Category — Main Dishes

Some of my favorite Fall recipes are crock pot recipes. It’s just so convenient to toss in all your ingredients in the morning, and then come home to a warm meal in the afternoon. Here’s an especially easy recipe for chicken cacciatore that you can serve over any pasta.

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (6oz) cans tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breast (legs and thighs are fine too)
• 8 oz mushrooms
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 c. dry white wine, optional
• 1/4 c. water

Place the sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place chicken on the onion. Mix together tomato paste, mushrooms, salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, wine and water in a bowl. Pour mixture over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serves 4.

This recipe contains tomato paste, which is an excellent source of lycopene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant.  Here’s more about the benefits of lycopene.

If you’ve ever tried making homemade Chinese food only to fail miserably, here’s a recipe to try, and there’s no wok required.  Although it’s a Hawaiian recipe, this skillet dish is very similar to sweet and sour pork.  I’ve made this for my family TWICE in the last week because we love it so much. 

Just a note- I doubled everything but the pork, just because we really like rice,  and used an extra large skillet.  Here’s the recipe:

In a skillet, lightly brown the pork chops in oil.  Then, add the pineapple, chicken broth, salad dressing, and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil for just a couple minutes to completely cook the chops.  Remove from heat,  and then add the rice and peppers.  Give it a quick stir and cover for 10 minutes before serving. 

This makes great leftovers, and the rice is delicious when it soaks up the flavors of the pork and pineapple. I used a bamboo rice paddle for stirring and serving this, because it’s an easy way to stir things gently.  Recipe source:  Yahoo! Food.  

I made this for dinner the night I made my chicken broth.  It was easy and delicious.  Serves four.

Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 butternut squash peeled and cut into one inch cubes (I bought mine precut)
• 3 cups homemade chicken bouillon OR 3 cups store bought chicken bouillon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• the vegetables left over from making the stock OR 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS FOR USING MY HOMEMADE STOCK: Throw out the parsley, garlic and the skins from the onions.  Keep the rest of the vegetables in the pot along with about 3 cups of the strained broth.  Add the squash and boil until the squash is soft.  Put all the vegetables in the food processor.  Stir the pureed vegetables in the pot with the broth.  Add the butter, spices and salt to taste.  Serve hot with a dab of sour cream or heavy cream if you like.

DIRECTIONS FOR USING STORE BOUGHT STOCK:  Melt the butter in your pot and sautue the onion for a bit until soft.  Add your bouillon and the squash and cook til soft.  Puree the onion and squash in the food processer then stir the puree in to the pot with the broth.  Add the spices and salt to taste.

First, don’t think of this broth making adventure as extra work.  Think of it as extra food!  I know it’s easier to buy chicken bouillon cubes but not only are they less nutritious and don’t taste as good, but you also won’t have a the juicy bird a the end for dinner!  Here’s a list of all the things I was able to make from one batch of chicken broth:  chicken breast served with butternut squash soup (tomorrow’s recipe), real Italian chicken and mushroom risotto (recipe to come) and a delicious homemade chicken liver feast for my cat!  That’s three meals for four people and a feline.  So get to it!  You will need:

• one 4-5 pound (organic, free range) chicken
• 4 carrots
• 1/2 a celery head including leaves
• 2 whole onions, unpeeled
• 1 whole bulb garlic, cut through the middle so each clove is cut in half
• 3 bay leaves
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 2-3 cubes chicken bouillon

Open the bag of neck and gizzards and put them in a large pot along with the whole chicken, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, parsley and some salt and pepper to taste.   Fill the pot with water so that everything is covered and boil.  Suet, a brown bubbly substance will rise to the top.  Skin the suet off the top for as long as it continues to rise.  Cook for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours until the leg bone easily twist loose.  When the chicken is almost cooked taste the broth to see if you need to add some cubes.  Stir a crumbled cube or two in to give it extra punch, but be careful not to make it too strong tasting.

Remove chicken and let it cool.  While the chicken is warm, take the pieces from the bone.  Strain the broth into a storing container.  When your stock is cool or refrigerated, you’ll be able to skim the fat off the top.  Don’t through out the veggies!  You can use them in my butternut squash soup recipe or another soup of your own!

Maybe it’s because I’m pregnant, I don’t know, but the other night I got a hankering for meatloaf.  I’d never made it before since I’m usually on the vegetarian side of life, but I have to say, it was quite easy, satisfying and delicious.  I didn’t feel like using a recipe either, some kind of rebellious mood, so here’s what I ended up with and it worked brilliantly!

The Rookie’s Meatloaf

• 1 1/2 pd organic ground beef
• 3 tablespoons tamari
• 4 tablespoons Heinz chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup thinly chopped onion
• one egg, beaten
• 3 pieces of Ryvita, crushed
• a handful of chopped green olives
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Transfer to a loaf pan and press it out evenly.  Mix some tamari and chili sauce together with a little water in a small bowl then spread it out over the top of the meatloaf.  Bake at 350 until center is cooked through, approx 45 minutes.

All measurements are a “guestements”.  Use your own judgement and try whatever you think sounds good.  Common ingredients in meatloaf are: ketchup, brown sugar, mustard/mustard powder, bread crumbs, eggs and/or milk, herbs like sage or thyme, onions, garlic and bacon.  Give it a go!  I put away three slices at the first sitting… two for me and one for the baby!

I highlighted this fantastic new bread I found last week when I wrote about making wraps. This week I’d like to mention that this “Mountain Bread” also makes a delicious, light pastry. You can substitute it for almost any recipe that calls for pastry or filo dough. You can even use it in place of pasta in lasagna. It contains no added fat and doesn’t even have yeast in it so you save on a ton of calories and heavy stuff but don’t have to give up on taste. Here’s a recipe for Lamb and Rosemary Hot Pots from their online cookbook which I love. You will need:

• 500 gm lamb (a little over a pound), diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 50 gm (about 1-2 tablespoons) butter
• salt and pepper
• 4 sheets of Mountain BreadTM, cut to fit the ramekin size
• 1 tablespoon parmesan, grated

Coat the lamb in the flour and shake off the excess. Heat a pan, add the butter and once melted add the meat and the onion. Color the meat on all sides as this will give the color of the sauce. Pour in the red wine and stir (the wine will start to thicken). Next add the beef stock and continue to stir until there are no lumps and the sauce thickens. Place in the rosemary and cover with a lid. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally on a low heat until meat is tender. If the sauce becomes too thick before the meat is cooked add some liquid. Season to taste. Put a small amount of mixture on the bottom of individual ramekins, then place a ramekin shaped piece of Mountain BreadTM, then more of the mixture. Continue these steps until the ramekins are full, finishing with the Mountain BreadTM on top. Sprinkle with the parmesan and bake for 15-20 minutes on 180c (350 degrees) until golden.

This recipe comes from my hardcore singer friend and screen writing partner, John Joseph. He first made it for me in New York and now that I live on the west coast, I had to call him up for the recipe because I was craving it. It’s that good! It’s vegetarian but don’t let that scare you. It’s the bomb!!! You will need:

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 6 tomatoes
• 4 carrots
• half a head of broccoli
• half a head of cauliflower
• a few handfuls of spinach
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons asafoetida/hing powder (can substitute with crushed fresh garlic)
• 3 chilies - chopped (optional or can use chili flakes)
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons tumeric
• 2 tablespoons cumin powder
• salt
• pepper
• 8 oz munster cheese - grated
• 8 oz monteray jack cheese - grated
• parmesean cheese
• 2 cups bread crumbs

Note: all the ingredients are approximate and you can use your good sense on the proportions.

Cook the rice. Wash all the veggies. Chop the carrots, broccoli and cauliflower into small bite sized pieces and steam until tender (don’t overcook). Cut the tomatoes into eighths. Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add all the spices, then the tomatoes and cook over medium until the tomatoes soften and become juicy. Stir in the chopped spinach until it becomes cooked by the tomatoe mixture. In a big pot mix the rice, veggies, tomato mixture, cheese and most of the bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Put in a baking pan and bake at 325 for 50 minutes. Put the extra bread crumbs and grated parmesean cheese on top and put bake in the oven until brown.

This sandwich recipe is my mom’s and it’s got a number of great attributes: It’s easy to make. It’s definitely kid approved because it used to be a favorite of mine growing up. It’s different than the norm. And you can make it before hand and store it in the frig or even the freezer until you’re ready to serve it. It will always taste great because it’s meant to be baked fresh and served hot. You will need:

• 1/2 lb. cooked ham, cut into cubes
• 1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup stuffed olives, chopped
• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 8 hot dog buns
• aluminum foil

Mix all the ingredients together and generously fill the buns with the mixture. Wrap tight in aluminum foil and place on a baking tray. Bake at 400 degrees for twenty minutes. Serve hot!

If you’re feeling like a taste of Asia but you’re vegetarian (which would be the only reason you didn’t try my superb cashew chicken recipe) try this goody inspired by Thai cuisine.  It’s simple, healthy, cheap and flavorful.  The recipe serves two so double it if you’re cooking for a family or you want to have some yummy leftovers.  Serve with rice.  You will need:

• 1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (optional or could use sweet chili sauce if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons fresh, grated ginger root
• 3 tablespoons flaked coconut
• sesame seeds

Slice tofu longways through the middle then cut into 3/4 inch cubes.  Set aside on paper towels to soak out excess water.  Heat both oils together in a skillet or wok over medium high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and cook green onions for one minute.  Add tofu and continue cooking for about five minutes, sprinkling with the sauces and carrots halfway through and turning carefully so it heats thoroughly.  Gently stir in peanut butter and ginger, being careful not to break the tofu, until well incorporated.

Remove from heat and toss in coconut.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I mixed it up the other night with this new recipe and it got major kudos from my man.  I feared I might regret that I didn’t just order Chinese, but once we tasted the finished result I was convinced the effort was worth it.  I felt it was much healthier than restaurant Chinese probably because I used organic chicken and cashews, brown rice, the freshest veggies and no msg or other bad ingredients.  You will need:

• 2 chicken breasts, cut length ways to make four thin pieces
• 1/2 pound Chinese snow peas
• 1/2 pound shitake mushrooms
• 4 green onions
• 1 cup bamboo shoots (from can) drained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 T corn starch or 4 T flour
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 4 T peanut or sesame oil
• 4 ounces cashew nuts
• 1 1/2 cups rice

Prepare the rice as directed.

Prepare the veggies.  Remove the strings and ends of peas pods.  This makes them nicer to bite but if you don’t have time, it’s no drama.  The peas will have a little more to chew but it’s not that noticeable.  Slice the mushrooms and green part of the onions.  Keep the onion seperate from the other veggies.

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.  Heat one T of the oil in a skillet, add the cashews and stir fry for a minute, tossing the nuts lightly.  Remove nuts from pan and set aside.  Pour remaining oil in the skillet and stir fry the chicken until opaque.

Mix the soy sauce, cornstarch or flour, sugar and salt in a seperate dish. Add the chicken broth to the frying pan, then the soy mixture and stir.  Add the peas and mushroom.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened. Add the green onions and cashews and simmer for a few minutes.  Serve immediately with the rice.  Delicious!