Dressed-Up Cornish Hens

Holy moly this is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO goood. These little squabs make my mouth water just thinking about it!

In my house, we each get our own squab. So in that case, double this recipe but measure it evenly into two bags, one for each hen. If you want to share one, then just cut it in half when done.

1 Cornish game hen
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T. lemon juice
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

Place hen in a large resealable plastic bag.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour half of the marinade over hen, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, turning several times. Refrigerate the remaining marinade for basting.

Drain and discard marinade. Place hen, skin side up, in a greased 9 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Baste with reserved marinade. Bake 20-30 minutes longer or until meat thermometer reads 180. Cut in half to serve.

Serve with instant mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables! Drizzle remaining jus over everything! YUM!

Orange Cinnamon Pound Cake French Toast

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. orange extract
1/4 cup whole or skim milk
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 (1 inch) slices plain pound cake

In a mixing bowl, mix together ingredients (except for pound cake). Dip the pound cake slices into batter, coating both sides.

Place the slices on an oiled griddle or pan over medium heat. Cook the cake for 2-3 minutes (flipping carefully) on each side, or until golden brown. Serve immediately with your favorite syrup and fresh fruit.

SUPER EASY, SUPER GOOD! Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter, preferably natural peanut butter as it has no hydrogenated oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 white sugar
1 egg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine ingredients and drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet.
3. Dip wet fork into sugar and press fork on top of each cookie for classic peanut butter cookie shape and markings.

Bake for 8-12 minutes. Let cool. Makes one dozen.

You can also use Splenda in this recipe as sugar substitute. Probably only a half a cup.

Ribbon Pasta with Pork Ragu and Fresh Sage

Follow the Braised Pork Recipe and use this new dish as a creative and tasty way to use leftovers!

 Above picture is without mushrooms, bottom picture with mushrooms. Your choice!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 1 lb. ribbon pasta according to package until al dente. Drain.

Toss pasta with 2 cups heated reduced reserved jus from braised pork recipe, 2 cups reserved shredded pork, and 2 T. thinly sliced fresh sage.

If you like mushrooms, saute in separate pan some sliced mushrooms in butter. 

Divide among 4 bowls. Top with mushrooms. Garnish with freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.





Source: Martha Stewart Living, but the mushrooms were MY idea!

Braised Pork Shoulder

 This Martha Stewart recipe was a hoot to make and had me feeling like Julia Childs in the kitchen. There are two leftover companion dishes that are reaaaally tasty and make this one meal a 4 mealer for the week!

Active time: 50 min.
Total time: 4 hours. 50 min.

Ingredients:

6 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 bone-in pork shoulder (recipe calls for 6-7 lbs. but that is A TON of meat. I purchased about 5 lbs.)
2 T. olive oil
1 head of garlic (we're talking the whole entire bulb here!) , minced
2 tsp. fennel seeds, toasted and ground (whatever! Like I'm going to do that! I just used regular fennel seeds)
1 tsp. crushed coriander
2 cups Belgian style ale - the lighter the better
1 cup chicken stock

1.)  Preheat oven 300 degrees. Crisp pancetta in a large Dutch oven over meadium-low heat until fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

2.) Add onions to Dutch oven. Cook in the fat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate using slotted spoon.

3.) Season pork with salt and pepper. Add oil to Dutch oven and sear pork, fat side down, until golden, about 5 minutes. Flip and repeat. HAHA! I don't own a Dutch oven so my little skillet had to work!

4.) Add garlic and spices to pot. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add ale, stock, pancetta, and onions; bring to a simmer. Transfer to oven, and braise pork, covered, basting every hour, until meat is falling off the bone, about 4 hours. Shred meat (just what you're using) using 2 forks, and drizzle with warm skimmed jus.

Note: If you don't own a Dutch oven either, place a large glass casserole dish or cake pan in the pre-heating oven to warm. Transfer the roast and jus and spices to the glass dish and cover with foil. This worked but try not to let steam out! Lots of foil!

To store leftovers, store jus in separate container than the pork.

Serving idea: Pile shredded pork on creamy polenta. Drizzle with jus.


For Leftover Ideas, click below:


Ribbon Pasta with Pork Ragu and Fresh Sage- TASTY

Open-Faced Porchetta Sandwich with Caramelized Apples - SOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOD.

Open Faced Porchetta Sandwich with Caramelized Apples

This is simply delicious. Like, "Oh my goodness". Perfect for Fall weather.

Follow the Braised Pork Recipe and then use leftovers for this new dish!

Ingredients:

2 T. unsalted butter
2 apples cored and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges (I love Honey Crisp apples)
3 T. sugar
1 T. water
Rustic bread (meaning, specialty loaves that are usually $5 and have a rougher texture. I like to use just a good ole Country Loaf.) When I took this picture I didn't have any bread. Still delish!

So easy:

Melt butter in skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the apple slices, sugar, and water. Stirring occasionally until apples are soft and sauce has caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Top 4 slices of toasted bread with some heated reserved pork, reserved onions from juice, and the apples. Drizzle with caramelized sauce from apples and the heated reserved juice. Then if you want to get REALLY fancy, sprinkle with some watercress.




Source: Martha Stewart Living

Roasted Red Pepper Risotto

This is one of our favorite vegetarian dishes. Its subtle flavor and creamy cheesiness makes you say. "Mmmmmm" from the first bite. It's surprisingly filling!

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
1 onion chopped (I usually use only half)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio (risotto) rice

4 cups simmering vegetable or chicken stock
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


1.) Preheat the oven broiler to high. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and pith and arrange, cut sides down, on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler for 5-6 minutes or until the skin is mostly charred black. Put the peppers in a plastic bag and tie the ends. Leave for 4-5 minutes.

2.) Peel the peppers when they are cool enough to handle and steam has loosened skin. Cut into thin strips.

Start simmering the broth in a separate sauce pan.

3.) Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet or pan and fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes over a low heat until the onion begins to soften. Add the peppers and cook the mixture for 3-4 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

4.) Stir in the rice. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring the whole time! until the rice is evenly coated in oil and the outer part of each grain has become translucent.

5.) Add a ladelful of stock. Cook, stirring, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to add the stock, one ladelful at a time, making sure each quantity has been absorbed before adding the next.

6.) When the rice is tender but still firm to the bite, stir in the grated parmesan cheese, add salt and pepper to taste, Cover and leave to stand for 3-4 minutes, then serve piping hot, with extra Parmesan if using.

Goes great with sauteed zucchini!




Source: Best Ever Book of Rice & Risotto by Christine Ingram

Katie's Awesome Thai " Khao Mok Kai " Chicken

Spicy chicken in rice that is yummy with fragrant yellow rice and tender chicken called "Khao Mok Kai" in Thai. Our New Hampshire friends, Katie and James, invited us over for dinner and this delicious recipe melted in our mouths, and along with the beautiful presentation, completely impressed us! Then we ate the stale rice crispy treats I brought over and it was totally awkward as we crunched our way through the bland, tooth-breaking squares.

 For pictures along with the step-by-step guide, go here.

Ingredients
7-8 chicken thighs
3 cups uncooked jasmine rice
4 shallots
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup Half & Half or evaporated milk
2 ½ cups water
¼ cup vegetable oil


Ingredients for seasoning mix2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp grounded coriander seed
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2 bay leaves

Ingredients for sauce2 green onions
3 sprigs cilantro
¼ cup ginger
1 long cayenne pepper
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ cup vinegar
1 Tbsp water

Preparation1. Wash chicken thighs, pat dry, and pierce with folk all over the thighs.

2. Mix all seasoning ingredients in a small mixing bowl, divide into 2 parts, bring one part to marinate with chicken and add half & half in the bowl with chicken. Set reserved seasoning off to the side for later.

 3. Stir all ingredients together and marinate chicken for 1 hour or overnight.

4. Peel shallots, wash dirt, pat dry, finely slice, and separate into 2 parts.

5. Add oil in a wok and place on medium heat, add shallot, fry in hot oil until fragrant and crisp, drain on paper towel.

6. After marinated time, heat 1 Tbsp oil and butter in a wok, when the butter is melt, add uncooked sliced shallots.

7. Stir fry until the shallot is softened, add marinated chicken, fry both sides of chicken until almost done, remove from wok.

8. Add the second part of seasoning mix in a wok, stir well, then add cleaned uncooked jasmine rice, and fry thoroughly.

9. Put stir-fried rice in a rice cooker, add water and chicken, and then cook in the rice cooker as usual.


Preparation for sauce1. Mix sugar, salt, and water in a pot, stir regularly on medium heat until sugar dissolves, remove from heat, then add vinegar, and stir well.

2. Cut onion and cilantro roots, peel ginger, and remove pepper stem, wash dirt, pat dry, and coarsely slice, then put them in a blender.

3. Well blend all vegetables and add in the pot, stir well and taste for your own flavor. Serve in a small bowl with spicy chicken in rice.

ServingPut rice on a serving plate, top with chicken, and garnish with fried shallot. Serve with sliced cucumber, a small bowl of sauce.