Crockpot Cajun Turkey Breast

This is another one of my old favorites.  It’s based on a cajun dry rub recipe in The Joy of Cooking, but I’ve put my own spin on it.  If you have a Trader Joe’s, they sell a great kosher 1/2 turkey breast that fits in the crock pot nicely.  I’ve even used the marinade on chicken, but turkey is my fave.

• 1/2 a whole turkey breast (I use bone in, though I suppose boneless would be fine too)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil (vegetable would be fine too – I like grapeseed for the antioxidants and the clean taste)
• 1 tsp mustard
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning (any will work, but as always, I plug Penzey’s)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Smoked Spanish Paprika
• 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Place turkey breast in crock pot on lowest heat setting.  In a small sauce pan, melt the butter.  Add the oil, then all the spices, and stir.  Pour over turkey breast.  Enjoy in a few hours!  PS – you can make a delicious gravy with the drippings, or just pour them over the sliced turkey.  Makes great turkey sandwiches too.

Cuban Lentil Salad with Spicy Vinaigrette

This is another one that I can’t take the credit for, but it’s a go-to side for spring and summer.  Why someone gave it a 1-star rating is beyond me, but considering they didn’t even credit the proper chef in their review, perhaps they weren’t paying attention to the recipe either, and didn’t follow it correctly.  The recipe calls for 1 tsp cayenne, which I find to be a bit much.  I would start with 1/2 tsp and work up from there, but other than that, I have no alterations.

By the way, lentils have tons of protein, so this is a great vegetarian recipe.  It also keeps well for a few days, so it’s great to make the day before a party.

• 6 cups water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large cloves garlic, cut into slivers
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 4 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1/4 cup finely diced jicama (I use a little bit more because I like the crunch)
• Sprigs of fresh parsley, for garnish
• Lemon wedges, for garnish

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and add the salt. Add the lentils, reduce the heat to low, and cook covered for 30 minutes. The lentils should be tender but not mushy. Take care not to overcook them or they can fall apart. While the lentils are cooking, in a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 5 to 6 minutes, or until softened and just slightly golden. Do not allow to brown. Remove from the heat and add the cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt. Stir in the vinegar and then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Drain the lentils in a colander, and immediately transfer them to the bowl. Toss together until the lentils are evenly coated with the dressing, then drizzle theremaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil over the top and toss again just to mix. Cool to room temperature, stir in the scallions and jicama, and serve immediately, or refrigerate for 1 or 2 hours, to allow the flavors to marry. Garnish with sprigs of parsley and lemon wedges.

Italian Chicken Salad in lettuce cups

All the credit on this one goes to my girl Giada De Laurentiis.  I love Italian food, but much of what I was used to from my youth was heavy and wintery.  This?  Is not heavy or wintery at all.  If I remember right, she made this for a baby shower, which would explain the gigantic portions used in the recipe.  I can personally attest that it is easily scaled back to small family sized portions.  Or hey, just make the full recipe and invite a bunch of people over.  Like me. 

PS – Giada, if you ever read this, I have an adorable son who’s just the right age for your daughter.  Just sayin’.

as written, serves 12

• 10 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (from about 3 purchased roasted whole chickens)
• 2 cups roasted red and yellow bell peppers, drained, patted dry, and coarsely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups paper-thin slices red onion
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/2 cup drained capers
• 1 1/2 cups (about) Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 24 butter lettuce leaves (from about 3 large heads)
• 1 (4-ounce) piece Parmesan, shaved with vegetable peeler

Directions

Toss the chicken, bell peppers, onion, parsley, almonds, and capers in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season the chicken salad with salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange 1 large lettuce cup and 1 small lettuce cup on each plate, overlapping slightly. Spoon the chicken salad into the lettuce cups. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the salads. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

Do-Ahead Tip: The chicken salad can be prepared 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. Just before serving, spoon the salad into the lettuce cups.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup olive oil

Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until emulsified.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Some notes – I serve this on bread to make it a little heartier for dinner.  You might want  to toast your bread ahead of time, since the dressing is fairly juicy.  If your bread it toasted, it just soaks up everything nicely rather than falling apart.    Second, I always forget about the Parmesan, but when I do remember, it adds a lovely finishing touch.  Thirdly, if you have a chicken or some boneless skinless breasts you’ve cooked up, they work great too.  Purchasing roasted chickens certainly makes things easier and faster, but not cheaper.  I’m a big fan of cheaper (when it doesn’t sacrifice quality), and usually make this with boneless breasts I just cook in the oven with some salt and pepper.  Finally, I was cooking up a storm tonight and had already dirtied nearly every dish in the house, so I didn’t really want to drag the blender out as well, so since I was just making a small batch of the dressing, I just dumped all the ingredients into a canning jar and shook it for all it was worth.  Guess what?  Turned out great and didn’t take up as much room in the dishwasher.

Trust me on this one, guys.  I have been making this recipe for years now, and as a connoisseur of chicken salads, this is one of the absolute best.  Delicious flavor, fast, and healthy.  What more could you want?

The BMG

Hello, hello!  After a crummy February, we at the Foodie Housewifehold are THRILLED spring is just around the corner.   The snow is melting, I saw some green things coming out of the ground yesterday, and it’s no longer bone chillingly cold.  The inspirational juices are starting to run just like maple syrup. 

This one was inspired by a sandwich someone talked about on The Best Thing I Ever Ate or whatever it’s called.  It’s not so much a recipe as a grocery list, so it’s super easy and ridiculously tasty.  Consider it something to tide you over until you can get a decent tomato and make BLT’s again.

• Loaf of nice multigrain bread, sliced thick
• crispy bacon, about 4-5 pieces per sandwich (I continue to extol the virtues of Niman Ranch, even though my Super Target no longer carries it.   And yes, that makes them less Super in my eyes)
• marmalade
• goat cheese
• butter

Lightly toast the bread.  After it’s toasted, butter one side of each piece.  Spread a thin layer of marmalade on the other side of one piece, and some goat cheese on the other side of the other piece.  Top with bacon, and smush together.  Put it back in the toaster oven to brown, flipping over once after a couple minutes so it gets nice and golden on both sides.  Eat and enjoy!

Not only did my beloved Colts fail to win the Super Bowl (next year, baby!), my plans to share a romantic Valentine’s Day menu with everyone have been thwarted by bad weather, a sick child, and a husband traveling for work.  I could still make the menu I planned for the sick kid, but it would really be a wasted effort.  But for those of you not threatened with another 5-10 inches of snow, illness, or unexpected travel plans, here is the link to the Eric Rippert website for “Avec Eric”, and the duck breast and baby carrots recipe I thought look fabulous.

Spice Crusted Duck Breast with Orange-Honey Glaze and Cumin Scented Carrots

Happy cooking, and stay warm!

Bacon/Blue Cheese Dip

I ended up saving the best for last, though not as the result of clever planning.  When the Colts came through against the Jets and clinched their seat at the Super Bowl (GO COLTS!), I knew I wanted to make a blue and white snack.  Blue chips are easy enough, and I thought maybe some queso blanco would be good, but alas, the results of my efforts were only so-so.

As is often the case, a friend came to my rescue.  Fellow foodie and bacon lover Liz scored a bacon/blue cheese dip recipe from a Southern Living magazine, and since I love both those things AND it would fit right in with my blue food idea (blue cheese?  geddit? ), I asked her to share.  I made a batch last night, and it was delicious.  Like so delicious I thought that my husband was going to run away and hide with the casserole dish and the chips, denying me a taste delicious.

Me being me, I had to gild the lily a little bit and add more bacon and some chopped green onions on top.  As Mae West said, too much of a good thing can be wonderful.

• 2 packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 12 oz of bacon, chopped
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives (the recipe said fresh, I used freeze dried.  You bake them, so I think the fresh ones don’t hold up as well, but it’s your choice.)
• 4 oz crumbled blue cheese – be generous
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• dash of pepper

Heat a skillet and fry the bacon until crispy.  Drain bacon on paper towels.  Drain the grease from the pan except for about a tablespoon, then saute the minced garlic until golden.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and half and half until smooth.  Add 3/4 of the bacon (reserving the rest), the garlic, chopped chives, blue cheese, and a dash of black pepper.  Scoop the mixture into a 1 quart baking dish and bake at 350F until hot, about 20-30 minutes.  To serve, top with walnuts, green onions, and crumbled bacon.  Goes great with blue tortilla chips, though I suppose you could use water crackers or some other color tortilla chips. 

Empanadas

We’re feeling the Blue love here in Indy, so I’m happy to present Superbowl Snack Idea number three.  This is another one from The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook.  These could easily be made ahead of time, partially baked, then finished off right before the Super Bowl.

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
• 2/3 cup shortening (I used softened butter – I like the flavor better)
• 5 tablespoons cold water
• 5 oz finely diced cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons diced canned green chilies
• 2 tablespoons diced onion
• 2/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

In a large bow, sift together the flour, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the chili powder.  Cut the shortening (or butter) into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse meal.  Add the water a little at a time, and toss with a fork until the mixture can be formed into a ball, as for pie crust.  Chill.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, chilies, onion, walnuts, salt, remaining chili powder, and mayonnaise.  Roll the pastry out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut into rounds, using a 1 3/4 cutter.  Spoon filling into each round and fold over, making small turnovers.  Press the edges together with the times of a fork.  Prick the top of each turnover.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450F until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.  Makes 5 dozen.

OK, there’s no way I get 5 dozen out of this recipe – it’s probably more like 2 dozen, but I probably am using a larger cookie cutter than they recommend.  If you want to freeze them, I would bake them about half way, allow them to cool completely, then freeze.  You could probably freeze them completely unbaked as well, but they’re a little fragile on the seams, and I think the baking really adheres them together.  When I was testing these, I made a great Poblano Potato soup to eat with them, and they were a great meal.  Some white chili or tortilla soup would go wonderfully with them as well.  Enjoy, and GO COLTS!

Chicky Sticks*

This is a Rachel Ray recipe that I can’t believe takes 30 minutes.  I do not waste time or dilly dally in the kitchen, but to put this all together in 30 minutes  would likely require the use of drugs – or at least an assistant.  However, the results are delicious, and fantastic party food.  The first time I made them was for an Oscar party, and they were much more popular than the Best Picture winner.  We all agreed they needed a more entertaining name than “Chipotle Chicken Rolls with Avodcado Dipping Sauce”, thus “Chicky Sticks” was born.

• 1 package (1 1/2 pounds) ground chicken breast
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced, then chopped
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped (look for the San Marcos brand in the International Foods aisle)
• salt and pepper
• 9 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, scallions, Cheddar cheese, garlic, and chipotles.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer the mixture to a large ziploc type bag, and trim the bottom corner off the bag to make it a homemade pastry bag.

Arrange 1 sheet of phyllo dough with the long side closest to you on your kitchen counter.  Brush liberally from edge to edge with the melted butter, and season the top with salt and pepper.  Place another sheet of phyllo on top, again brush liberally with butter, and season with salt and pepper.  Repeat with the third sheet of phyllo.

Place the trimmed end of the pastry bag 1/2 inch in from from the left side and 1/2 inch up from the bottom of the phyllo sheet.  Squeeze the chicken mixture from the bag while moving along in a  straight line from left to right.  Roll the front edge of the phyllo sheet away from you, encasing the chicken mixture.   Continue until you have completed a long roll.  Tuck the ends in and then brush the entire outside of the phyllo log with more melted butter.  Transfer the first log to a rimmed cookie sheet, putten the seam side down.  Repeat this process to make the second and third logs with the remaining chicken mixture.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until the logs feel firm to the touch, and the phyllo is golden brown.

Once the chicky sticks are cooked, remove from the oven and let them cool just enough to handle.  Cut each roll into pieces, and serve with dipping sauce.  Enjoy!

Rachel had a recipe for Avocado Dipping Sauce to accompany these.  I had never made it, due to my aversion to avocado, but since I overcame that to a degree this summer with my introduction to the fabulous Frontera Grill Guacamole mix, I thought I should give it a try.  Sorry to say it was awful.  I think it was supposed to taste like a thinner guacamole, so do yourself a favor and just buy the Frontera Grill Guacamole mix again, and thin it down with some olive oil.  Or do what I do and use a little sour cream sprinkled with chili powder on the side.  In fact, the Chicky Sticks are so rich, they don’t really need a dip at all.

*recipe from Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats

Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese Stuffed Potato Bites

This one is a fancy take on chips and dip.  I’ve seen little stuffed potatoes served before, and when I found some yummy garlic and herb goat cheese, it all just clicked.  This is one where you could easily prep everything in advance, then just do the final frying and stuffing right before serving.  Enjoy!

• 8 small Yukon Gold potatoes, cleaned but with skins on
• 8 oz garlic and herb goat cheese
• 4 oz sour cream
• 4 tablespoons milk
• roasted red peppers, sliced for garnish
• oil for frying (I used grapeseed)

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  If you won’t be serving them right away, you could store them in the fridge like this for a day or so.  Meanwhile, in a food processor combine the goat cheese, sour cream, and milk.  Blend.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then scoop into a Ziploc type bag.  This will also keep for a couple days in the fridge if you want to prep ahead of the game.  When the potatoes are cool, slice in half, then trim a little off the ends so they will stand up.  Using a melon baller, spoon, or even a measuring spoon depending on it’s shape, scoop out a chunk of the potato, creating a space for the goat cheese mixture.  Feel free to snack on the potato scoopings like I did.    Heat a large skillet, then add some oil, and turn to coat the bottom of the pan.  Add the potatoes face down and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Snip a corner off the storage bag, and squeeze out some of the goat cheese mixture into the potato.  Top with a sliver of roasted red pepper.  Eat and enjoy!

Barbecue Sauce with Party Sized Meatballs

This one is easy peasy!  I try to limit the amount of foods we eat that have high fructose corn syrup in them.  One day last summer, we ran out of barbecue sauce.  I went to buy some more, started checking labels, and could find exactly ONE barbecue sauce that didn’t have high fructose corn syrup in it.  The wheels in my head started turning, and I thought, you know, I bet there’s a recipe for barbecue sauce, and I bet it’s not that hard to make.  The good old Joy of Cooking pulled through yet again, and yes, barbecue sauce is easy to make, and I bet you already have most (if not all) the ingredients on had to make it.

What makes this recipe even easier is I cheat on the meatballs.  Trader Joe’s has some great party sized meatballs in their frozen section.  I whip up the barbecue sauce, throw the meatballs in the slow cooker, and dump the barbecue sauce on top.  Since the meatballs are already cooked, once they’re hot, they’re ready to eat.  Of course, you can use  the barbecue sauce for any number of things – shredded chicken, pork shoulder, etc, etc, etc.  Additionally, it’s a recipe meant to be personalized.  I like to put some Penzey’s Raspberry Enlightenment in there sometimes, or maybe some spicy mustard.  This one is made for customization.

(adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

• 3/4 cup ketchup (full disclosure – unless you make your own, there’s probably high fructose corn syrup in this)
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1-2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground garlic
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan.  Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Pour over pre-cooked meatballs in a slow cooker, heat and enjoy!