Avocado Salad-Topped Steak Tacos

1/4 cup EVOO
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 lb. skirt steak, halved crosswise
Salt/Pepper
2 jalapeno chiles, finely chopped
Grated peel and juice of 2 limes
1 head butter lettuce, shredded
2 avocados - halved, pitted, and cut into small pieces
1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
12 taco shells

Preheat a grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk together 1 Tbsp. EVOO and the chili powder, then rub all over the steak; season with salt & pepper. Add to the grill pan and sear the outside of the steak, turning once, until golden-brown crust forms on both sides (about 5 min. for medium-rare). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 min. before thinly slicing crosswise across the grain.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the jalapenos, lime peel, lime juice, and remaining EVOO; season with salt & pepper. Add the lettuce, avocados (*hint: if you want to avoid the avocados turning brown, you need to cut them into small pieces and immediately put them in the lime juice mixture - this stops the air from getting into the avocado and they remain bright green), and onion; toss and season with salt & pepper.

To make the tacos, you can choose to put some of the salad on the bottom, steak, then top with more salad; or you can put steak on the bottom and top with the salad.

*Original Recipe courtesy of Everyday with Rachael Ray, March 2010 Menu Planner

Spinach & Artichoke Mac'n'Cheese

Salt/Pepper
1 lb. semolina or whole wheat penne
2 Tbsp. EVOO
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups milk
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 (10 oz.) box frozen chopped artichokes, defrosted and chopped into small pieces
1 (10 oz.) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung out in a kitchen towel OR 1 bag fresh spinach, chopped into 1/2 in. slices
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian fontina cheese
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta, salt the water, and cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside.

While the the pasta water comes to a boil, place a large pot over medium-low heat with the EVOO and butter. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook until very soft (about 10 min.).

Heat the broiler and position the rack in the middle position of the oven.

Turn up the heat under the pot to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pot. Cook for about 1 min., the whisk in the wine and cook for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the milk slowly into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg; add the artichokes and spinach in small batches until all incorporated. Salt & pepper to taste. Simmer until thickened and the vegetables are warmed through (2-3 min.). Add 1 cup of each cheese to the sauce and stir until melted.

Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a greased 9x13 prepared casserole dish (oval or rectangular). Sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the top and brown under the broiler until the cheese is browned and bubbly (about 3 min.).

*Original recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray's Look + Cook, p. 42 & 43

Stuffed Hot Sausage Meatball Subs

2 lbs. bulk Italian hot sausage
1 lb. smoked mozzarella, cut into 12 cubes
2 Tbsp. EVOO, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup pitted kalamata black olives, chopped
1/4 cup softened sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can Italian crushed tomatoes
Salt/Pepper
4 crusty sub rolls, ciabatta bread, or individual ciabatta rolls, 7-8 in. long per person
A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded
Pecorino romano cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Arrange a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. dip your hands in warm water to prevent sticking. Separate the 2 lbs. of sausage into 4 equal portions. Each portion should form 3 meatballs. Nest a cube of smoked mozzarella cheese into the center of each meatball (note: you can also form the meatball around the cheese if the cheese cube is quite large) and place on the rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of EVOO and roast on the rack above the bakign sheet until firm and cooked through (about 18 min.).

While the meatballs cook, heat the 2 Tbsp. EVOO in a sauce pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic, cooking until tender (about 5-6 min.). Then stir in the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and crushed tomatoes, season with salt & pepper, and bring to a simmer.

Take out the meatballs, turn off the oven, and crisp the rolls for a minute. Split the rolls and fill each with 3 meatballs. Top with some sauce, basil, and pecorino romano cheese.

*Original recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray's Look + Cook, p. 120 & 121

Chicken-and-Spinach Tortilla Bake

2 Tbsp. EVOO
2 chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
Salt/Pepper
1 1/2 cups store bought salsa verde
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
12 small flour tortillas (8 large flour tortillas)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 bag spinach
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

Heat a small skillet over medium high heat; add the EVOO. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt & pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and cook about 5 minutes on each side until a golden crust has formed (note: if the chicken breasts are thick you may want to sear the sides of the chicken as well - just prop one up against the side of the pan and rest the other one against it). Remove to a plate and tent with aluminum foil. Let rest at least 10 minutes (letting the juices redistribute through the chicken) and then shred the chicken into small pieces. Leave on the plate.

Meanwhile, whisk together the salsa verde and ricotta; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish (you can use square or oval - we like using the oval because it fits the round tortillas better). Layer 1/4 of the salsa mixture, tortillas (note: if you need to, cut the tortillas in half and put them together like a puzzle, making sure that there is none of the previous layer showing), chicken, onion, spinach and pepper jack (reserve a bit for the top); repeat 3 times. Scatter the remaining pepper jack cheese on top and bake until golden-brown (15 to 20 min.). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*Original Recipe courtesy of Everyday with Rachael Ray, Nov. 2009 Menu Planner

French Onion Fench Bread Pizzas

1 stick butter
1 tsp. dried thyme
6 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (we used 3 lb bag)
2 fresh bay leaves (we used dried)
Salt/pepper
1/3 C. dry sherry
2 cans (10.5 ounces each) beef consomme
1 large loaf French bread, split horizontally and halved crosswise (we created 8 instead of 4 pieces)
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
12 ounces ripe Camembert cheese, sliced (we used Brie)

In a large high-sided skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the thyme, onions, and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.  Cook low and slow (on medium heat, stirring occasionally) until deep caramel in color and very sweet (35-40 minutes, but ours went for about an hour).  Deglaze with the sherry, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.  Sir in the consomme and cook down for 5 minutes (or longer - until not a thin liquid but a well developed sauce).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toast the bread in the oven on a cookie sheet.  Remove the bay leaves from onion mixture and top the bread with the onion mixture and cheeses.  (We layered the onion mixture and made sure to allow the liquid to sop into the toasted french bread for greater flavor and then layered the sliced Brie and topped it with the shredded Gruyere).  Return pizzas to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

We also used the "leftover" onions & consomme as an au jus to dip our pizzas in for even more french onion flavor.

*Original recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray My Year in Meals, 2012, p.118.

Feb 25 - March 31

This monthly planning thing is going great! 

We love having the meals planned and scheduled as it makes for a very quick time preparing the shopping list and more time for actually enjoying our weekends!

This month is a bit crazy as we had to adjust the last week of February for Snowmagedden 2013 and wanting meals that fit a bit more in the snowed-in theme along with spring break, weekend debate tournaments, and hosting dinner meetings the first 3 Mondays this month.  It's looking to be a very eventful month.

Since there are so many new recipes to try, there aren't that many recipes already posted on our blog.  However, don't despair, we'll do our best to get them on here as soon as we've tried them and approved them.

Here's the updated menu along with what's for dinner during March.  You will find we selected and are attempting MANY new recipes this month.

Feb. 25 - "Better than Stroud's" Skillet Fried Chicken*
Feb. 26 - French Onion French Bread Pizzas*
Feb. 27 - Crispy Parm-crusted filet of fish & buttery bow ties
Feb. 28 - Chicken Fried Steak
March 1 - Stuffed Hot Sausage Meatball Subs
March 2 - Butter-me-up Buccatini w/ scallops
March 3 - Open
March 4 - Spinach & Artichoke Mac'n'cheese
March 5 - Spanish Frittata
March 6 - Chicken & Spinach Tortilla Bake
March 7 - Prosciutto & Portobello Mushroom Pizza
March 8 - Fajita Chilaquiles Casserole
March 9 - an evening out @ Drop Bar
March 10 - Open
March 11 - Pesto-presto Chicken
March 12 - Crispy Tortilla w/ ham, chile, spinach, & fried eggs
March 13 - Beef Polenta Pie
March 14 - Skillet Shrimp Fajitas
March 15 - DB8 tournament
March 16 - DB8 tournament (Room 39 after)
March 17 - Open
March 18 - Corned Beef & Cabbage
March 19 - Orecchiette w/ Broccoli rabe pesto & Sausage
March 20 - Honey-glazed ham panini
March 21 - Brown-sugar Mustard Glazed Salmon*
March 22 - Avocado Salad Topped Steak Tacos
March 23 - Affare & Hearland Men's Chorus Concert
March 24 - Open
March 25 - Brazilian-style Chicken w/ Okra
March 26 - Shrimp & Cheese Grits w/ Okra*
March 27 - Beefy Tex-Mex Stir Fry*
March 28 - Avenues Bistro & KC REP
March 29 - Plaza III
March 30 - Snow & Co. & Off Centre Theatre
March 31 - Easter Sunday (menu TBD)

*Recipe included on blog.

Chicken & Leek Pie

OMG - we made this last night and it was SO good!  We had to share the recipe quickly.  As we are enjoying a nice snow day today, this meal would've been a great snowed-in recipe to enjoy! 

OK, a bit of a heads up, this isn't a quick meal to make.  It takes some time (close to 2 hours with baking), so plan accordingly.  However, it's oh so worth it. 

Modifications we made:  we used fryer legs as we had them thawed from the freezer & are making fried chicken next week.  We also skipped the "cool completely" stage & also only let the pie cool for about 15 minutes after baking and it turned out fine, but if you want to cool it completely as it suggests, we suggest making the filling the night before and let it cool overnight.  Then, make the pot pie the next day with the puff pastry topping.

Servings:  4 (We ate it all in one sitting, just the 2 of us)

3 whole corn-fed chicken legs (thigh & drumstick) - we used 6 chicken leg fryers
Salt/Pepper
1 Tsp. EVOO
2 Tbsp. stick butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek (white & pale green parts only), cut into half length-wise, then cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 Tbsp. coarse-grain mustard
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. chicken stock
3/4 C. whole milk (+ 1 Tbsp)
1/4 C. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Sprinkle chicken legs heavily with salt, pepper, and drizzle with EVOO.  Place in a large, heavy, rimmed baking sheet and roast 15 minutes.  Turn the legs over and continue roasting 15 minutes more or until they are golden brown and cooked through.  Set them aside to cool slightly, and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Reserve the pan drippings on the baking sheet.

When legs are cool enough to handle, shred meat into large chunks and place in a bowl.  Discard the sinew, bones, and skin.

Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions and leeks and saute for 5 minutes, or until tender but not browned.  Stir in the mustard, then the flour, and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, the 3/4 C. milk, the cream, and the reserved pan drippings.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  Stir in the shredded chicken and the tarragon, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set the mixture aside to cool, and then refrigerate it to cool completely.

To assemble the pie:  Spoon the chicken mixture into a 1.5 quart baking dish.  Roll out the sheet of puff pastry to form an 11-inch square.  Drape the puff pastry over the chicken mixture and press it against the rim of the baking dish to seal.  Cut slits into the pastry to allow steam to escape.  Mix the egg and the remaining 1 Tbsp. milk in a small bowl to blend.  Brush the pastry with the egg mixture, and garnish with sesame seeds.  Set the pie on a heavy baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.  Set it aside to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

*Recipe courtesy of Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone, p. 181

French Onion Salisbury Steak with Cheese Toasts

French Onion Salisbury Steaks
1 1/4 lb. ground chuck
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley, plus more for garnishing
2 Tbsp. scallions, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. EVOO
3 red onions, sliced
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
4 tsp. parmesan cheese

Combine chuck, parsley, scallions, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper. Divide evenly into 4 portions and shape each into 1" thick oval patties, making sure the center is thinner and the edges are thicker. Place 2 Tbsp. flour in a shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour, reserving 1 tsp. flour.

Heat EVOO in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook 3 minutes on each side, or until brown crust forms. Remove from pan.

Add onions and sugar to pan; saute 5 minutes, making sure to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; saute 1 minute, or until paste begins to brown. Sprinkle mixture with the reserved tsp. of flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in beef broth and wine, then add the salt and thyme (rub the thyme leaves between fingers to better release the oil and flavor).

Return meat to pan and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.

Cheese Toasts
4 thick slices French bread or baguette, cut diagonally (1 in. thick)
2 Tbsp. room temperature butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of paprika
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 Tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place bread on a baking sheet. Combine butter, garlic, and paprika; spread on one side of each slice of bread. Combine cheeses and sprinkle evenly over butter. Bake until bread is crisp and cheese is bubbly (about 10-15 min.).

Serve steaks on Cheese Toasts with onion soup ladled over. Garnish with parsley and parmesan.

* Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light