Creating memorable and healthy dining experiences.
The Columbia Restaurant: Arroz con Pollo Valenciana - Chicken & Yellow Rice – johanna
January 3rd, 2009 | Filed under: Main Dish
2-lb. chicken fryer, cut in quarters
2 onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup small green peas (cooked)
4 asparagus tips
2 roasted red peppers, cut in strips
1/4 cup white wine (white grape juice or chicken broth)
In a skillet, sauté chicken in heated oil until skin is golden. Remove chicken and place in casserole dish. In same oil in the skillet, sauté onion, green pepper, tomatoes, and garlic for 5 minutes. Pour over chicken. In same skillet, add chicken broth, white wine, saffron, salt, bay leaf and rice. When mixture begins to boil, pour over casserole, cover and bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with a splash of wine and garnish with peas, roasted red peppers, and asparagus tips. Serves 4.
Hamburger Stroganoff – johanna
December 28th, 2008 | Filed under: Main Dish
This recipe comes from my Grandmother Lois Jepson.
1/2 c minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c butter
1 lb ground beef
2 tbsp flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced or 1 (8 oz) can sliced
1 can (10 1/2 oz) cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 c sour cream
Parsley
Saute onion and garlic in butter over moderate heat. Stir in meat and brown. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and mushrooms. Cook 5 min, stir in soup. Simmer uncovered 10 min. Stir in sour cream. Heat through. Serve over noodles, rice or baked potato.
Columbia Cuban Sandwiches – johanna
December 27th, 2008 | Filed under: Main Dish
10-inch loaf of Cuban bread
4 thin slices smoked ham
2 thin slices fresh pork ham
2 slices Genoa salami, cut in half
2 slices Swiss cheese
3 sour pickle slices (may also use dill)
Yellow mustard
Slice bread down middle lengthwise. Layer ingredients to cover bottom half of bread in the following order: ham, pork, salami, cheese, and pickles. Spread mustard on top half of bread. Cover bottom half and slice sandwich diagonally. Sandwich may be heated in oven or served at room temperature. If Cuban bread is not available, you may use French bread (baguette type) or Italian bread.
Emily’s Asian Chicken Wrap – johanna
December 15th, 2008 | Filed under: Appetizer, Main Dish
This is a recipe I got from Emily my sister-n-law. I think the dressing would go well with my Oriental Chicken Salad.
1 Tbsp. orange-juice concentrate
1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1/4 tsp. salt
Filling:
1 bag (5 oz) fresh baby spinach
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
1/3 c. sliced beets
2 c. cooked chicken
1/3 c. pecan halves
4 large flour wraps
Combine dressing ingredients in small jar with tight-fitting lid. Shake well to blend. In large bowl, combine spinach, beets, pecans, oranges, and chicken. Pour dressing over salad; toss to combine. Divide among wraps; roll and cut each wrap into 6 slices.
Honey Mustard Ham with Pineapple – johanna
December 14th, 2008 | Filed under: Main Dish
Every year for probably the past 9 years I make the same phone call to my mom. “Hi mom, how did you make your honey mustard ham? You know the one with the pineapple and cherries?” Last year I actually wrote it down.
7-10 pound ham
1/2 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
Pineapple rings
1 jar Maraschino cherries
Toothpicks
In a sauce pan cook the honey, brown sugar and mustard until thickened. Rub all over the ham. Place rings of pineapple on the ham and secure with a toothpick in the center of the ring. Top toothpicks with a cherry.
Variation:
Mix the sugar, mustard and honey to make a paste. Rub on ham. Cooking the sauce makes it sticky and more likely to stay on the ham.
Meat Stuffed Shells – johanna
December 10th, 2008 | Filed under: Main Dish
This dish became a household favorite growing up. We all went crazy when mom made her meat stuffed shells. As for the sauce, I think each of us has made our own rendition. The key to the sauce is cooking it all day and using the freshest ingredients. The measurements for the herbs are for dried herbs. If using fresh use three times as much.
Many people use ricotta or cottage cheese (cottage cheese is definitely healthier) in their shells but I grew up with the cream cheese and therefore prefer it better. I tried making stuffed shells once with doctored store bought sauce when I was in a hurry. But never again; it does not taste the same. To be honest it was horrible.
Time: about 4 hours or more
Sauce:
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp basil
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium green pepper, chopped
7-8 Cremini mushrooms, sliced or 1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 (4 oz) can tomato paste, plus water
1 (15 oz) can tomato puree, plus water or a box of Pomo
1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
Filling:
1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound ground beef
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1 bag Italian cheese blend (Parmesan, Romano and Mozzarella cheeses, shredded)
1 box large shell pasta
Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add green pepper, mushrooms and spices. Add paste, plus one can of water. Add Puree, plus one can of water. Simmer, stirring occasionally, all day or at least 2 hours.
Boil Shells until chewy-not too soft. Drain, place on towel.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown sausage and beef. Mix in cream cheese and a little sauce. In a baking pan put a little sauce in the bottom of pan, fill shells with meat mixture, place in pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with more sauce and cheese. Bake 350° 30-40 min.
This recipe will make enough for 1 13×9 pan in addition to 2 8×8 square pans. To freeze make pans as directed, cover with plastic wrap and foil and freeze. Thaw before baking. Cover with tin foil and bake 30-50 minutes. Remove the tin foil the last 15 minutes to brown the cheese. Bake until bubbly and center is hot.
Variations:
Add 1 carrot, julienne, chopped or diced. 1/2 zucchini, shredded or chopped. Sometimes I use a variety of bell peppers in the place of the green bell pepper.
My sister adds cook wheat berries to her sauce to add extra fiber.
Try adding 1/2 to 1 cup grape or apple juice in the place of water.
Crispy Yogurt Baked Chicken – johanna
December 5th, 2008 | Filed under: Main Dish
Source: Pioneer Woman.com
chicken legs, or boneless breasts
2 cup plain yogurt
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
Parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt
Some butter
Panko (start with about 1 cup, add as needed)
Pour 1-2 cups of yogurt into a mixing bowl. Peel and mince a couple of garlic cloves and add them to the yogurt. Add chopped parsley and the juice of one lemon. Mix well.
Rinse your chicken and pat it dry, and salt well with Kosher salt.
In another bowl, place your breadcrumbs and stir in a bit of salt.
Butter a baking dish. With a pair of tongs, dip each chicken piece in the yogurt mixture, turning thoroughly to coat. Then roll the chicken in the panko breadcrumbs. Cover each piece thoroughly and place in the baking dish.
Finally, place a small slice of butter over the largest part of each chicken piece. Cover with foil and bake at 350 (I recommend a bit of a higher heat) for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. When the chicken is nice and golden, remove from the oven and enjoy!
Variations:
Season the chicken with seasonings. I have been addicted to Emeril’s Chicken Seasoning.
Add chives to the yogurt.
Saucy Chicken and Spinach Pasta – johanna
December 2nd, 2008 | Filed under: Main Dish
This is a dish I cooked up with some left over turkey and vegetables. For the seasoning I used Emeril’s chicken rub. I love that stuff. I use it on everything. We had ours with spinach raviolis.
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup asparagus, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 cup onions, chopped
1 (4oz) package cream cheese
1 cup broth
2 small tomatoes, chopped
2 cups spinach
1/2 Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/2 Seasoning
Pasta or starchy vegetable
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the asparagus and let brown slightly before tossing. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the garlic and onions, cook about two minutes. Add the cream cheese, broth, tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper and seasoning. Turn the heat down. Cook until the cheese is melted and the spinach has wilted. Add the chicken and toss. Cook 1 minute until heated through. Serve over pasta.
Chicken Enchiladas With Red Sauce – johanna
December 2nd, 2008 | Filed under: Main Dish
I learned how to make enchiladas from Dora Osoria in Baybrook Texas. I took the method of making enchiladas from Dora and the Red Enchilada Sauce from Allrecipes. Some comments say the sauce tastes like marinara sauce. But I am not a fan of the stuff at the restaurants anyway. I like more flavor less heat.
Earlier this year we went to a local Mexican restaurant where Stephen ordered his usual enchilada. This time what the waitress gave him did not look like an enchilada at all. The waitress explained it was a stacked enchilada. Cooks faster. Pretty clever.
Serving Size 10
Chicken- cook 4 large chicken breasts in 1 cup broth, 1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp oregano, pinch salt and pepper. Cook until almost done, slightly pink. Shred, put aside.
Sauce-
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves garlic (sometimes I add up to 5 cloves)
1/2 tbsp minced onion
1/2 tsp oregano
2 1/2 tsp chili powder OR 1/8 chili powder plus 1/8 ground red pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
1/2 tsp basil
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp cilantro
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce, plus 1 can water
1 (4oz) can tomato paste, plus 1 can water
Cheese, Mexican blend or shredded cheddar and Monterey, about 1 pound
Heat oil in pan on medium-high. Saute garlic and onion slightly until fragrant about 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer 20 minutes. Cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 350. Pour a little sauce on the bottom of a 13X9 inch baking dish, enough to cover the bottom. Lay tortilla in sauce, flip. Place on of working surface, sprinkle cheese and shredded chicken. Fold up and place in dish. Once pan is full drizzle some sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Until cheese is melted and golden brown.
My Grandmother’s Porcupines - Rice Meatballs – johanna
November 21st, 2008 | Filed under: Main Dish
This is my Grandmother’s recipe for Porcupines. Porcupines are basically meatballs with rice mixed in them. They make a delightful dish served with roasted veggies. I did have to make a few changes. Naturally I changed the shortening to canola oil and I subbed garlic powder in place of the garlic salt to cut down on the sodium. Salt can always be added later if needed.
1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup milk or water
2 tbsp chopped onion
1/3 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 c water
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp shortening
Mix beef, rice, milk, onion and seasonings. Form into four balls. Fry in melted shortening, turning to brown (not crusty). Add tomato sauce, water and Worcestershire. Mix, cover and simmer 45 min over low heat.
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