Parmesan Basil Chicken

It's snowing today so it's a great day to make a creamy, comforty, delicious dinner. And this one fits the bill perfectly. (Thankfully the snow isn't sticking and it will be 60 degrees on Saturday!) 

This one pot wonder of a dinner has perfectly sauteed chicken nestled in a cream sauce laden with spinach, roasted red peppers, and basil. It's comfort food at its finest, but also has fresh, bright flavors thanks to those peppers and the basil.

We loved this served over spaghetti to soak up all that creamy good sauce. Green beans were a perfect side dish, but a salad and garlic bread would be equally fitting. 

However you serve it, I hope your family will love it as much as mine did. 

Parmesan Basil Chicken
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 ounces roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise and then pound out to a uniform thickness. In a large non stick pan on medium-medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then sear, 4-5 minutes on each side, until just cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same skillet add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add onion, garlic, peppers, paprika, red chili pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Saute for about five minutes, until onions and peppers are softened. 

Add wine to deglaze the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer until reduced by half.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add cream to the skillet and stir until a creamy sauce forms. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add spinach, and stir until it wilts. Add Parmesan, and stir until it's melted into sauce. Stir in half the basil, simmer until wilted.

Add chicken back to the skillet,  allow to warm up if needed.  Serve over rice or noodles.

Gochujang Pork and Ramen

Ooh, these noodles. So easy, so delicious, so fast, so good for leftovers. Also completely versatile - I've added broccoli, bok choy, mushrooms, etc. 

This amazing dinner comes together so quickly - just saute the pork and cook the noodles, add spinach, 

sauce,

 toss it all up, 

done. 

You can use the "regular" ramen noodles, but I especially like the brown rice ramen noodles - I find these at Costco.

That's it, really! So fantastic all around.

Gochujang Pork and Ramen
1 pound ground pork
2 cups spinach, chopped
2 packages ramen (or two blocks)
1/4 cup sliced green onions
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. gochujang sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
cilantro and sesame seeds for garnish

Cook the ground pork in a large skillet; season with salt and pepper. 

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen and cook for 2-3 minutes. Set aside when soft, but do not drain.

Combine the soy sauce, gochujang sauce, tomato paste, peanut butter, water, brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. Stir well. 

Add the spinach to the pork in the skillet, and toss and cook until it wilts. Use tongs to transfer the noodles to the skilllet, leaving the water in the saucepan. Add the sauce to the pork and spinach and toss around. Use some of the ramen water to thin the sauce, if necessary. 

Top the noodles and pork with sliced green onions and garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.

Recipe Source: adapted from Pinch of Yum

Cauiflower Gnocchi with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Spinach

Tonight, I had this dinner on the table in 20 minutes flat. I wasn't planning on making this tonight, but my other meal wasn't going to work (ripen up already, avocados!) and so I punted since I had all these ingredients. This dinner was on my meal plan last week but we didn't get to to it. 

All of that to say, I am super glad I had all the ingredients and that I remembered that I wanted to make this. It is GOOD. And 20 minutes for a restaurant quality meal from scratch? YES please. This would be wonderful with a big green salad and some crusty garlic bread. But even just on its own, scarfing it down from a bowl, was super satisfying and delicious. 

Gnocchi doesn't take a long time to cook - it actually takes a lot longer to get the water to boil. But you can saute and bacon and veggies while you wait for the water to boil - that's how you can do it so quickly.

Cook up the bacon, add the veggies, and then the sauce makes itself in the pan. Add back in the gnocchi and voila!!

Cauliflower Gnocchi with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Spinach

▢

4 slices thick cut bacon

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced▢

1 package cauliflower gnocchi

4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups spinach

Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. 

Meanwhile, cut the bacon into bite sized pieces and begin to cook over medium heat in a large skillet. When the bacon is about half way done, add the mushrooms and garlic. Continue to stir and cook til the bacon is done and the mushrooms are soft.

Once the water starts boiling, add the gnocchi to the saucepan and reduce heat. Boil for 2-3 minutes or until the gnocchi floats to the top. Drain. 

Add the cream cheese and Italian seasoning to the skillet and stir well to incorporate everything. Add the milk and parmesan, and whisk until the cream cheese is incorporated.

Chop the spinach, then add to the skillet. Stir until slightly wilted, then add the gnocchi and cook and stir a few minutes until the sauce begins to slightly thicken. 
Serves 4.

• 
  
• ▢
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• I

Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars

I've been the lucky recipient of rhubarb from some friends' gardens, so here is a great recipe to put it to use. There's another great breakfast recipe coming with rhubarb, but I thought these would make a festive 4th of July dessert with the beautiful red filling. 

Side note, my nephew recently corrected me when I talked to him about "July 4th." He said "You say it FOURTH OF JULY." Alrighty then.

There are a number of things to love about these bars, taste of course being the primary one. But secondly, the crust and the topping is the same mixture - so it's easy and fast to make and also dirties only one dish for those elements.

Look at that beautiful fruit filling!

If you have rhubarb and strawberries, you likely have all the other pantry ingredients to make these bars, so do yourself and others a favor, and get them made. In time for the 4th of July. (There, I said it right.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars

Crust and topping:
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
14 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, cold and cubed
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk 
1/3 cup old fashioned oats (not quick)

Filling:
2 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
2 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. orange zest

For the crust and topping, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers, to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (You can also do this step in a food processor; just pulse a few times til you get the coarse crumbs - don't just turn "on" or it won't be crumbly anymore!)

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla. Pour over the flour mixture and use a spoon or your hands to combine. Set aside 2 cups of this mixture.

Press the remaining dough into a greased 9x13 pan. (If you really like parchment paper, you can make a parchment "liner" instead.) You will probably need to use your fingers to flatten it. 

For the filling, mix together the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, and orange zest. Spread over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of flour mixture over the filling. Then sprinkle the oats on top and use a spatula to gently press the topping down.

Bake at 350 for 44-50 minutes until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out mostly clean (it will have some fruit specks, likely). Allow the bars to cool on a wire rack, or place them in the fridge after an hour of cooling to cool them faster.

Cut into squares and serve!

These bars store best in the fridge, and can also be frozen for up to three months. I like to "warm" them up in the microwave or toaster oven if they've been cold, and then top with vanilla ice cream!

Recipe source: adapted from Sally's

Orange Almond Cake {GF& DF}

I love cakes that can be whipped up quickly but are deliciously impressive. This is one of those. And this one is also gluten AND dairy free, which is helpful when you have friends or families who have dietary restrictions. 

What I also appreciate is that this cake doesn't call for specialty ingredients - the only "unusual" thing is almond flour, which is not unusual at all anymore - you can even get it at Aldi! (That's my litmus test of a regular ingredient - can I get it at Aldi? HA!)

This is a wonderful light, spring or summer cake, which we really enjoyed with ice cream and fresh berries. (And the dairy free folks without the ice cream, wah!)

You will need your mixer for this, because the lightness of the cake comes from whipped egg whites. Of course, you could do it by hand if you have arms and shoulders of steel, but I do not. I'm grateful for stand mixers, because you can turn it on and just let it go for several minutes. But the rest of the cake you can just mix together by hand.

Enjoy this beautiful spring, and enjoy this cake!

Orange Almond Cake

4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
zest of one small orange
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups almond flour
pinch salt
1/2 cup raw sliced almonds
powdered sugar for dusting

Using an electric stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. 

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, zest and orange juice. Stir in the almond flour and salt. 

Once egg whites are stiff, add about 1/4 of the egg white mixture to the batter, and fold gently until combined. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, but do not over mix. 

Pour the batter into a greased 9" springform pan. (If you like, you can also line the bottom with parchment.) Top with the sliced almonds. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and the top springs back slightly when touched. 

Cool completely on a wire rack, then remove the sides of the pan. If you've used parchment, you could remove the cake from the bottom as well. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with fresh berries.

Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart

This is a beautiful, citrusy, refreshing dessert, perfect for any spring occasion. 

It got rave reviews at our Easter dinner and would be wonderful for Mother's Day, too! I can't think of a better combo than shortbread and lemon curd. The crunchiness of the shortbread pairs wonderfully with the creamy filling. It really is SO good. 

I've made lemon curd before but this new method is so easy - combine everything in the microwave and let it do the cooking - you just stir it every 45 seconds. It turns out fabulously - bright, sunshiny and smooth and absolutely jaw-droppingly delicious.

You could go all out and make a coulis to coat the bottom of the plate, or drizzle with a raspberry sauce or something, but I thought this was lovely unadorned, with no competing elements. I just garnished with a few fresh raspberries to bring a little color to the plate.

Look at that lemon center! And the wonderful crust and topping. So good. A dusting of powdered sugar completes this beautiful tart. Enjoy!

Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart

Tart:

1/2 cup butter 
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup almond flour

Lemon Curd:
1 cup sugar
zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 egg yolks
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, cubed

For the lemon curd, combine the sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks and eggs in a large microwave-safe bowl. Whisk well until combined. Stir in the butter cubes. Microwave for 45 seconds on high power, then stir well. Continue microwaving in 45 second increments, stirring well after each heating, until the curd coats the back of the spoon or reaches 175 degrees. This process will take 5-7 minutes, likely. Stir in the lemon zest. Let cool on the counter top while you assemble the tart dough. You can also make this in advance and refrigerate it until you need it. 

For the tart, in a medium-size bowl, whisk soft butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk again until well combined. Add the flour and almond flour and stir with a fork until the flour is incorporated and large crumbs start to form.

 (Alternatively, you can use chilled butter and do this process in the food processor. Just don't pulse too much or you won't get nice clumps of butter. You want to create a streusel.) 

Spray a 9-inch tart pan with baking spray. Press about 2/3 of the dough evenly up the sides and covering the bottom of the pan. Place the bowl with the remaining dough into the refrigerator.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Place a sheet pan on the rack and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the tart pan on the sheet pan and bake for 10-14 minutes, until the crust is just beginning to  firm up and turn golden brown on the edges. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow the tart to cool for 10 minutes, then spread 1 1/4 cups of the lemon curd evenly over the bottom of the crust. (You won't use all the lemon curd. You could use the remainder over ice cream, on scones, to make a trifle, etc!)

Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator. Grab a handful of the crumb mixture and gently squeeze it in your hand, then sprinkle it over the lemon curd, breaking it up into large crumbs as you go. Repeat until all of the crumb mixture is used up.

Return the tart (on the sheet pan) to the oven and continue baking until topping is firm, crisp and lightly golden in color, and the filling is not "jiggly," about 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. 

Remove the outer ring from the tart pan and serve. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Yum Yum Sauce

 

Rice bowls have become a regular part of our dinner rotation. It's a great way to get protein, carbs, and veggies all in one place, and it's a particularly great summertime meal since you don't need to bake anything. (You CAN, but you can also grill, air fry etc.)  I just wanted to talk about summertime for a moment because it's almost Easter but we're in the middle of a snowstorm. Ahem.

I also love how versatile these are. While I tend to make them the same way each time, I have changed it up a little depending on what I have on hand, or what veggies need to get used up. But one thing that doesn't change, is that the bowl must be drizzled (or covered?) in Yum Yum Sauce. Yum Yum Sauce is the famous sauce at hibachi restaurants that you put over the fried rice and meat. There's a reason it's called Yum Yum Sauce. It's really good. It's also not cheap to buy at the grocer's. So after trying a bunch of variations, I came up with a sauce that we love, and that's much less expensive than buying the premade jar. 

So here is the rice bowl before it gets drizzled with sauce. This is typically what we do: rice (jasmine rice in the Instant Pot), protein (here it's salmon but there's a picture of shrimp below, and I've also done pork tenderloin), pickled cucumbers, pickled onions, edamame and spring mix. I've also thrown in broccoli, snow peas, asparagus, carrots, whatever you like! 

Then drizzle with the sauce, and dive in. Some people in my family mix it all up together, and others eat all the parts separately. It doesn't matter. 

And here it is with shrimp. In this case, the raw shrimp got sprinkled with Old Bay and then went for a quick saute before adding them to the rice. 

Now Yum Yum Sauce is not just for rice bowls - it has lots of other applications. We've used it on steak sandwiches, fried eggs, even a "dip" for quesadillas. We do use it for rice bowls 90% of the time though!

Try it yourself and let me know how you like it - and what you put in your rice bowls!

Yum Yum Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. ketchup

1 1/2 tsp. creamy horseradish 

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. sugar

Add all ingredients to a small bowl, and whisk well to combine. Refrigerate until serving, and to let the flavors meld. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator.  Serves 6.