Browsed by
Category: Uncategorized

Cilantro-Lime Rice

Cilantro-Lime Rice

Yield: 4 (makes about 3 cups)

Epoch Times
  • 1cup long-grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine
  • 1bunch fresh cilantro
  • 2TBS olive oil
  • 2cups water
  • 1tsp kosher salt
  • 1large lime


Rinse
the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear, about 45 seconds.

Shake off the excess water and set aside.

Finely chop the tender stems and leaves from the bunch of fresh cilantro until you have 1 cup.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden-brown and aromatic, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water, ½ cup of the cilantro, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over high heat.

Cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low and cook for 16 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the rice steam, still covered, for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, juice the lime until you have 2 TBS.

Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Add the remaining cilantro and lime juice and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt and/or lime juice as needed.

Recipe note: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze for up to one month.

Teriyaki Ginger-Glazed Salmon

Teriyaki Ginger-Glazed Salmon

with Vegetables and Israeli Couscous

Yield: 2 Servings

Adapted from: Nigel Palmer / Home Chef

A subtle kick of ginger mixed with teriyaki glaze is the perfect complement to this tender salmon fillet. Served with sautéed vegetables and Israeli Couscous garnished with toasted pine nuts.

Salmon:

  • 2oz teriyaki glaze
  • 26-8-oz salmon fillets

Vegetables:

  • 1TBS ginger, minced
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 2green onions
  • 8oz carrots
  • 4oz snow pea pods
  • 1red Fresno chili or Jalapeno pepper
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • cooking spray

Couscous:

  • ¾cup Israeli couscous
  • ½TBS butter
  • 1shallot, minced
  • ¾cup chicken broth
  • salt, pinch
  • cup pine nuts (about 3½ oz), toasted (optional)
  • pepper


Prepare the Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

If using any fresh produce, thoroughly rinse and pat dry.

Prepare a quarter sheet pan with foil and cooking spray, silpat or parchment.

Peel, trim, and cut carrot on an angle into ¼” slices.

Peel string from snow pea pods. If large, cut diagonally.

Trim and slice white portions of green onions into 1″ pieces.

Thinly slice remaining green onions on an angle. Keep white and green portions separate.

Stem, seed, and slice red Fresno chili into thin rounds. Retain seeds for more spice. Wash hands and cutting board after working with chili.

Mince garlic.

Make Glaze and Prepare Salmon:

Combine teriyaki glaze, ginger and garlic in a mixing bowl. Put half of glaze in a second bowl.

Pat salmon fillets dry, and season flesh side with a pinch of pepper.

Sear and Bake the Salmon:

Place a medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp olive oil and salmon, skin side up, to hot pan. Sear on one side until golden-brown, 2-4 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and flip salmon so it is skin side down. Transfer salmon to sheet pan and brush or spoon glaze mixture from bowl onto salmon. Roast in hot oven until salmon is firm and reaches a minimum internal temperature of 140°F, 7-10 minutes.

Start the couscous:
Melt 1 TBS butter in a 1-quart sauce pan over medium heat. Add minced shallot and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes.
Add couscous and stir until couscous browns slightly, stirring often, 3 – 5 minutes.  Pay careful attention as the shallots will burn.
Add broth and pinch of salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Start the Vegetables:
Return pan used to sear salmon to medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp olive oil and carrot to hot pan and stir occasionally until lightly browned and starting to soften, 4-5 minutes.

Finish Vegetables:  
Add white portions of green onions to pan and stir occasionally, 2 minutes. Add remaining ginger and garlic, ¼ tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper. Add snow pea pods. Stir often until vegetables are tender but still slightly crisp, 3-4 minutes.

Finish Dish and serve:
Plate dish as pictured, topping salmon with glaze mixture from second bowl and garnishing vegetables with red Fresno rounds (to taste) and couscous with black pepper and entire dish with green portions of green onions. Bon appétit!

Roasted Fingerling or Baby Potatoes

Roasted Fingerling or Baby Potatoes

Yield: 4 Servings
Scott Nowell

Nice crisp potatoes with a soft, fluffy inside. These roast at a lower temperature which makes them more compatible with other dishes.

  • lb fingerling or baby potatoes
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper
  • 1tsp rosemary
  • 2tsp thyme
  • olive oil

Cut the potatoes in half and soak them in water for around 30 minutes to get fluffy inside while keeping the exterior crispy after roasting.

Preheat the pan. Next, place your roasting pan into the oven at 450°F degrees to heat up. Preheating the pan helps to have crispy potatoes.

Drain the potatoes and then toss them with salt, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, and a heavy pour of olive oil.

Add the potatoes to your preheated roasting pan and turn cut side down.

Place the pan into the oven and roast for 45 minutes or until golden-brown and fork tender.

Beer-Battered Veggies

Beer-Battered Veggies

Yield: 4 Servings
Adapted from Betty Crocker

If you’re looking for a way to jazz up every day veggies, try this super-tasty recipe. It’s also delicious with green beans, cauliflower, zucchini or yellow squash. Elisha’s in Milford, NH (closed in 2010) served this with ranch dipping sauce.

  • 1cup AP flour
  • tsp baking powder
  • ¼tsp salt
  • ¼tsp garlic powder
  • ¼tsp onion powder
  • ¼tsp pepper
  • 2TBS Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1cup regular or nonalcoholic beer
  • 4cups fresh broccoli or cauliflower florets and/or zucchini slices
  • vegetable oil for deep frying
  • ½cup ranch or blue cheese dressing


In
large bowl, mix flour, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, cheese and beer with whisk until smooth. Add broccoli and toss until well coated with batter.

In deep fryer or heavy saucepan, heat 2 to 3 inches oil to 375°F. Fry broccoli in batches 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until golden-brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm broccoli bites with ranch dressing for dipping.

Expert Tips:

Be sure to not crowd the fryer or pan, only frying several florets at a time.

Try beer-battering and deep-frying other vegetables, such as green beans, cauliflower florets or zucchini slices.

Paprika Rubbed Chicken

Paprika Rubbed Chicken

Yield: 4 Servings
Scott Nowell

Tasty spice rubbed roast chicken pieces. This is very similar to the roast chicken pieces in the deli at King Soopers.  The mix of chicken is up to you. Substitute breasts and wings or use a combination.

For chicken:

  • 4-8legs
  • 4thighs
  • olive oil

For paprika rub:

  • 1TBS Kosher Salt (or table salt)
  • 1TBS Pepper
  • tsp Onion Powder
  • TBS Garlic Powder
  • TBS Smoked Paprika

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Run chicken pieces with olive oil.

Place half of run into shaking bag. Add chicken, two pieces at a time and shake well to coat. Remove pieces to sheet or roasting pan, skin side down, shaking each piece to remove excess rub in the bag.

Repeat for remaining pieces.

Roast chicken for 30 minutes at 400°F. Turn pieces over and roast for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until pieces reach 185°F at thickest point.

Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Side dish suggestions:

Vegetables Starches
Sauteed Zucchini Brown Rice
Green Beans Couscous
Asparagus Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli Baked Potato
Noodles

Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Yield: 8 Servings
https://www.kevinandamanda.com/breakfast-casserole/

This easy Breakfast Casserole recipe is SO cheesy and delicious! And you only need 4 ingredients! It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. It’s so quick and easy to make. You can also prepare everything for this breakfast casserole the night before so all you have to do is bake it the next morning!

  • 1can crescent rolls
  • 1lb mild breakfast sausage
  • 6eggs, beaten
  • 2cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Brown sausage in skillet, drain excess grease.

Spread crescent rolls in bottom of 9×13 dish. Top with sausage, then pour eggs over sausage. Generously top with cheese.

Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Can I make this casserole ahead?

If you want to save cooking time in the morning, you can brown your sausage the day before and keep it in the refrigerator until the next day. Then all you do in the morning is put everything together and bake.

Or, if you want to save even more time in the morning, you can prepare everything the night before, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to bake the next morning. This makes it the ultimate go-to breakfast casserole for both those lazy mornings where you just don’t want to get out of bed, or busy mornings with a house full of guests!

Can I freeze breakfast casserole?

This is the perfect casserole for freezing. Bake the casserole according to directions and allow it to cool completely. After it is completely cooled, you can place it in an airtight container or zip top bag. Lay it flat in your freezer for up to a month. You can also cover your baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, then at least two layers of saran wrap.

When you’re ready to reheat the casserole, take it out of the freezer and transfer to an oven safe dish if you froze it in a ziplock bag. If you froze it in the original baking dish, be sure to remove any plastic wrap. Bake the casserole in your oven for about 25 minutes at 350°F, or until the center is warm. No need to thaw. This makes it easy to have on hand for the holidays, too!

How to store and reheat leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat your casserole, simply microwave it covered, or place it in your oven at 350°F until the center is warm. Have it around for breakfast the next day, or even breakfast for dinner!

 

Pasta Alfredo, Olive Garden CC

Pasta Alfredo, Olive Garden CC

Yield: 4 Servings

Olive Garden

Very popular take on Alfredo. True Alfredo sauce has no milk or cream, but this is a worthwhile replacement.

This recipe was on the Olive Garden web site with some of their other recipes, but the whole recipe page is now gone.

  • 3oz good butter
  • 1TBS Garlic
  • 2TBS AP Flour
  • cup whole milk
  • cup heavy cream
  • ½cup imported Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • ½cup imported Romano cheese, grated
  • Salt and black pepper to taste


Sauté
the butter and garlic in a saucepan on medium heat. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Add the remaining ingredients to saucepan and stir occasionally until the sauce begins to simmer. Remove from heat.

Serve the Alfredo sauce over your favorite pasta, like fettuccine, linguine or bow tie.

Note: The key to making the best Alfredo sauce is quality ingredients like a good butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Your Alfredo sauce will be as good as the ingredients you put into it.

One Pot Beef Stroganoff

One Pot Beef Stroganoff

Yield: 4 Servings
adapted from: Damn Delicious

Now you can make everyone’s favorite Stroganoff in ONE POT with ground beef! No-fuss + budget-friendly with the quickest clean-up!

  • 2TBS unsalted butter, divided
  • 8oz Cremini or button mushrooms (see note), thickly sliced
  • ½medium sweet onion, diced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1lb lean ground beef
  • 2cloves garlic, minced
  • ½tsp dried thyme
  • 3TBS AP flour
  • ¼cup dry white wine
  • 4cups beef stock
  • 2TBS Worcestershire sauce
  • 1TBS Dijon mustard
  • 8oz egg noodles, uncooked
  • ½cup sour cream
  • 2TBS chopped fresh parsley leaves


Mushrooms:

Melt 2 TBS butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms shrink and start to brown, about 3 – 5 minutes.

Onions:

Add another TBS butter and diced onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and onions are transparent, about 3 – 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ground beef:

Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3 – 5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks.

Stroganoff:

Stir in 2 cloves of minced garlic (heaping tsp) and ½ tsp thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in 3 TBS flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Stir in 4 cups beef stock, 2 TBS Worcestershire, 1 TBS Dijon mustard and 8 oz egg noodles. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is just cooked through, about 6 – 8 minutes.

Stir in ½ cup sour cream until heated through, about 1 – 2 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Note: Cremini, white button and Portobello mushrooms are all the same mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, White button mushrooms are the youngest and Cremini are partially matured. They are usually brown and often marked as Baby Bella. Portobello mushrooms are fully grown white button mushrooms

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

Yield: 2 Servings
Adapted from many
  • 1rack of lamb, frenched and halved
  • 2TBS olive oil
  • 2TBS butter
  • 2tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1cup panko bread crumbs
  • parsley
  • thyme


Preheat
oven to 375°F.

Herb breadcrumbs: Mix parsley and thyme into panko and stir well.

In a large sauté pan with oil, over a medium high flame, sear the lamb, rendering out the fat cap and hard searing all sides. Baste with butter during second half of cooking.

Remove from pan and paint your lamb chops evenly with Dijon mustard. Roll chops in herb breadcrumbs until evenly coated.

Transfer to oven at 400°F and cook to desired temperature, 5 to 10 minutes. Allow chops to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder IP

Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder IP

Yield: 6 to 8

Adapted from Washington Post

For this recipe, the meat is coated in an overnight marinade of brown sugar, fennel, sage and rosemary, and a slurry of orange and lemon juices whisked together with olive oil.
The resulting braising liquid is a flavorful and fragrant concoction. Either serve as is or skim the fat from it and simmer the remaining liquid to reduce and enrich the flavors, for an au-jus-like result.

Pork and marinade:

  • 1(3- to 4-lb) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2 to 3 large pieces
  • 2cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1TBS dark brown sugar
  • tsp ground fennel
  • tsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • tsp chopped fresh sage
  • tsp fine sea or table salt
  • 1tsp garlic powder
  • 1tsp onion powder
  • ¾tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 4TBS olive oil, divided
  • 1large yellow onion (about 12 oz), halved and sliced

For Instant Pot:

  • ½cup apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
  • ½cup dry white wine


Marinate the pork:
Thoroughly dry the pork, then poke the meat, avoiding the skin side, all over with a sharp paring knife. Stuff the garlic slices into the holes.

In a large bowl, add the brown sugar, fennel, rosemary, sage, salt, garlic and onion powders, pepper, and the zest and juice of both the lemon and orange and whisk until combined. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until combined. Add the pork pieces and turn them over a few times, making sure they are generously coated in the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Remove the pork from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and pat the meat dry.

You can brown the pork in either a skillet or the IP. I prefer the skillet as it does a faster, better job.

Brown the pork in a skillet: Working in batches, sear the pork until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the seared pork to a plate and set aside and repeat with the remaining pork.

Brown the pork in Instant Pot: Set a 6-quart Instant Pot (IP) to SAUTE. Let the pot heat for 2 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of oil. Working in batches, sear the pork until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the seared pork to a plate and set aside and repeat with the remaining pork.

Pour off as much fat as possible from the skillet or Instant Pot. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, followed by the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes.

Pressure cook the pork: Return (or add) the pork, along with any accumulated juices, to the IP and pour the cider and wine around the meat. Add the reserved marinade and cover. Make sure the steam valve is sealed. Select PRESSURE (HIGH) and set the timer to 1 hour 15 minutes. (It can take up to 10 minutes for the appliance to come to pressure before cooking begins.)

Let the pressure release naturally. Carefully uncover the IP and transfer the pork to a cutting board. Taste the cooking liquid and if it seems thin or weak, set the IP to SAUTE and simmer the liquid until it reduces slightly and the flavors concentrate, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste, and season with more salt and/or pepper, if desired.

Transfer the pork to a platter and spoon some of the sauce around it. Alternatively, you can shred the pork using 2 forks or a knife and a fork. Serve warm.