2007
11.20
Posted in Casseroles, Italian, Pasta | No Comments »
I have to say that fresh fennel is one of my favorite things to add to a sauce. It adds such a distinct flavor that is more complex than a typical tomato+basil+etc sauce. This is a great dish to throw together ahead of time and drop in the oven just before you are ready to eat. You will need to increase the cooking time of course if the dish has been refrigerated. The fresh basil and fennel really makes this sauce delicious. Leftovers are in high demand for this one. Yummy!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage links (hot Italian Turkey sausage can be used for a lighter meal)
- 1 (12 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce or your favorite homemade sauce
- 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
- red bell pepper, roasted and chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
- Fry the sausages in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the skillet, cool slightly and slice into rounds.
- Add the garlic, fennel and onion to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, then add the roasted red bell peppers, basil, sliced sausage and pasta sauce. Heat through over low heat until warmed.
- Combine the pasta with the sauce and vegetables in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread the mozzarella, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses over the top. Garnish with a few fennel leaves left from the bulb. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove the aluminum foil. Set the oven to broil, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is browned.
2007
11.10
Posted in Barbeque, Indian, Poultry | 1 Comment »
Still on my Indian food kick it seems. I tried this out which was a mixture of a few different recipe ideas. While we love the salad I don’t know if it was a perfect match with the mango curry. Overall though the fam enjoyed the dish very much. I’ll probably continue to experiment with yogurt marinades (Masalas) as they are quite tasty!
Ingredients:
- 3 medium mangoes, peeled and sliced, divided
- 1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 tbsp. + 4 tsp. spicy red curry paste (Indian or Thai curry past works great)
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless chicken breast halves – cut into cubes
- 4 medium shallots, chopped
- 1 large cucumber,seeded and sliced
- 1 1/4 c. plain yogurt
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, for garnish
- 2 c. Jasmine Rice, prepared (we do ours in a rice cooker and it turns out perfect)
Directions:
- Place slices of two mango’s into the blender with yogurt, garlic, 1 tbsp. of red curry paste and kosher salt. Blend until smooth. Using half of the puree, and place chicken chunks into the marinade for at least an hour (the longer the better). Reserve the remaining puree in a bowl in the refrigerator.
- After the chicken has marinaded for at least an hour, skewer the chicken and barbecue until almost done (they can still be pink in the middle).
- If you haven’t already, begin preparing your jasmine rice.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallots and cook until tender. Once tender, add in 4 tsp. of curry paste and stir for about 1 minute (until fragrant).
- Add the coconut milk, mango puree and chicken pieces; cook for about 20-25 minutes on medium-low heat. Stir in the remaining mango slices, cucumber and then serve over prepared Jasmine Rice. Sprinkle with cilantro.
2007
11.08
Tags: chicken and rice recipe, Chicken Recipe, Chicken Tikka Masala, indian chicken, Indian Masala, yummy chicken recipe
Posted in Barbeque, Indian, Poultry | 1 Comment »
This recipe is absolutely wonderful. I’ve made it three times since I first discovered it. The flavor is amazing! I served ours over Jasmine rice. I’ve been using a rice cooker as opposed to burning a layer in the bottom of a saucepan as I had been previously doing 
and it turns out perfect! This recipe yields about 2-4 servings, depending on how much you eat. I usually double the recipe since the leftovers often are in high demand! Enjoy!
The Marinade
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
The Meat
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 long skewers
The Magic
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon corn starch (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
- In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat a grill for high heat.
- Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.
- Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce, Coconut Milk and 1 tablespoon of corn starch. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20-30 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, serve over your favorite rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.