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BLT Pasta Salad

June 18, 2013 by foodmuses

If you like a good BLT, you’ll love this pasta and green salad!

BLT PASTA SALAD (10)

Looking for a tasty any night of the week main dish salad?  Here it is!

Honestly, who doesn’t like a BLT?  And when you pair the key ingredients with pasta instead of bread you’ve got a knockout dinner in just 20 minutes or so.

Savory, crunchy, sweet and refreshing…all in one meal.  

Greg and I enjoyed this delicious salad for dinner and I know you will too.  It also works well as a lunch the next day, so is an easy dinner for two, with leftovers.

BLT Pasta Salad

Recipe inspired by Food Network Magazine

  • 12 ounces bowtie or farfalle pasta
  • 12 ounces bacon
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • Green Goddess dressing mix
  • 4 tablespoons chopped chives or scallion greens
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 8-10 cherry tomatoes, sliced or a few larger tomatoes chopped

Mix mayo, sour cream and dressing mix in a small bowl.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and toss with dressing mix; set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomatoes and 3 tablespoons of the chives with the pasta.

Mix the dressing and 3 tablespoons chives with the pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Serve at room temperature.

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Posted in Cooking for One or Two, Dinner, Pasta and Italian, Quick and Easy Weeknight meals, Recipes, Salads | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Chicken Stuffed Peppers

June 9, 2013 by foodmuses

Use this Recipe with Pasilla Peppers if you prefer a spicier dish.


stuffed peppers (2)

This is a perfect any night of the week meal for two…and it heats up the next day for a delicious lunch too.  The Bell peppers are almost a substitute for tortillas to me and great for low carb diets.  While the meal is high in fat with sour cream and cheese, it’s also high in fiber and flavor.

Speaking of high or low fat, I almost always use the regular styles of sour cream, cheese and cream cheese when I cook.  If you view the ingredients of “low fat” foods you’ll see a high amount of carbohydrates and sugar.  The producers have to add something in to make low, or no fat, taste good!  food muse face logo

Chicken Stuffed Peppers

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cooked.
  • 8 ounces sour cream
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 4 ounces jalapeno monterey jack, grated
  • 4 ounces cheddar, grated
  • 1-3 seeded jalapeno peppers, finely diced (depending on your taste)
  • 7 ounces chopped green chilies from a can
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 sliced green onions
  • 2 ½ ounces sliced almonds
  • 4 red (or any color) bell peppers

Chop the chicken.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, sour cream, soup, half of the monterey jack and cheddar, jalapenos, green chilies, cumin, almonds, half the green onions,and salt and pepper. Stir to combine well.

Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom. Remove the veins and seeds. Stuff with the chicken mixture. *see note

Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 30-35 minutes in a 375 degree oven. The peppers should be fairly tender and the filling heated through. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese and bake for 5 minutes longer.  Finish off by sprinkling with the rest of the green onions and serve.

*Note:  If you have extra stuffing put it in a baking dish and it makes a great dip for chips!

chicken sour cream dip

Posted in Appetizers, Cooking for One or Two, Cooking Tips, Dinner, Food Musings, Mexican, Poultry, Quick and Easy Weeknight meals, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Grilled Salmon with Onion Marmalade

June 4, 2013 by foodmuses

This is a Quick and Easy meal with fresh Salmon and
yummy onion marmalade.

Salmon with Onion Marmalade (7)

A favorite meal of ours that is healthy too uses fresh fish from your local fishmonger.  We like to go to Blue Reef Seafood in Longmont, CO as they receive fresh fish every morning and really understand how to prepare them best.  It’s more expensive than buying frozen fish but sure is a lot tastier with better consistency.

The recipe was inspired by a Tyler Florence recipe but his Salmon was cooked in the oven.  I’d much rather have it grilled outside than bake it so there’s no cooked fish smell in the house but the Salmon picks up the grill flavors.

I served this delicious Salmon with grilled mushroom, shrimp and asparagus.

Greg prepared it perfectly on the grill…don’t you love those grill marks?

Grilled Salmon with Onion Marmalade

  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 salmon fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each, about 1 inch thick (skinless although you can leave skin on and remove while it’s grilling…easier to remove and keeps salmon juicy).

Marmalade

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 Vidalia onion, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Lemon peel minced (I used dry)

Marmalade – Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Coat the pan with oil and add the onion. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to help the onion break down and slowly cook it, stirring, until it caramelizes and releases natural sugars, about 20 minutes. When very soft and cooked down, stir in the orange juice and honey. Season with salt and pepper. The mixture should have the consistency of marmalade.

Salmon – Brush Salmon with olive oil and salt and pepper generously.

Grill salmon uncovered 5 minutes.  Carefully turn fish over and grill 4-5 minutes longer.  Transfer salmon to platter.

I served this with grilled asparagus, mushroom and sautéed shrimp.

Posted in Dinner, Fish Recipes, Grilling, Quick and Easy Weeknight meals, Seafood | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Pasta with Sausage and Sun Dried Tomatoes

May 28, 2013 by foodmuses

One of the things I love about home cooking is discovering a delectable recipe and preparing it so often that I know it from memory.  It’s been 18 years since I first tasted this delicious pasta at my friend Peggy’s home.

Unlike many enjoyable dishes that taste better the next day, this pasta is mouth-watering the moment you make it.  It’s uncomplicated and stress-free because you can make ahead of time. Just finish it up with the crème when you’re ready to serve it.

1pasta w creme

I first published this a few years ago and really haven’t made any changes since then.  This is my favorite pasta dish ever!  I hope it becomes your favorite too!

Peggy’s Pasta

Pasta with Sausage and Sun Dried Tomatoes  

  • 1 t olive Oil
  • 2-4 cloves diced garlic
  • 1 chopped red onion
  • ¾ lb spicy and ¾ lb sweet or mild Italian sausages (I prefer Turkey) 1 ½ lb total
  • 1 8 oz jar sun dried tomatoes (julienned)
  • 1/2 can chicken broth
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 large pkg pasta – tortellini (the colored tortellini looks nice)
  • Lots of fresh basil
  • 2 cups defrosted peas
  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • Sliced Mushrooms (optional – I like the brown Italian mushrooms)
  • Pasta seasoning blend to taste
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Lots of shaved parmesan

2pasta w cremeCook sausage in a deep pan and brown, breaking up.  Put aside.

3pasta w cremeSauté onion in reserved sausage oil and olive oil, scraping up sausage bits, until translucent.  Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes longer.

Add sausage to mixture.

Add chicken broth/wine and 2 teaspoons pasta seasoning and cook down liquid – about 15-20 minutes. (If it looks too greasy at the top – skim some grease off).

Simmer, add peas.

4pasta w cremeMeanwhile cook pasta until done.

Add pasta, mushrooms (if using), tomatoes (with oil) and basil to cooking mixture.  Simmer a few minutes longer.

5pasta w creme Add cream for just a few minutes, don’t let boil.

Garnish with parmesan and a little fresh basil when serving.6pasta w creme

Posted in Pasta and Italian, Pork, Poultry, Recipes, Wine | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Spice Rubbed Chicken Breast with Green Onion Slaw

May 22, 2013 by foodmuses

May 22nd is the Fourth Anniversary for
Food Musings!

It’s been my pleasure to express myself through this blog as well as a privilege to share over 300 recipes with all of you!  And in celebration of this anniversary, I’m republishing one of the first recipes I posted on this site.  It also reminds me to retry some recipes that have been really successful like this Spice Rubbed Chicken.

This Bobby Flay recipe is high in flavor but low in calories.  The Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce is a must and I’ll use that recipe for other grilled chicken dishes too.

Measuring out 16 spices seemed like a major waste of time for me so I merely shook each spice jar into a small bowl either twice (for one TB), once (for 1 TS), and so on. 
This made more than enough spice mixture for both chicken breasts. 
I also used skinless breasts and they came out fine, especially with the sauce that is drizzled on after grilling.
Our favorite part of the meal was the Green Onion Slaw.  I will definitely use this slaw recipe again as it has very little mayo but still tastes rich because of the blended green onions and chiles.

This recipe was tasty and healthy with no waste so I’d rank it very highly for a two person meal.  Just cut all ingredients  half except for the 16 spices.  And, if you’re single you’ve got a great lunch for tomorrow as the chicken and slaw preserve well until the next day.

Chicken:

  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
  • Heaping 1/4 teaspoon chile de arbol
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • Heaping 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4 (8-ounce) boneless chicken breasts, skinless
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce

Green Onion Slaw:

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped green onions, white and green parts
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 serrano chiles
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small head of purple cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

For Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce – Combine the vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce can be made 1 day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

To make the dressing for the Slaw, combine the green onions, vinegar, honey, chiles, mayonnaise, oil and salt and pepper to taste in a blender and blend until emulsified.

Combine the cabbage, red onion and poppy seeds in a bowl, add the dressing, and stir until combined. Fold in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate while you grill the chicken or for up to 1 hour.

For the Chicken….Heat your grill to high.

Stir together the ancho powder, pasilla powder, cumin, coriander, ginger, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, chile de arbol, 2 tablespoons salt, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl.

Brush both sides of the breasts with the oil and season with salt. Rub the top side of each breast with a few tablespoons of the rub and place on the grill, rub side down. Grill each side for 5 minutes (10 minutes total) on direct heat, then 10 minutes each side (20 min total) on indirect heat.  30 minutes total cooking time.

Remove the chicken from the grill and drizzle with the black pepper vinegar sauce. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve the slaw on the side.

Posted in Calorie Conscious, Cooking for One or Two, Cooking Tips, Dinner, Entertaining, Food Musings, Grilling, Poultry, Recipes, Salads, Sides | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Quick and Easy Stacked Enchiladas

May 13, 2013 by foodmuses

Why roll your enchiladas when they are so much easier to stack?

Enchiladas (2)

I have to admit, I never roll enchiladas anymore.  They always end up being cut into by guests like a casserole anyway and are a hassle to roll.  This easy method of stacking works well and looks amazing for your guests.  I have several recipes I use…sometimes by scratch and sometimes just adding to canned Enchilada sauce.

If you want a really easy recipe, just use a baked chicken from your grocery store and add some sauteed onions (you must sautee the onion) and the Enchilada Sauce and Cheese.  By stacking the enchiladas you’re saving time and have an instant any night meal to make in 30 minutes or less!

But, if you want to spice it up a bit and add tasty seasoned ground beef, then try the recipe below.  I tend to make my sauce very spicy but you can just use the regular enchilada sauce if you’re cooking for kids or those who don’t want heart burn.

Next time I plan to stack my Enchiladas in a tasty Sour Cream sauce and chicken similar to the my popular Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

Enjoy!

Stacked Enchiladas

Serves 8, reduce ingredients by half for dinner for two plus leftovers.

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 lbs ground beef (lean)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • Salt, cumin and chili powder to taste (or taco seasoning)
  • 1 can (28 oz.) red chile sauce, (same as Enchilada Sauce) mild

Optional Add:

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons  finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (*see note)
  • 2 tablespoons dark chili powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup water (if needed)
  • 12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
  • 1 lb shredded Mexican style cheese (I like the 4 kinds mixed)

For Garnish

  • Sliced green onion

You will need 4 pie pans

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook onion with olive oil, stirring often until softened.  Add burger meat and cook until done.  I like to add salt, cumin, and chili powder to taste here too.

In a large bowl mix red chile sauce through water (if water is needed – you want a thin sauce).  Ladle some of the blended sauce into the 4 pie pans.  Put most of the rest into a fifth pie pan or deep plate

To make enchilada stacks, dip 1 tortilla in chile sauce in the deep plate to coat on both sides. Place in a pie pan. Repeat with two other tortillas on other pans. Spread each tortilla evenly with a heaping 1/3 cup meat mixture, then with 1/4 cup cheese and a dollop of sauce. Repeat layering with 3 more tortillas, dipping them in sauce, then adding ground beef mixture and cheese to make 3 stacks of 3 layers. (You’ll use most of the meat but not all the cheese or sauce.)  Dip the last 3 tortillas in sauce, place each, on stack, and sprinkle with some sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake enchiladas until hot in the center and cheese bubbles on top, 15-20  minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a salad or slaw.   Offer remaining chile sauce with a ladle.

 

*Note – When opening a new can of chipotle peppers I process all of it in a food processor.  Then divide it into small baggies and keep in your freezer.  This way I don’t waste the leftovers and am able to use it whenever I need!

Posted in Beef, Casseroles, Cooking Tips, Dinner, Entertaining, Food Musings, Mexican, Poultry, Quick and Easy Weeknight meals, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Mexican Chicken with Almond-Chile Cream

May 5, 2013 by foodmuses

A Super Easy and Tasty Meal for Two!

Mexican Chicken with Almond Cream Sauce (5)

I prepared this delicious meal last week and recommend it as an any night meal for two.  Of course you could increase the ingredients for a family meal.  I loved the way this came together in less than 30 minutes but tasted like it took a few hours!

Always use a good quality Chile powder…I usually prefer the type you purchase in the Mexican food section of just about any grocery store.  They hang in plastic bags with lots of other Mexican spices and cost a lot less than spices in jars.  If the package doesn’t say “Ancho” then pick the darkest Chile powder you see.

We served it with a simple salad and 1 avocado diced up.  You could also use tortillas as a side and slice the chicken smaller for a tasty taco.  Bon Appetit!

Mexican Chicken with Almond-Chile Cream

 Inspired by Cooking Light January 2005

  • 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
  • 2 teaspoons ground Ancho Chile powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 6 skinless boneless chicken breast tenderloins
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 Pasilla Pepper, sliced bite sized
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 4 tablespoons sour cream
  • Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish (optional)

Combine almonds, chile powder and cumin in a food processor; process until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Place each chicken tenderloin between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and black pepper.

Heat butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add Pasilla Pepper to pan: cook 3 minutes.  Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add almond mixture, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and broth; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in Sour Cream. Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Posted in Cooking Tips, Recipes, Cooking for One or Two, Quick and Easy Weeknight meals, Mexican, Poultry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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