A place to record the great, the good, and the really bad recipe served at dinner at The Taj McCall along with a Family Rating System.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Baked Ziti

I found this recipe somewhere in college and I've been making it ever since.  Several changes have been made to the recipe, but I think it's finally perfected.  It's great to serve a big group.  I usually double it and make it a few days before and store it in the fridge until I'm ready to bake it. 


Baked Ziti
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 jar spaghetti sauce (Ragu Roasted Garlic)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2-1 cup good red wine
sugar
Italian seasonings
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper
6 oz. provolone cheese, sliced
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced (or grated, I just like sliced better)
1 1/2 cup sour cream
16 oz. ziti noodles
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage in a large skillet; drain. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Pour in spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, and seasonings. The seasonings are to taste, but it's about a teaspoon or so of sugar, salt, and pepper, about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and about 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes and check for seasonings. Adjust as necessary. Cook noodles according to package directions. Layer in a greased 9x13 inch pan: 1/2 the ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 the spaghetti sauce, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese, remaining sauce, Parmesan cheese (I usually don't measure this, just make sure it covers the top). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: *****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 18/20

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Crockpot Beef Bourguignon

Crockpot Beef Bourguignon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon course salt
2 pounds beef stew meat
3 tablespoons bacon fat, olive oil or a combination of the two
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
5-6 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups good-quality red wine, such as Burgundy or Beaujolais
1/2 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf
4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped finely
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, strip off the leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, peeled and separated if large
1 (8-ounce) package Baby Bell mushrooms, cleaned and halved
1 lb. egg noodles

Put the flour, salt and pepper in a zip-top bag. Trim the meat to remove visible fat and place in the bag. Shake to coat the meat with flour and seasonings. Heat the bacon fat or olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and sauté, in batches if necessary, on both sides until browned. Once the meat is browned, add the garlic and cook a few minutes. Transfer the meat to a slow cooker. Sear the carrots in the pan and then add to slow cooker. Add wine and broth to the sauté pan and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the browned bits that stick to the pan. Pour the liquid over the meat in the slow cooker. Add the bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme, cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

One hour before the finished cooking time, heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms and sauté, in batches if necessary, until lightly browned. Add to the slow cooker, cover and cook an additional hour. Right before ready to serve, cook noodles according to package directions. Serve stew over noodles.

Adapted from THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ****
Eli: ***
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 14/20

Monday, December 12, 2011

Chicken Quesadillas

Chicken Quesadillas
1-2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast, seasoned with a little cumin and chili powder
20 burrito sized (the smaller ones) flour tortillas
1 can chopped green chilies
grated cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend)
grated Velveeta cheese (you can buy this pre-shredded and I highly recommend it because Velveeta is a mess to grate!)
butter
sour cream
salsa

Layer half the tortillas with cheddar cheese, Velveeta cheese, chicken, and green chilies. Top with remaining tortillas. In a large skillet, place a small pat of butter and melt over medium-high heat. Fry quesadillas on one side until crispy and a little brown, flip and repeat with other side, but don't use more butter. Repeat until all quesadillas are cooked. Cut into quarters. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

My parents' good friends, the Dillards, made this for us when I was staying at their house recouping after surgery in 2007.  It's divine. 


Buttermilk Baked Chicken
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned
salt
pepper
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, divided
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
hot cooked rice

Melt butter in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish in a 425° oven. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in 1/2 cup buttermilk, and dredge in flour. Arrange chicken, breast side down, in baking dish. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes. Turn chicken, and bake 10 more minutes.
Stir together remaining 1 cup buttermilk and cream of mushroom soup; pour over chicken, and bake 10 more minutes, shielding chicken with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary (I didn't have to do this). Serve chicken and sauce over hot cooked rice.
*4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves may be substituted. Bake chicken at 425º for 15 minutes. turn, and bake for 10 minutes. (I'm going to do this next time.)

Recipe from SOUTHERN LIVING

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Cheesy Sausage Roll

Cheesy Sausage Roll
1 frozen loaf of bread OR 1 frozen pizza dough ball
1 lb. pork sausage
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pepper to taste
3/4 cup grated mozzarella
3/4 cup grated provolone (I can't ever find grated provolone so I buy sliced and just tear it into pieces)
1 egg, beaten

Thaw out dough all day on the counter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out into a large rectangle that isn't too thin. Cook sausage in a large skillet until brown. Stir in cheeses and seasonings. Spread onto dough until one inch of edge. Roll up jelly roll style and transfer to a baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown (if using pizza dough, it'll need to cook a little longer so the inside won't be doughy).

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 18/20

Monday, December 5, 2011

Italian Beef Stew

Italian Beef Stew
About 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
About 1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for seasoning the stew at the end if necessary)
1 1/2-2 lb. cubed beef or beef stew meat
1 cup dry red wine
2 15-oz. cans diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
32 oz. box beef broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
pepper
8-10 ounces sliced baby portabella
3/4 cup sliced carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley


Chop the onions, first batch of carrots, and the garlic and set it aside. Heat about a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a stock pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onions and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the garlic and saute it for about 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. In a shallow dish, whisk together 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Toss the beef in the flour and then transfer the beef to the pot. Cook the beef on medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, browning it on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Pour the wine into the pan and allow it to deglaze the pan (loosen up the cooked bits on the bottom of the pan). Scrape it regularly for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by about 2/3.

Return the meat and onion mixture to the pan. Add the undrained canned tomatoes and beef broth. Strip the thyme and oregano leaves from their stems and then chop up about 2 teaspoons of each. Add those to the stew mixture along with 1 bay leaf.

Add your mushrooms and some more chopped carrot to the stew. Bring it to a boil and then cover the stew and reduce the heat to a steady simmer for about 1 1/2-2 hours or until the beef is tender. Discard the bay leaf and then add some chopped parsley and basil and season with salt to taste. Serve it with crusty bread.

Adapted from OUR BEST BITES

Family Rating:
Eli: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: **
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Heather's Potato Soup

I'm not usually a fan of potato soup, but I love this one.


Heather's Potato Soup
5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and baked
1/2 gallon milk
2 (or more) sticks butter
1/4 cup flour (approx.)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup (or more) cheddar cheese
8-10 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp

In a large stockpot, whisk milk, butter, flour, and seasonings until hot. The seasonings aren't measured. You'll use lots of salt and ground black pepper and probably about a teaspoon of garlic powder. When almost boiling, cut potatoes into smallish chunks and add to milk mixture. Heat thoroughly. Be sure to watch it closely, because the milk has a tendency to boil over. Just before serving, stir in sour cream, cheese, and bacon. Taste for seasoning. I almost always have to add more butter, salt, and pepper at this point. Undersalted potatoes are a travesty. Serve in big mugs and top with more cheese.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

Empanada Grande

Empanada Grande
1 package (15 oz.) refrigerated pie crusts (In this case, a store-bought crust really is the best way to go. Homemade crusts are too flaky and not "short" enough to hold up to the filling.)
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1-3 teaspoons dried cilantro
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chunky salsa
1 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let pie crust stand at room temp while preparing other ingredients. Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat; drain. Return to pan and stir in black olives, cilantro, cheese, salsa, seasoning, and garlic. Place one crust on a large round baking stone or cookie sheet. Spread beef mixture evenly on top to within one inch of the edge. Lay the other crust on top. Fold edges up and crimp to seal. Cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush beaten egg over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

Friday, December 2, 2011

Pasta Al Forno

This recipe blew me away!  I made it on a night when Brad was out of town and my expectations were probably a little low.  So. Good.


Pasta Al Forno
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 (14.5 oz.) cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt, pepper, and sugar
1 lb. pasta, tubes
8 oz. mozzarella, cubed into very small pieces
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat oil in large skillet to medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Pour in tomatoes and seasonings and simmer for about 10 minutes until it thickens up a bit.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Stir into tomato sauce.  Place half the noodles in a greased 9x13.  Layer with half the mozzarella cheese and half the Parmesan cheese.  Repeat layers.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

**I only made half this recipe for the kids and I since Brad was out of town. It was sooooo easy and soooooo good. It will definitely be a staple in our dinner repertoire!

Adapted from ANNIE'S EATS

Family Rating:
Brad: Out of Town, but he'd probably give it ***
Jordan: *****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 18/20