No Empty Chairs

March 31, 2010 · 10:22 am

Pesto Stuffed Flank Steak with Garlic Roasted Broccoli

If you are not going with the traditional baked ham for Easter, this makes a great alternative. We had this for Brian’s birthday a couple of weeks ago, and it was a big hit!

It is easy to prepare, and only uses two ingredients: a flank steak and prepared pesto. I used this Basil Pesto that has been hanging out in my freezer since the end of last summer. Still tastes great! You could use any prepared pesto; next time I would like to try a sun-dried tomato pesto in this.

The only tricky part of this recipe is butterflying the flank steak, and even that is not too tough. A large knife really helps. To butterfly the steak, cut almost all the way through the thickness of the flank steak, keeping the steak intact on one side.

To reduce mess, place your flank steak on a foil lined baking sheet and open it up flat. Spread with the pesto.

Optional step: Sear steak in a hot skillet on all sides. I did not do this and it turned out fine.

Roll up the flank steak and secure with kitchen string or toothpicks.

Spread top of steak with some of the pesto drippings (some are sure to have leaked out). Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Roast at 425°F for 30-40 minutes, or until thermometer reaches 130-140°F (for medium rare). If you sear the steak first, it will need slightly less time.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

I served this with some sautéed mushrooms and this Garlic Roasted Broccoli. Roasting vegetables with garlic is definitely our favorite way to eat veges around here. See the recipe below for some alternate roasted vege ideas.

RECIPES:

Pesto Stuffed Flank Steak

Servings: about 6
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1 flank steak
1 cup prepared Basil Pesto
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Butterfly flank steak: Cut almost all the way through the thickness of the flank steak, keeping the steak intact on one side. On a foil lined baking sheet, open up butterflied steak and lay flat. Spread with pesto.

Roll up flank steak. Secure with kitchen string or toothpicks.

Optional step: Sear steak in a hot skillet on all sides.

Spread top of steak with some of the pesto drippings (some are sure to have leaked out). Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Roast at 425°F for 30-40 minutes, or until thermometer reaches 130-140°F (for medium rare). If you sear the steak first, it will need slightly less time.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

NoEmptyChairs.me

Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Servings: 4-6
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1 pound fresh broccoli
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
5-6 large cloves fresh garlic
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Smash garlic slightly with edge of knife or cut each large garlic clove into 3-4 slices. Put cut broccoli, garlic, and olive oil into large Ziploc bag and let marinate 30-60 minutes. (This is optional, but marinating will make the broccoli more garlicky.)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place mixture on a foil-lined baking sheet and season with fresh ground black pepper and salt. Roast until vegetables are slightly softened and edges are starting to brown slightly, about 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

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Alternate Preparations:

Roasted Broccoli with Sesame Seeds:
Follow recipe above, adding 1 Tbs soy sauce, 1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds, and 1 tsp sesame oil to marinade (use less garlic, if desired).

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Other Roasted Vegetables:
Try this cooking method with: asparagus, Brussels sprouts (cut in half), green beans, carrots, cauliflower. Adjust cooking time based on thickness of vegetable.

NoEmptyChairs.me

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This post was entered into the “Grow Your Own” roundup, created by Andrea’s Recipes and hosted this month by House of Annie.

2 Comments

Filed under Main Dishes, Side Dishes

Tagged as broccoli, Easter, flank steak, garlic, pesto, roasted broccoli, roasted vegetables, sesame seeds, stuffed flank steak

March 27, 2010 · 4:29 pm

Teriyaki Salmon and Green Beans with Bacon & Pine Nuts

Two of my favorite items from Costco are the large Alaskan (or Copper River later in the summer) salmon fillets and the packages of thin French green beans. This meal combines both for a quick to prepare, healthy and flavorful dinner..

These large fillets will feed about 4 people. Start by lining a baking dish with non-stick foil (or spray regular foil with non-stick spray). Place salmon fillet in the baking dish, skin side down. Sprinkle salmon with lime juice (lemon would be fine, as well).

Notice how the acid in the lime juice starts cooking
the salmon before you even put it in the oven.

Top salmon with this soy based marinade and sprinkle with fresh chives or green onions. The marinade includes soy sauce, olive and sesame oils, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. (Save half of the marinade to serve with the salmon)

Bake at 425°F for about 15-20 minutes, or until salmon flakes with a fork. Once cooked, the salmon will easily slide off of the skin with a little help from a spatula. Cooking it with the skin helps to keep it nice and moist.

Serve salmon with additional sauce on the side (bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan before serving).

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Green Beans with Bacon and Pine Nuts

This side dish comes together really quickly, especially if you use another of my favorite Costco items: precooked bacon. I coarsely chop the pre-cooked bacon and cook it in a small skillet with the pine nuts until the nuts are lightly toasted.

Remove bacon and pine nuts from pan. Add 1 Tbs olive oil (if you are not using precooked bacon, you could just use 1 Tbs of bacon drippings from the pan) and the green beans to the skillet. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add 2 Tbs water to the pan, cover, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until beans are crisp-tender. These thin French beans cook very quickly and are very tender. Don’t overcook!

Stir in bacon and pine nuts and serve.

RECIPES:

Spicy Teriyaki Salmon

Servings: 4-6
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1 large salmon fillet
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs balsamic or rice vinegar
1 Tbs honey (or 10 drops liquid stevia)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (add more for more heat)
1 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs fresh chives or green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Line a baking dish with non-stick foil (or spray regular foil with non-stick spray). Place salmon fillet in a baking dish, skin side down. Sprinkle salmon with lime juice.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil. Pour half of sauce over salmon. Set remaining sauce aside. Sprinkle salmon with chives or green onions.

Bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Fish should flake easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, bring reserved sauce to a boil in a small saucepan. Serve over cooked salmon.

NoEmptyChairs.me

Green Beans with Bacon and Pine Nuts

Servings: 4-6
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1 lb French green beans (or regular beans, snapped)
6-8 slices bacon, chopped
¼ cup pine nuts

Cook bacon in a small skillet until almost crisp. Add pine nuts and cook until nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from pan.

Drain bacon drippings, leaving 1 Tbs of drippings in the pan. (If you are using precooked bacon, and there are no drippings, add 1 Tbs olive oil to pan).

Add green beans to the pan and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 Tbs water to the skillet, cover, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until beans are crisp-tender. Do not overcook.

Stir bacon and nuts back into beans and serve.

NoEmptyChairs.me

2 Comments

Filed under Main Dishes, Side Dishes

Tagged as Asian, bacon, broil, French green beans, green beans, grill, pine nuts, salmon, teriyaki salmon

March 22, 2010 · 9:51 pm

Making Magic Memories: Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies

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For those who spent any time growing up in the 80’s, Magic Cookie Bars were a staple of any self-respecting home kitchen. They were one of my favorite cookies as a child: layers of graham cracker crumbs, coconut, nuts and chocolate chips, all magically bound together by the king of all ingredients: sweetened condensed milk.

Later, as a young mom, I found (in a magazine ad) the recipe for the drop-cookie version of those same bars. After making them that first time, I knew I was in heaven! All of the magic of the bars, in a portable, stackable, school-lunch packable, even freezable little package.

The graham cracker crumbs and sweet milk make these a wonderfully soft cookie. In fact, they get softer with time. I think they taste best that first day, fresh out of the oven, when they still have a slight crispiness on the outside. Once they sit in a covered container, the entire cookie becomes soft. Still fabulous, just soft.

Much thanks to Borden and Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk for two great recipes. Eating these cookies always makes me nostalgic for those days of making Magic with my Mom!

Don’t you just love a cookie with nooks & crannies?

RECIPE:

Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies

Servings: 3 dozen
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1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¾ cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
½ cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut
1-2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder. Set aside. Beat together sweetened condensed milk and butter. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in coconut, chocolate chips, and nuts.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 8-10 minutes. Cool cookies for about 1 minute on pan before removing to rack to cool.

Makes about 3 dozen

Adapted from Borden Eagle Brand

NoEmptyChairs.me

Asian Chicken Salad and Scallion Pancakes

This chicken salad recipe comes from a good friend Heather. I love that it is both warm and cold. The cold, raw crunchy vegetables together with warm chicken and a warm soy dressing (that serves as both marinade and dressing) are fabulous! I served it this time with some homemade scallion pancakes, which my children ask me to make all the time.

I serve this “smorgasbord” style, lining up all of the ingredients on the counter and letting everyone make their own salad. This is mostly for a selfish reason, as I don’t have to wait for each person to pick around the vegetables they don’t like before the salad makes it way around the table to me (why is it that moms are always served last-or is it just in my house?)

We love these crunchy sesame sticks! They make a perfect topping.

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Below I have included Heather’s original recipe, with my slight modifications.

Scallion Pancakes

Scallion Pancakes are my children’s favorite Chinese restaurant appetizer (except for maybe gyoza- they love those too). When I finally decided to try them at home, I definitely won Mother of the Year in their eyes. That title lasted about as long as it took them to gobble down these treats and for me to enlist their help in cleaning up.

The following recipe makes a lot, maybe 12-15 full size pancakes, which are cut into wedges to eat. But it can easily be scaled back.

Little J is always my helper at the mixer. She is a great button-pusher (or turner in this case).

The scallion pancake dough is a simple non-yeast dough made from flour, salt & pepper, chopped scallions and sesame & olive oils. These ingredients are bound together with some boiling water. The boiling water helps to start cooking the dough before it even gets to the pan.

Roll the dough into thin circles, about 6-inches in diameter.

Cook, one at a time, in a small hot skillet with about 1 tsp of oil.

Cook over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes per side. Place on a paper-towel lined plate while cooking remaining pancakes.

Cut each pancake into 6-8 wedges and serve with this dipping sauce made from soy sauce and Mirin (a sweet Japanese vinegar). We like things a little spicy, so it also has some crushed red pepper flakes mixed in, but you can adjust those to taste. Sometimes I add a little grated ginger to the sauce, but I actually prefer it without the ginger. Mirin is available in most supermarkets in the Asian section. It may also be called “seasoned rice vinegar”.

RECIPES:

Asian Chicken Salad

Servings: 3-4
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Dressing/Marinade:
¼ cup brown or white sugar (I used a few drops of Stevia)
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar (I used the rice vinegar)
¼ cup canola oil (I used olive oil)
1 Tbs sesame oil
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
4 cloves minced garlic
½ tsp salt (I left this out)
½ Tbs cornstarch
1 Tbs water

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salad:
2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 red pepper, diced
2 carrots, peeled and grated (I used sliced baby carrots)
3 green onions, diced
1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped (I used snow peas)
½ cup salted peanuts
½ cup sesame sticks (we used a lot more than this)
**I also used some sliced mini-cucumbers and sliced celery

Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces.

Mix the remaining dressing ingredients (except cornstarch and water) in a large skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat and boil just until the sugar is dissolved, whisking vigorously to combine the oil with the rest of the ingredients. Mix the cornstarch and water and add it to the skillet, stirring until the dressing is thickened.

Reserve ¾ cup of the dressing in a separate bowl (to be used as dressing on the salad).

Add the chicken to the remaining dressing in the skillet. Cook over medium-low heat until all of the liquid is evaporated and the chicken just starts to brown (this will take a while, up to 30 minutes).

While the chicken is cooking prepare the rest of the salad ingredients (chopping and assembling). You can mix all of the salad ingredients together, or serve them in separate bowls. Top salad with warm chicken and reserved dressing.

From friend Heather, modified slightly by Kelly

**NOTE: I doubled the dressing and chicken amounts and got about 6 servings.

NoEmptyChairs.me

Scallion Pancakes

Servings: 12-15
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4 ¼ – 4 ½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 ½ cups boiling water
1 Tbs sesame oil
3 Tbs olive oil
1 cup sliced scallions (green onions)
Peanut oil/olive oil/or coconut oil

Combine flour (start with 4 ¼ cups, add additional flour if needed to make a stiff, but workable dough), salt and pepper in a stand mixer. While mixer is running (with a dough hook), gradually add boiling water, sesame and olive oils. Continue mixing and add scallions. Mix until dough pulls away from the edge of the bowl and forms a smooth ball. Roll dough into small pancakes about 6” in diameter, keeping unused dough covered while you are rolling.

Heat 1-2 tsp oil in a small skillet. Cook pancakes over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side. Add more oil to the pan as necessary.

Drain on a paper towel. Cut into wedges and serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbs Mirin (sweet rice vinegar)
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp grated ginger (optional)

Mix all ingredients. Flavor will intensify the longer it sits.

Yield: 12-15 full-sized pancakes

NoEmptyChairs.me

4 Comments

Filed under Appetizers, Breads, Main Dishes, Salads

Tagged as asian salad, chicken, chicken salad, Chinese, chinese salad, dipping sauce, green onions, scallion pancakes, scallions, warm chicken salad

March 6, 2010 · 8:56 am

Roasted Squash with Bacon & Gorgonzola

Just a quick post this weekend about a delicious way to prepare winter squash. I am coming to the end of my stockpile of winter squash (procured in the fall at an Amish produce auction-thanks Cynthia!). I have loved being able to go into our “root cellar” – read cold garage- and pick out a good squash for dinner.

In this roasted, mashed squash dish, I loved how the mild flavor of a roasted butternut squash was complimented by the stronger taste of gorgonzola. The bacon and green onions make for some great texture.

This dish starts with a roasted butternut squash, but you could use any winter squash variety that mashes well (butternut, acorn, delicata, pumpkin; I probably wouldn’t use a spaghetti squash). For a “How to” on roasting squash, read How To Roast Winter Squash.

Mix your roasted, mashed squash with some crumbled gorgonzola cheese, cooked & crumbled bacon, sliced green onions and a little Parmesan. The cheeses and bacon made the squash plenty salty to me, but I did add just a little fresh ground pepper.

I cooked mine in these cute shallow individual baking dishes that I never seem to have a use for. I only have two (a 20+ year old wedding gift that usually sits high in my cupboard), but knowing that my kids weren’t going to touch this, I got out my stepstool and hauled them down.

I divided one butternut squash between the two dishes, and it ended up being more than the two of us could eat as a side dish. It was hearty enough (and very rich) that this amount (with a salad on the side) would have made a perfect main course for two.

Bake in a moderate oven until squash is heated through, cheese has melted and edges just begin to brown.

RECIPE:

Roasted Butternut Squash with Bacon & Gorgonzola

Servings: 2-4
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1 large butternut squash (or other winter squash variety)
2 Tbs gorgonzola cheese
1 Tbs Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
2 Tbs cooked and crumbled bacon
1 Tbs thinly sliced green onions
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Roast squash (see How to Roast Winter Squash). Mash until smooth (an immersion blended works really well). Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into individual baking dishes, or one larger dish (about 8×8” or a 1-qt casserole dish).

Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes, or until squash is heated through, cheese has melted and edges are golden brown.

Yield: 2 main dish or 4 side dish servings

NoEmptyChairs.me

Fettuccine Alfredo with Garlic Breadsticks

Okay, technically this is linguini. But if you close your eyes, it all tastes the same anyway.

This is one of Big J’s favorites. It ranks in his top 5 meals (maybe even higher), and is the only non-Asian based meal on the list. It is easy enough to put together that when I’m looking to score some “Good Mom Points”, I will even make it for him for lunch. He definitely counts this as one of the homeschool perks: hot home-cooked lunches instead of soggy PB&J.

I didn’t get any prep pictures of the the Alfredo Sauce, but it is basically a wonderfully rich blend of chicken broth, cream, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. There is no need for added thickeners (flour, cornstarch, etc). The cheeses make it plenty thick all on their own! It can easily be put together while your pasta is cooking.

You can serve it on its own, but I usually have several “toppings” on hand as well: chopped grilled chicken, cooked & crumbled bacon, steamed or roasted broccoli, barely-cooked baby peas (these are my favorite!).

Garlic Breadsticks

This is an easy to work with dough (very similar to the Cinnamon Twist dough, just without the egg and sugar).

Divide dough in half and roll out into rectangles. Use a sharp knife to cut dough into strips (a pizza cutter works great).

Melt butter in a jellyroll pan (here I have half of a batch of dough in a 9×13” pan). Place strips in pan, and turn each strip over to coat both sides with butter. Cover pan and let rise 30-60 minutes.

Sprinkle with garlic powder and cheese and bake for 10-12 mins.

Serve with your favorite pasta or soup dish.

RECIPES:

Fettuccine Alfredo

Servings: 6-8
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¼ cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
1-2 Tbs white wine, optional
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
¾ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Fettuccine (or other pasta)

Optional Toppings:
Grilled chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Roasted or steamed broccoli
Baby peas, cooked until just tender

In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter slowly. Add garlic and cream cheese and stir until melted. Add cream, chicken broth, white wine and pepper. Stir in Parmesan. Stir with a whisk as it heats to get a smooth sauce. Cook until sauce is smooth and heated through.

Prepare fettuccine as directed on package. Serve fettuccine with alfredo sauce and desired toppings.

NoEmptyChairs.me

Garlic Breadsticks

Servings: 18
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1 ½ cups warm water
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs yeast
1 tsp salt
3 ½ – 4 cups flour
½ cup melted butter
Garlic powder
Parmesan cheese, optional

Mix water, sugar, yeast, salt, and flour. Add more flour, if needed, to make a soft dough. Knead.

Melt butter in a jellyroll pan. Set aside.

Divide dough in half. Roll dough into 2 rectangles. Cut into 1-inch wide strips. Place dough strips ½ inch apart in pan, turning over to coat both sides with butter. Let rise 30-60 minutes (until doubled). Sprinkle with garlic powder and Parmesan, if desired. Bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes.

Makes about 18 breadsticks.

NoEmptyChairs.me

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Filed under Breads, Main Dishes

Tagged as alfredo, breadsticks, cheese, comfort food, fettuccine, garlic, grilled chicken, pasta