Dijon Chicken with Shallots and White Wine

This is a go to dish for us. We really love Rishia Zimmern’s Chicken With Shallots. It absolutely calls for a good hot crispy French Bread to dip in the sauce! We highly recommend it! You can find the recipe on our blog of: April 2, 2014. Click the date to get the recipe.

Carmalized Shrimp Slanted Door

2 out of 3 isn't bad. The Martini and The Hungry Cat Salad were great. We weren't thrilled with the Caramelized Shrimp Recipe, so I won't post the recipe. Even though Hungry Cat, the restaurant, has closed - we continue to make their Salad. I like the avocado, egg and lemon juice. It is a great salad. You can read about why it is called The Hungry Cat Salad on our blog post of: November 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Sausage and Ricotta

Cheesy Baked Pasta With Sausage and Ricotta is a new recipe for us from The New York Times. We like almost all pastas and this was a winner. Would like to make it again.

Cheesy Baked Pasta With Sausage and Ricotta

New York Times

Like a cross between baked ziti and sausage lasagna, this mozzarella-topped pasta is rich with ricotta and crushed tomatoes — and cooks entirely in one pan, including the pasta. The Italian sausage adds meaty depth to the sauce, but vegetarians can leave it out or use their favorite plant-based sausage instead.

Ingredients

3        tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¾       pound bulk hot or mild Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey)

4        garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1        teaspoon dried oregano

½       teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed

Pinch of red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving (optional)

1        (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices

1        (14-ounce) can crushed or strained tomatoes

2        bay leaves

Kosher salt

12      ounces dried pasta, such as small shells, farfalle or other shaped pasta

8        ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

6        ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 3/4 cup)

⅓       cup grated Parmesan

¼       cup basil leaves

Black pepper, for serving

Preparation

1.   Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.

2.   Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.

3.   Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, pluck out the bay leaves, and fold in about a third of the mozzarella.

4.   Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you’d like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.

One Pan Curried Rice with Chicken

We made One-Pan Coconut Curry Rice with Chicken and Vegetables from a recipe in The New York Times. I found it bland. I don't think we will make it again, however, it had the advantage that I only had one pan to clean up.

One-Pan Coconut Curry Rice with Chicken and Vegetables

New York Times

Baking rice is a fail-safe way to a fluffy bowl of grains — and a quick route to a fragrant, hearty dinner. Red curry paste, coconut milk and peanut butter spice the chicken, rice and vegetables in this hands-off, one-pot recipe. Chunky peanut butter adds nuttiness, crunch and creaminess all at once. Feel free to swap out the carrots and broccoli for vegetables with similar cooking times, like sweet potato or snap peas. Drizzle your red curry rice with lime-spiked coconut milk for brightness just before digging in.

Ingredients

1        (13-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

¼       cup red curry paste

3        tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

2        tablespoons fish sauce

4        garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and black pepper

1        pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2        large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

1-½   cups jasmine rice, rinsed

1-¼   cups boiling water

1        head broccoli, thick stems discarded, florets separated (about 2 cups florets)

1        tablespoon lime juice

Preparation

1.   Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch/3-quart baking pan, combine 1 cup of the coconut milk with the red curry paste, peanut butter, fish sauce and garlic; whisk until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and carrots, then scatter the rice over everything. Add the boiling water, seal the pan tightly with foil, and bake until the rice is just tender, about 40 minutes.

2.   Remove the foil from the pan, scatter the broccoli florets over the rice, season with salt and pepper, then reseal with foil and bake for another 5 minutes, until the broccoli has steamed. Remove from the oven and let sit for 3 minutes.

3.   Meanwhile, stir the lime juice into the remaining coconut milk and season with salt and pepper. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir to mix. Serve with a drizzle of coconut sauce.

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Shrimp and Orzo

Shrimp and Orzo (Orzo is a great starch - a pasta that looks like rice), can be substituted for rice in many recipes. This is a delicious recipe and is easy to make. Try it! You can get the recipe on our blog of: January 10, 2019. Click the date to get the recipe.

Lobster Risotto

What is more luxurious than Lobster Risotto? You can get the recipe here: Lobster Risotto. It is delicious!

Pasta All'Amatriciana

Pasta All'Amatriciana is a favorite of ours. We often make it. You can read the recipe here: November 21, 2007. We highly recommend this dish. The secret is the pasta is only half cooked in the water. It is then drained and added to the sauce where it completes its cooking and simultaneously absorbs the sauce. It is fantastic!

We started with my favorite take out salad. The Iceberg Salad from APL Restaurant in Hollywood. It has a delicious Blue Cheese Dressing and a thick slice of house cured Bacon. The ingredients are all delivered packaged separately so the salad remains crisp. You should order this and have it delivered to you, and one fine day, hopefully we will eat it again in the restaurant!

Roast Cod with Black Bean Sauce

We made Roast Cod with Black Bean Sauce and loved it! We are definitely going to make this recipe again!

Roast Cod with Black Bean Sauce

New York Times

Ingredients

For The Sauce:

1       teaspoon vegetable oil

2       shallots, chopped fine

1-½  cloves garlic, mashed

1       tablespoon (heaping) Chinese fermented black beans

1       cup sake

2       tablespoons soy sauce

2       teaspoons rice vinegar

8       tablespoons butter

Freshly ground white pepper to taste

For The Cod:

1-½  pounds cod fillets, cut into 4 portions

¼    teaspoon salt

¼    teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1     tablespoon butter

¼    cup dry white wine or 1/4 cup water mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prepare the sauce. In a saucepan warm the oil over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and black beans and saute until shallots soften, about 3 minutes. Add sake, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Cook until sauce reduces by a third, then remove from heat and whisk in butter. Season with pepper.

3. To prepare the fish, season it with salt and pepper, and place in a small baking pan. Top with butter and pour wine over. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake 6 minutes more, or until cod flakes easily.

4. Reheat sauce until hot. Serve cod over couscous, top with sauce and garnish with fried onions and chives.

Steak, Spinach and Gorgonzola-stuffed Baked Potatoes

This was a perfect meal! A giant Rib-Eye Steak from McCall's Meat and Fish combined with Spinach and Gorgonzola-stuffed Baked Potatoes! We cook the steak inside the house don't need to grill it. This method is perfect. You can read about how to cook a Cote De Beouf here: Steak. The potatoes are great, a perfect accompaniment for the steak. You can get the recipe here: Potatoes. We make such a large steak, because we love the leftovers!

Octopus Salad

We had left over Grilled Octopus from a dinner at Chi Spacca. We turned it into a salad. It was great.

Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Farro and Watercress

Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Farro and Watercress is a excellent dish. It was greatly enhanced by the Vinagre Moscatel and the Yuzu Kosho these are really good products. You can find the recipe on our blog of: September 14, 2018. Click the date to get the recipe.

Bacon-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Caraway Cabbage and Apples

Bacon-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Caraway Cabbage and Apples is a fabulous winter dish. We love it. We especially like it when the Pork Loin is wrapped in the best Bacon that we have ever found available at Cookbook. You can find the recipe for this dish on our blog of: October 29, 2018. Click the date to get the recipe.