Baked Rice with Spinach and Feta

 

Courtesy of The Neelys on Food Network. I followed instructions except substituted crumbled feta for cheddar cheese. The fresh thyme absolutely makes this dish so flavorful...

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 package frozen spinach, thawed, chopped
• red pepper flakes (recipe called for cayenne pepper)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups feta cheese, cut into small cubes ( recipe called for shredded sharp cheddar) I like to buy the block feta.
• 4 cups cooked rice
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Butter a large casserole dish.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, saute the onion and red pepper flakes in the olive oil until translucent.

Add the spinach and cook 3 minutes. Set aside.

Whisk egg and milk together.

Add 1/2 of the feta cheese, rice, parsley, thyme, spinach mixture and salt and pepper. Combine well.

Add the milk mixture and combine.

Pour into prepared casserole dish and top with remaining feta cheese. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

Printed

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman. Easy and delicious. Done. Now I love spicy, so if not your jam; move on... I was thinking of filling taco shells or serve with tortilla chips.

Ingredients for Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/3 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely diced celery, I did about double
• 1 tablespoon Frank's Red Hot sauce
• 1 large egg
• 1 scallion, finely minced, used white and green parts
• 1 clove garlic, probably did more
• salt and pepper
• crumbled gorgonzola
• celery stalks

Ingredients for Sauce

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce

Directions for Meatballs:

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

Combine the chicken, breadcrumbs, celery, hot sauce, egg, scallion, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

Gently mix until combined. Do not overmix.

Roll mixture into balls. I got about 24 meatballs.

Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake till cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Directions for the Sauce:

In a saute pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the hot sauce, stirring until combined. 

Once meatballs are cooked, add the sauce and toss to coat well. 

Serve with toothpicks.

Skillet Chicken Parmesan with Artichokes

 

This was inspired because I had a half of package of artichokes in the freezer. This is from Food Network. I used basil pesto instead of fresh basil and recipe called for 4 ounces fresh mozzarella and I used the whole 8 ounce package; cause why not! I served with capellini pasta. 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1/2 package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, I cut into smaller chunks while still frozen,  recipe called for the whole package
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken, skin removed
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thawed artichokes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned in spots. About 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes, 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt and few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and pesto. Adjust salt. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to broil setting.

Sprinkle panko over top of chicken mixture and top with mozzarella and parmesan.

Transfer the skillet to the broiler and cook until cheese is bubbling and starting to brown, 3-5 minutes. 

Let cool 5 minutes before serving. Top with additional pesto.

Potato Latkes

 

Crisp on the edges with a tender center. I served with Indian Curried Chili with Potatoes 1/25/2024 Label: chicken and added chopped, fresh cilantro, chopped scallions and yogurt spiked with Sriracha. Another winner dinner! Maybe frozen: arrange in a single layer once cooled on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen wrap tightly and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat in a lightly buttered skillet. Makes about 10 latkes (3-inches each).

Ingredients:

• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 medium onion, peeled
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 large egg

Directions:

Grate the potatoes and onion on the large holes of a box grater. Transfer the mixture to a cotton dish towel and squeeze as much liquid out as possible.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Then whisk in the egg.

Add the squeezed potatoes and onion and stir until evenly coated with batter.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup oil.

Once the oil shimmers, add the batter to the pan 1 heaping tablespoon at a time. Press with spatula to form disks. 

Fry 4-5 minutes till golden brown, then flip and fry 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.

Transfer to paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

Printed

Indian Curried Chili with Potatoes

 I had 2 cups chicken stock to use up in frig and found this recipe from Rachel Ray. She does a good job with dishes with a lot of flavor. She served over oven fries; I think I will use any roasted potato on hand and perhaps try rice another time. Top off with scallions, spiked yogurt and chopped cilantro. 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• jalapeno pepper, finely chopped, how much depends how hot
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 inch ginger root, grated or finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2-3 tablespoons Sriracha
• potatoes of choice
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• scallions, chopped

Directions:

Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken, then crumble and brown. 

Add the garlic, onion, chili, ginger, chili powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir a minute more. Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Combine the yogurt and Sriracha.

Serve the chili with potatoes, yogurt, cilantro and scallions.

Chicken Curry with Potatoes

 

I typically have roasted potatoes, from the various roasted potatoe recipes on the blog, in the freezer. They are packaged in individual packets for 2. Pull them out, unthaw and reheat in the toaster oven. This recipe calls for the potatoes cooked in the sauce, and since I was going to freeze the extras; I decided to use the frozen roasted potatoes as needed. After reading the reviews, I also added cooked rice. I placed the curry in a heated bowl and then the roasted potatoes and rice along the top side, rather than mixing into the curry. 

Ingredients for Marinade:

• 1 cup heavy cream, I had only about 1/2 cup so made up with coconut milk, some reviews used 1 cup coconut milk, since the curry calls for just 1 cup and you will utilize the whole can
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon coriander, recipe called for cardamom, I did not have
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes, I am sure you could use breasts

Directions for Marinade:

Mix together the cream, coconut milk,lime juice, coriander, cumin turmeric, black pepper and salt. Add chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate 2-4 hours.

Ingredients for Curry:

• 1 tablespoon ghee, recipe called for grapeseed oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced, I used 1/2 and did not take seeds out
• 2 garlic cloved, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, 1-inch dice, see beginning notes
• 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup coconut milk, see notes above, I used remaining after adding to marinade
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Perfect Oven Rice Label: rice 1/6/2024 (makes 4 portions)

Directions for Curry:

Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, jalapeno and garlic and cook until soft, 8-10 minutes.

Add cumin, ginger and salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the potatoes (see notes), tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken stock. Stir to combine.

Raise the heat to high and bring mixture to a boil, then lower to simmer for 5 minutes. 

Add the chicken and all the marinade. Cook covered for 20-25 minutes. If cooking with potatoes, check for them being easily pierced. 

Stir in the remaining coconut milk and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, another 10 minutes. 

Sprinkle with cilantro and adjust salt and pepper.

Portion in bowls. See notes for potatoes and rice.

Note to self: Instead of potatoes or rice. Serve with bow tie gluten-free pasta and Savory Mushrooms (blog: 01/15/2025 label: vegetable). Mix in with the cooked pasta and then serve with the curry.

Easy Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice

 

Courtesy of Ree Drummond Food Network. Yet another rotisserie chicken recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon EVO
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 10-ounce can tomatoes and green chili
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup long grain rice, cooked to package directions
• 1 1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese
• fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving

Directions:

In a deep dish skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and turmeric. Cook, stirring often, until onion is softened and spices are toasted. About 3 minutes.

Pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and green chilies and the chicken. Stir and cook 5 minutes. Add the cooked rice and sprinkle cheese on top. Turn to low.  Cover lid and allow cheese to melt completely.

Garnish with cilantro. I served with tortilla chips.