see if it adds a depth of richness to the final product. Anyway, all in all, we liked this, and, actually, my family loved it. Maya ate it for lunch for several days after Rosh HaShanah, and Kevin feasted on the leftovers as well. Thanks, Mom (and Ina)!






Basil Chicken Hash
Courtesy of Ina Garten (Food Network)

Ingredients

* 2 whole (4 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
* 16 basil leaves
* Olive Oil
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
* 2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and large diced
* 2 red onions, chopped
* 2 red bell peppers, large diced
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 4 minced scallions, white and green parts
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh leaf parsley
* Sour cream, Cheddar and sliced lemons, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving one side attached. Place 4 basil leaves under the skin of each chicken breast. Pull the skin over as much of the meat as possible so the chicken won't dry out. With your hands, rub each piece with olive oil and sprinkle very generously with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken is just cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones. Cut the chicken in large dice pieces and set aside.

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan. Add the potatoes and onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until evenly browned and cooked through.

In a separate saute pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the red peppers, garlic, thyme, paprika, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the edges of the peppers are seared.

Add the chicken and the pepper mixture to the potatoes and heat through. Add the scallions and parsley, toss together and place on a serving platter.

Meat and Tater Tuesday: Szechuan Chicken Meatloaf with Grilled New Potatoes

I've been meaning to make this chicken meatloaf, from Cooking Light, for a while now. It's really unlike anything I've made in the past, and it sounded like a blend of flavors my family would love. I've never cooked with ground chicken, and I'm not a huge fan of ground meat in general, but I loved this dish. It was a perfect blend of meaty, sweet, spicy, and flavorful. The texture was perfect, too, though I'm curious to see how it reheats (Kevin is taking it to work tomorrow). I made some simple modification to the recipe, based on ingredients I had on hand, and adjusting it to my family's desired level of spiciness. I listed my mods below, in case you're interested in having this dish, the "Marji way." Oh, and the potatoes (courtesy of Paula Deen) were an afterthought, because I needed something on the side. This dish would have been perfect with corn on the cob, but we finished it last night, so we were veggie-less. Anyway, it was a success - I hope to make it again soon. By the way - it was a very easy dish to throw together. The cooking time (50 minutes to cook,and 10 minutes to rest) was a limiting factor, for working folks, but I'd highly recommend it on a night when you have an hour to make dinner.





My loaf pan was too big, so the loaf was sort of flat and wide. Next time, I don't think I'd use a loaf pan - I'll just form a loaf on a cookie sheet.

Szechuan Chicken Meat Loaf

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon minced peeled gingerroot or 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger (I used ground)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cooked long-grain rice (I used brown rice)
  
• 1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts (I omitted these - blech)
  
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose Szechwan hot and spicy sauce (I used Sriracha - it was so spicy, so only 1 tbl)
  
• 1 pound ground chicken or ground turkey (I used chicken)
  
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Preparation

Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions, carrot, celery, gingerroot, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until tender.

Combine green onion mixture, rice, water chestnuts, soy sauce, and Szechwan sauce in a large bowl; stir well. Crumble chicken over green onion mixture, and stir just until blended.

Preheat oven to 350°. Pack mixture into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan (I used a 9 x 5 pan, and this led to a wide, flat loaf - oops) coated with cooking spray; sprinkle sesame seeds over top of loaf. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until meat loaf registers 160°. Let loaf stand in pan 10 minutes.

Remove loaf from pan; cut into 12 slices. Serve with Chinese hot mustard and sweet-and-sour sauce, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 163 (27% from fat)

Fat: 4.8g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.5g,poly 1.5g)

Protein:c18.1g

Carbohydrate:11.1g

Fiber: 0.5g

Cholesterol: 53mg

Iron: 1.4mg

Sodium: 404mg

Calcium: 22mg

Cooking Light, MARCH 1996


The Critique
WOW!!! There are few things that really knock my socks off but this one did. This could be one of my favorite meals that Marji has ever made for me. It's rare for me to have such strong feelings for something that she made that is not soup. But this is a hands down, 5 bowler. These smell like they're made in a high-end Asian restaurant that tends to have at least an hour wait to get in on a Tuesday. They tasted so perfect in every way that I would not dare to make any suggestions to mess with such perfection. I loved the sesame seeds on the top and the seasoning throughout the meat. I'm a huge fan of seasoned meats, especially with seasoned ground meat. The chicken tasted superb and to make it even better, it reheated perfectly! I couldn't ask for more. Definitely a very large 5 bowls.

Lentil Loaf with Grilled Onion and Potatoes

I love the idea of Meatless Mondays, even though we have many meatless days around these parts. This week, I decided to make this lentil loaf, from My Vegan Cookbook. I've made it before, but, frankly, it's a lot of work. The recipe has a lot of ingredients, and the first (and only other time) I made it, I made several mistakes, which led to sort of an odd tasting, oddly textured loaf. This time, on the other hand, I did it right. It was delicious, and it actually stayed together, which is saying a lot for a vegetarian loaf. The thing I like about this one, is that the "glue," is actually tofu, not eggs. It's incredibly healthy and has a perfect blend of spices. The topping is a sweet and spicy tomato mixture, and there is leftover to use as a dipping sauce. I recently bought a new grill pan, so I decided to use it to make these grilled potatoes with vidalia onions. They came out good, but I needed to finish them off in the oven, since they didn't cook quite quickly enough. All in all, a very tasty, meatless meal!

There were about 10 more ingredients... These were just the pantry ones..."


Tasty lentil loaf.
Maybe not so pretty, but tastes good nonetheless.

Who knew you could grill onions and taters right on the stovetop?

My daughter loved these.


The critique
I loved it. This is my second time eating this and she greatly improved from the first time. It was much more solidly put together, and had the most amazing taste to it. Also, the tomato paste had less of the "makes your face pucker" issue, which can sometimes detract from the experience. I loved the food, but it's extremely unfilling, which is an issue with vegetarian food for me. I literally ate the entire loaf. 4 bowls.


The vegetables were phenomenal. I'm in love with the roasted onions thang. Bring it! 4 bowls.