Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of beef stew meat or beef chuck cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of beef broth
• 1/4 cup red wine (yes!!!!!!)
• 2 tsp steak sauce (I used A1 sauce)
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 pound small potatoes (I used small red potatoes)
• 2 carrots (I used 4 because I love carrots in stews!)
• 1 small onion cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 cups of green beans (I forgot them, oops, but I'm sure they would have been great! hehe)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (Since my black thumb killed my parsley plant, I went without, LOL)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Lightly salt meat and dredge in flour, shaking off excess (omit flour for gluten-free recipe). Sear meat in hot oil until browned, about 1 minute per side. Browning meat seals in juices, for more tender meat. Don't overcrowd the pot or you'll steam rather than brown the meat. Cook in 2-3 batches.

I added TJ's 21 seasoning Salute to the flour before dredging

2. Return seared meat to pot. Add remaining ingredients (except green beans and parsley) and stir. When liquid is boiling, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours. If you prefer to bake, place covered pot in oven for 1.5-2 hours, making sure to use an oven-proof pot.

3. Add green beans during last 15 minutes of cooking to preserve crispness. For softer green beans, add during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

4. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Sprinkle on fresh parsley right before serving.

See all those green tags on my TJ cookbook? Eventually stopped marking pages because I want to make everything. haha

Ref: Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook Companion

First recipe out of my Trader Joe's cookbook companion and it was UH-MAZE-ING. Nice thick hearty stew full of flavor and hits the spot after a long day on a chilly night. Few things I tweaked because you all know how well I listen and follow directions... hehe. Dredging the beef through just flour seemed boring to me so I added the Trader Joe's 21 seasoning Salute blend to the flour to coat the meat. The seasoning just smelled so good! I totally smoked out the kitchen searing the meat... Maybe I'll get that kitchen remodel sooner than later with a new fan vent. :D It was worth it though in the end and nothing a few table fans couldn't remedy. :) I was of course, super excited about the red wine ingredient. Not that I need an excuse to open a bottle of wine, but its just more fun. :D The only other thing I added was a a little cornstarch diluted in water at the end to thicken up the sauce. Probably about a teaspoon of cornstarch and 3 teaspoons of water. No idea where I got that combo, I just winged it. :) I taste tested it from there adding a little salt and pepper and 21 seasonings salute till I was happy with it. Didn't need much, just a little bit

I'm dedicated this year to taking pictures as I go so enjoy. Now that I Mike and I live together I'm finally publicly expressing my dislike for his ugly chili pepper dish set you see in the photos and I'm currently looking for new pretty ones. I'll keep you posted. :)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Whole Living

 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 red Bartlett pears, cored and cut into wedges
• 6 shallots, quartered
• 10 fresh thy me sprigs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On two large rimmed baking sheets, toss Brussels sprouts, pears, shallots, thyme, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
   
2. Roast until Brussels sprouts are tender and browned, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Toss with lemon juice and serve warm.
   
   
   Ref: Whole Living
   
   
   I made this as my side to the quinoa crusted chicken breasts and I LOVED it. Amy never had brussel sprouts before and Mike had previously expressed his dislike for them earlier but I made them anyway. And you know what? They both liked it! I'll admit I also threw in some roasted red potatoes to this mix just in case my brussel sprout rebellion backfired. Since I didn't have thyme on hand I used my Herbs de Provence spices which has thyme in it. :D But the pears really gave it that something extra, that sweet to the bitter taste of the brussel sprouts. It was so good!
   
   
   

Quinoa Crusted Chicken Fingers

The Skinny Chef

Ingredients

2 pound chicken tenders or skinless boneless breasts, sliced into 3-inch long tenders
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cups cooked red or white quinoa
1/2 cup whole wheat or seasoned breadcrumbs
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Spread out the quinoa on a piece of wax paper or aluminum foil. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the quinoa. With your fingers tips, squeeze the quinoa and breadcrumbs together until the moisture of the quinoa is absorbed Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika.
Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg and then into the quinoa mixture. Place onto a plate. Warm the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and reduce the heat to medium. Cook each side 4-5 minutes, turning once, until the crust begins to brown, and the chicken is not longer translucent. Transfer fingers to a plate and serve immediately.


Ref: Skinny Chef 


First BFF dinner of the year and I so failed at this recipe. LOL The idea was good. I totally dig quinoa, but I could not get that stuff to stick to the chicken if my life depended on it. So mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty as the Skinny Chef's picture did so I'll show you hers. I made my quinoa in a rice cooker. I find if I don't, I always undercook it. :/ It might be just me being special. Anyways, the taste was yummy it just was more in crumbles next to the chicken. haha

Happy New Year!!!

We are looking forward to a fabulous 2012 with not only weekly posts of the Amy and Jami dinner show, but Jami got a new cookbook from Santa featuring recipes from cool things you can get at Trader Joes! And she's obsessed with it. The book is already full of marked recipes in the line up! Jami has also developed an unhealthy addiction to pinterest and the recipe list is just getting longer. Pinterest finds will be tagged! Here's to a happy, healthy new year!

xoxo


j & a

Chicken Creole with Chile Cream Sauce

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 teaspoons Creole or Cajun seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1/2 cup water

1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 cup sour cream

• Season the chicken with the Creole seasoning.
• Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until well browned on both sides.
• Stir the soup, water, chiles and lime juice in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
• Stir in the sour cream and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

Ref: Campbells Kitchen


Amy's dinner night for our weekly BBF dinner date! She made this tasty little dish and reports it was super easy to make and I will report it was super delicious and tangy to eat!

Bahama Penne & Seared Mahi-Mahi

Ingredients:
1 box Dreamfields Penne Rigate
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (1/2-inch pieces), divided
1 cup chopped fresh mango (1/2-inch pieces), divided
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 mahi-mahi or grouper fillets (8 to 10 ounces each)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 small Thai red hot peppers or jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed, drained
Chopped cilantro, optional

Directions:

1. For salsa, place lime juice, wine, 1 cup pineapple, 1/2 cup mango, green onions and cilantro in bowl of food processor or blender container. Pulse to coarsely chop and blend.
2. Wash mahi-mahi fillets; pat dry. Place 1/2 cup salsa in glass dish (or food-safe plastic bag); reserve remaining salsa. Add fish; turn to coat with salsa. Refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan.
4. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add peppers and garlic; cook until sizzling, about 1 minute. Remove fish from salsa; pat dry. Place fish in skillet. Cook about 2 minutes until browned; turn and cook 2 minutes to sear on both sides. (Reduce heat if browning too quickly.) Pour reserved salsa around fish. Continue cooking 4 minutes or until cooked through (fish flakes easily when tested with fork). Remove fish from skillet; set aside. Add beans to skillet; cook until sauce is desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
5. Add pasta to skillet; toss to combine. Add remaining pineapple and mango; toss to combine. Place fish on pasta; sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information (1/6 of recipe): 483 calories; 27 g protein; 31 g digestible carbohydrates*; 11 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 55 mg cholesterol; 159 mg sodium; 11 g total dietary fiber.

REF: Dreamfrields Foods

Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

(serves 2)

* 2 small peppers- any kind you’d like
* 1/2 medium sized onion, diced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 TBSP olive oil
* 1, 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/4 cup water
* 2 tsp cumin
* 2 tsp chili powder
* 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
* 1/2 tsp salt
* pinch cayenne pepper for a little heat
* 1/2 cup sweet corn
* 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese, or any cheese you like
* fresh cilantro, salsa, and sour cream for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut a slit through the entire length of each of your peppers. Place them on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, until the skins are softened and beginning to blister.
2. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add your onion and saute for 3 minutes, until beginning to soften and turn translucent.
3. Add garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
4. Stir in your black beans along with the water.
5. Add your cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and cayenne. Stir, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer the beans for at least 15 minutes, but up to 30 minutes.
6. Stir in corn. Divide the bean mixture evenly among the two peppers and sprinkle with cheese.
7. Broil for 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with fresh cilantro, salsa, and sour cream if you’d like.