Cajun Chicken Salad

This salad is absolutely the best chicken salad ever to cross my lips. It started with our monthly Penzeys ad arriving in the mail. Kevin snatched it and hovered over every page. Then he announced that we simply had to go to Penzeys to buy some Cajun seasoning. Without checking the store hours, we arrived half an hour before they opened, and fiddled around in Uptown for a bit.

When we got home we started cooking. And cooking. And cooking. In all, we had three different Cajun spiced meals in three days. Was it extreme? Just really, really tasty.

Something about the chicken being coated with seasoning and pan-fried makes them incredibly tender and juicy. There is just enough of a kick of flavor to keep it interesting and make you want to dig in for another bite. And then another one.

Cajun Chicken Breasts with Salad

3 4-6 oz chicken breasts (or whatever)

2 T Cajun seasoning

2 T oil

Wash chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle with a thick layer of Cajun seasoning. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-6 minutes per side depending on thickness. Adjust the heat down a bit if the chicken is browning too quickly or up if it isn't sizzling. Remove from pan and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces.

Salad:

1 head romaine lettuce

1 head leaf lettuce

1/2 tomato, diced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 avocado, thinly sliced

Dressing:

1 T Italian seasoning or salad dressing base

1 T water

1/4 C red wine vinegar or regular white vinegar

1/3 - 1/2 C olive oil.

Whisk everything together

Tomato Basil Soup with Feta

It started with an email from Kurt. He has been working in Scottsdale, AZ during the budget shortfall and is tired of being away from his family.

"I really want to come home, but they have me chained to the lab down here. Could you send a file baked in a cake in your next email? I'll get you the soup recipe....really, you can believe me...please!"

Ah, yes. The soup recipe. The one he waved under my nose clear back in March. So far I haven't been given a copy, even though he has copiously promised to send it. Although I want to help him break free, I must respond in a practical manner:

"I'd like to help you. Really I would. Unfortunately, I have been waiting for this recipe for so long that I can no longer trust that I will ever receive it. The most I can hope for is a dinner invitation to your neighbor's house. Hmm....what are the chances of that??

I had better play it safe and NOT send that cake I just baked."

Ten minutes later I was presented with the recipe in my inbox. So there ya have it. If you threaten to stop by for dinner, any recipe you have been coveting will suddenly find it's way to your door.

Tomato-Basil Soup with Feta Cheese

2 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes are awesome!)

1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1 15 ounce can of plain tomato sauce

1 medium to large yellow onion

3 cloves of garlic (more if you like garlic)

1 tsp. salt

2-3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

¼ cup of olive oil (extra virgin if you want a richer taste)

1 package of feta cheese (the best you can afford, preferably French or Greek feta)

¼ cup of minced fresh basil or 1/8 cup of dried basil

Pepper to taste

Chop onion and sauté in olive oil until translucent (about 8 minutes). Add chopped garlic and sauté an additional 2 minutes. Add the three cans of crushed and diced tomatoes as well as the chicken broth and salt. Reduce for 20 minutes over a high flame. (If you have a screen, use it as this soup splatters terribly!)

Use an immersion blender or standing blender to purée the onion and tomato mixture after reduction. Place over medium-low heat and add the crumbled feta cheese, basil, can of tomato sauce and pepper. Taste for salt. Heat through and serve.

This soup is excellent with a nice amount of feta so use it liberally if you like feta. The better the feta, the less salty it tastes so make sure the soup has adequate flavor.

Don't forget about the feta! It is much better with it in there.

After I got the recipe, I sent him this photo:

He wrote back that he wanted a file in a cake.....NOT a cake in a file. Oh, well. The pirate sure is cute.

Gnocchi alla Romana with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Mom and Dad came to visit this weekend. When Mom came into the house she sat by a stack of cookbooks I had in the living room. It was a big mistake to have everything there because she choose a very time consuming one to make. Oh, goodness. It might be the death of me. We have picked out a bunch of recipes, and now the remainder of Mom and Dad's trip will be spent slaving away in the kitchen.

Here 4 gnocchi patties are layered up in a baking dish.

It looks so good coming out of the oven. I am so glad she convinced me to help make this wonderful dish. They are a flavorful and savory and the perfect second course to our lunch.

Gnocchi alla Romana with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

5 1/2 C milk

3/4 C finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

3 C semolina flour

1/2 C unsalted flour

1 C parmesan or mozzarella, shredded

4 eggs

1 1/2 t fine grain sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slather a 9 x 13 inch dish with butter.

Combine the milk and sun dried tomatoes in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for a few minutes until the tomatoes have softened a bit. Gradually stir in the flour, mixing until it begins to pull away from the side of the pan. This just takes a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in 1/4 C butter, 3/4 C parmesan, the eggs, and the salt. Work in the eggs quickly or they will begin to cook on the hot dough.

Put a glaze of water on the counter and spread the gnocchi into a 3/4 inch slab. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch circles and put them in the baking dish slightly overlapped like a fanned deck of cards. Melt the remaining 1/4 C of butter and drizzle it over the gnocchi. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and bake, uncovered, for 25 more minutes. Serve with the Bright Red Tomato Sauce spooned over the gnocchi.

Bright Red Tomato Sauce

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic

1 t fine grain sea salt

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

Combine the oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, and salt and saute for a few minutes until the garlic begins to take on a bit of color. Stir in the tomatoes and return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with more salt if desired.

Shrimp Salsa Bisque

Last week I worked overtime three days and had a yoga class on another night, which meant I had to bring lunch, dinner, and two snacks with me every night except once.

On Monday I went home early to spend some time with Kevin, and got home just in time to remember that Kevin was fishing. So I felt sorry for myself and caught up on my library books instead of making some food to bring to work. Uggg....we had no food in the house so I had to resort to toasted peanut butter and banana sandwiches more than once. It would be an incredible hardship to have to eat the same fare again all this week, so I tried this shrimp bisque recipe.

Cut up the shrimp into bite sized pieces. Doesn't it look so bright and colorful?

The shrimp is ready to go into the soup.

Take it from a girl who knows: don't put your plastic cutting board on a hot burner.

Shrimp Salsa Bisque

1 18 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

4 cups water

1 lb cooked shrimp, shelled and cut into bite sized chunks

1 red bell pepper (or green)

2 jalapeno peppers

1/2 onion

1/4 C fresh cilantro

1 t oregano

1/2 t cumin

1 C sour cream

1 T sugar

2 C cooked rice (or barley)

Pour the tomatoes, and their juice, in a soup pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Remove the seeds from the peppers and chop them and the onion. Place in a blender with the cilantro, oregano, and cumin. Pulse until finely pureed. Add to the soup, stir to blend, and add the shrimp. Warm 5-10 minutes. Whisk in sour cream and sugar. Put a spoonful of rice in a bowl and ladle the soup over the top.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

The first time I ate clam chowder I had the misfortune of getting some dirt in my bowl. It was from the cafeteria at work, and I was already leery of that food. Then it happened again - and again - and again. EVERY time I somehow ended up with a little bit of dirt in my bowl. Granted, I grew up in a home where we ate red meat, so I wasn't used to a lot of meaty flavors or textures. In fact, the first time I cooked chicken (in middle school) I completely freaked out when it started to turn white. Luckily, Kristin's boyfriend was there to tell us it was just starting to cook. *WHEW* That was a disaster barely averted.

Anyway, back to the clam chowder. In 1939 the good people of Maine were so upset when they heard of a tomato based clam chowder that they proposed a bill to outlaw tomatoes in clam chowder. When I heard that, the rebel in me perked up her ears, and here we are - making Manhattan Clam Chowder. It is my first time eating the Manhattan version, so I am not sure how it compares to other recipes, but this one is pretty darn good. It comes from Dr. Mirkin's website. . .

This is really more like clam stew. It doesn't sound as good as the word "chowder" but when I hear "chowder" I think of a thick, creamy soup. This is beef stew where all the beef has been usurped by clams.

Don't they look funny in the can? I had one can of chopped and one can of minced and upon close inspection, I can't tell the difference. If you don't like the grainy texture of clams, give them a few taste tests. They grow on you until you feel sad when you don't get a grainy bite.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

3 C chicken or fish bouillon

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 C potato, chopped

2 cans of stewed tomatoes

1 t oregano

pinch cayenne

1/2 C barley, cooked

2 cans green beans

2 cans chopped clams and their juice

Combine the bouillon, carrots, celery, potato, tomatoes, oregano, cayenne and barley and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add the green beans and the clams with their juice and heat about 5 minutes until warm. Revel in the knowledge that you are a wild, crazy rebel as you savor each bite. Then hope you get to travel to Maine someday to eat the blueberries. Make a mental note to not mention MANHATTAN clam chowder when you are there.

Enchilada Sauce with Aunt Linnie

Not only is Aunt Linnie beautiful, she also makes a mean enchilada sauce. Kristin had gotten her hands on a jar of it a couple of years ago and I got to try it, and ever since I have been craving another taste of her magic sauce.

Last week, Hali and I had to drop a few things off at her house, and while we were visiting, it suddenly dawned on me that if I asked her for the recipe she might give it to me. It was a startling revelation, and the question blurted out of my mouth before I could second guess the impropriety of asking about a secret family recipe.

Aunt Linnie offered to make it with us the first time. This was very generous of her because she is getting ready to leave for a trip to California. We were so excited by her offer that we jumped at the chance and she came over yesterday to make it.

It was a bit of unfortunate timing because about 1 1/2 hours before she arrived I got a migraine. Arrrgghh!! It has been a long, long time since I have had one, and I had been looking forward to this enchilada sauce. Instead of calling her and telling her not to come, like a normal person may have done, I decided to ignore it.

We had only made it through mixing up the ingredients when I was forced into hibernation, and I went to bed. When I woke up feeling better at 1:30 AM, I got up for a snack and the enchilada sauce was already in the jars. It was the easiest batch of enchilada sauce EVER!

Aunt Linnie says that El Pato tomato sauce is the only brand that works in this sauce. She knows pretty much everything, so I am going to take her at her word.

Enchilada Sauce

2 big spoonfuls of shortening

2 3/4 C flour

4 quarts tomato juice

4 quarts water

2 cans El Pato Tomato Sauce (7 3/4 ounce)

3 T salt

1 1/2 C + 1 t sugar

4 t cumin

3 t ground oregano

1 1/4 T vinegar

Melt shortening and add flour until it makes a smooth paste. Add the water and tomato juice. Add El Pato tomato sauce. Keep stirring to get out all lumps. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add to sauce. Add vinegar. Bring to a boil and reduce slightly.

Add sauce to jars and let them steam in the pressure cooker for 45 minutes before putting on the lids.

Enchilada Soup

1 quart enchilada sauce

2 cans corn with liquid

2 cans kidney beans, rinsed

3 chicken breasts or 1 large can of Kirkland chicken from Costco

Black Bean and Steak Chili

The snow calls for something warm and hearty. A big pot of chili and some mini cornbread muffins are just the ticket to satisfaction through the storm.

At our house we have a strange problem. Two years ago we started buying our beef from a rancher in Iowa, who will sell us 1/4 a beef at a time. He butchers and then splits all the cuts into 4 sections so everyone gets the same amount of each cut. It takes us a solid year to eat it. This year we got it in May and the hamburger is almost gone - but the freezer is overflowing with steak and roasts. What to do, what to do? We had better start eating more steak.

Clarinda, Kevin's friend who introduced him to the church, made steak chili for him once, and he decided to make it for us so. Just so you don't get the wrong idea, Clarinda is my friend, too. And why wouldn't she be? She is wonderful. And if she hadn't been Kevin's friend, Kevin and I may have never left. Yes, we owe a lot to the lovely Clarinda. But she was Kevin's friend before I even knew her, so she is listed as "Kevin's Friend."



Here is the whole pot before it simmers down. It thickens and darkens as it simmers.

Isn't this little cornbread muffin the cutest thing you've ever seen? I will refrain from giving you the recipe because, quite frankly, it was a new recipe and not a big hit. We wanted to try a recipe that had pieces of whole corn in it, and this one turned out to be mostly corn and only a little bit of cornbread. Bluuck.

Grill the steak and cut it into very, very small pieces. You don't want to get a bite of nothing but steak. Kevin calls it 'nibble size.'

Black Bean and Steak Chili
2 - 6 ounce steaks, grilled and diced

2 sandwich bags of frozen roasted tomato puree - or 2 cans of tomatoes, 1 chopped red or green pepper, and 1 chopped onion

2 cans black beans, or 3 cups cooked black beans

2 T chili powder

1 T paprika

1 t salt

dash cayenne

Add tomatoes, pepper and onions to large pot and simmer until tender. Then add everything except the beans. If you are using the roasted tomato puree, add everything except beans to the pot. Let it simmer for 30 minutes on medium heat. Add beans and continue to simmer long enough to heat them thoroughly. Add water to desired thickness.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Have you been to 101cookbooks.com? It is amazing. Heidi uses a lot of whole grains and everything I have made from her site has been delicious. This soup recipe is no different. I altered it slightly because I didn't have as many tomatoes.

3 tomatoes, quartered
1 onion, quartered
1 red pepper, seeded and quartered.

Put it on parchment paper, skin side down, spray oil on everything, and sprinkle it with salt. Then throw it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. Then blend it with a stick blender and add 2-3 cups of chicken broth and 1 teaspoon paprika.

Kevin took his bowl, said that he doesn't like tomato soup but that he would eat it anyways. A few bites later he said it was pretty good for tomato soup. Then he said it was the best tomato soup he had ever had. Then he started listing all the things we could put it in: a base for chili, in lentil soup, and taco soup. The possibilities are endless.

Then we went back to the farmers market and bought a whole box of tomatoes. It took 6 jelly roll pans for all the tomatoes. Then it took 4 more pans of peppers and onions. We were exhausted and our house smelled like soup all weekend.

Try not to groan too loudly when you eat this. What will the neighbors think?