Ramen Soup

I know, I know, I’m a terrible blogger. But just forget that for a bit and try this delicious soup! It’s a rip off of Rachael Ray’s Tofu Ramen Soup with Spinach, mostly because I didn’t follow the recipe very well and forgot some ingredients. Oh well, it was delicious!  I also made Crab Rangoon to go along with it, the recipe for which you can find in a previous post of mine: https://amyschobinger.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/crab-rangoon/

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups sodium-free chicken broth
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced
• 1 bunch  scallions, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 3-ounce packages  instant ramen (noodles only)

Directions:

In a large pot heat the oil, crushed red pepper and garlic over medium-high heat until the garlic sizzles. Lower the heat to low and add the sliced mushrooms and cook until tender. Add the chicken broth, cover and simmer over high heat for 8 minutes, until almost boiling. Add the ramen noodles and cook about 3 minutes, until cooked. Add the spinach and shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pink. Top with scallions and enjoy!

Rachael Ray’s recipe: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/tofu-ramen-soup-with-spinach/

Super Bowl Snacks!

 

I had a few friends over yesterday to watch the Beyonce concert. I mean… the Super Bowl. We all got pretty excited about making some snacks for it and went a little crazy. Here are my three favorite recipes!

 

Mini Corn Dogs:

 

• Canola oil
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (8.5-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1/3 cup finely grated onion
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 (14 oz) package mini hot dogs
• Long toothpicks

Pour oil into a deep fryer or large heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the corn, onion, and buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once, and stir only enough times to bring the batter together; there should be lumps. Set batter aside and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Place each dog on a long toothpick and dredge in the corn batter. Immediately and carefully place each hot dog into the oil, and cook until coating is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. With tongs, remove to cooling rack, and allow to drain for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with any desired dipping sauce.

 

Caprese Skewers:

• 1 package cherry tomatoes
• 1 package fresh mozzarella balls
• 5-6 large pieces basil, torn into pieces
• toothpicks

Place one tomato, one piece of mozzarella and one piece of basil on each toothpick. If desired drizzle with balsamic vinegar. (These are a nice, fresh bite with all of the other heavy foods.)

 

Buffalo Chicken Dip:

 

• 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing (I use ranch)
• 1/2 cup hot sauce (my favorite is Frank’s Red Hot)
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese (I use mozzarella)
• 2 cans (12.5 oz. each) chicken, drained

Combine all ingredients in a small crockpot or oven-safe dish. Heat on low for about an hour, or until ingredients are well-combined and heated through. If baking, heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish with sliced green onions if desired. Serve with tortilla chips and celery sticks.

 

Enjoy!

Pesto Cavatappi

I’m sorry I’m so terrible at blogging! I’ve been super lazy the past few months and when I do think about posting a recipe I’ve usually eaten it before I remember to take a picture. So please forgive me and try this recipe. 🙂 My all-time favorite meal at Noodles and Company is the Pesto Cavatappi with Parmesean-Crusted Chicken. I thought I’d give it a try at home and I think it turned out pretty well! I did decide to bake the chicken instead of pan-frying it. You know, New Year, I have to pretend to be healthier for a month.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cavatappi pasta
• 6 chicken tenderloins
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced and divided
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 4 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto (I just used store-bought)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow bowl combine the olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic. In a separate shallow bowl combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Coat each chicken tenderloin in the olive oil and then cover with breadcrumb mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 30 minutes.

While the chicken is baking bring the pasta water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large, high-sided skillet melt the butter and add onions. Cook for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and cook about 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes and wine and let the alcohol cook out, about 2-3 minutes, then stir in the pesto. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Top pasta with mozzarella cheese and a piece of Parmesan chicken. Serves 6.

Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac ‘n Cheese

Before I begin this post let me say I’m sorry I’m so terrible at keeping up with this blog! I don’t cook as often as I used to since it’s just my roommate, Lindy, and myself. And sometimes I’m so exhausted after work I just throw in a frozen pizza. ( I know, shameful!) But I promise I have a recipe that will make it up to you!

I was flipping through food magazines while listening to Lindy rave about Chili’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas (with ancho ranch dipping sauce) this afternoon and had a genius idea. Combine those amazing flavors with mac ‘n cheese! This recipe was a huge experiment and I’m so, so happy with how it turned out. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pasta
• 6 strips bacon, chopped
• 1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 package dry spicy ranch dressing mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Add onion and chicken to skillet with bacon grease and cook until done. Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Toss pasta, chicken and onion together in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook about 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk. When milk is heated through add the package of spicy ranch mix and combine well. Add 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese and the cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

Toss pasta mixture with cheese sauce. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon and bake an additional 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Tomato Soup

I was browsing Pinterest and came across Panera’s tomato soup recipe. I was surprised to find even more of their recipes right on their website. I think this is both good and bad business practice at the same time. If you can make it yourself why pay a bunch of money for it? Oh well, I’m fine with it! Note: this makes a massive recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 9  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  large onions, very finely chopped
• 8  cups chicken stock or low-salt chicken broth
• 2 – 28oz cans peeled plum tomatoes, drained and crushed
• 1/4   cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Parmesan Reggiano rind (optional)
• 8 ounces crusty Sourdough croutons
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (for garnish)
• 1/4  cup Parmesan cheese shavings
• 1/4  cup freshly grated Asiago cheese

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until very tender, about 25 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, cheeses and cheese rind. Simmer soup uncovered 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. For smoother texture, puree in blender or food processor before serving.

Ladle soup into sourdough bread bowls or regular bowls. Add croutons, torn basil, and Parmesan cheese shavings just before serving. Enjoy!

* I didn’t like the chunky texture, so I pureed a little at a time in my blender. If you decide to do this only fill up the blender about halfway otherwise hot soup can shoot out the top. Or at least that’s what I’ve heard…

Next time I make this I’m going to grate the onions so they’re nice and fine, and puree the tomatoes before I add them to the pot. Hope this helps! If anyone tries that comment and let me know how it works.

Asparagus Risotto

Asparagus was on sale at the grocery store last week, so I bought some on a whim. I had no idea what I was going to make. After a few days of forgetting about it in the vegetable drawer I had a wonderful idea. Risotto! I had never made it before and I knew it was time-consuming, but I also knew it was delicious. I found a recipe on a blog* and it looked delicious. I promise this recipe is not as difficult as it may seem. It just requires constant attention for about 40 minutes. That’s practical, right?

Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus
• 3 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 cup water)
• About 3 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian option)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Prepare the asparagus by breaking off discarding the tough ends (about the last inch of the spear). Cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer, base shorter). If your asparagus are especially large, cut into even smaller (bite-size) pieces. Bring a saucepan with a quart of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to an ice water bath to shock the asparagus into a vibrant green color and to stop the cooking. Drain from the ice water bath and set aside.

In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.

While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan.

Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon butter, and the asparagus. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

*Original recipe here: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/asparagus_risotto/

Enchilada Bake

Yet another gem from Simple and Delicious magazine! This recipe is so easy and everyone will love it. It’s even a great make-ahead meal. You can assemble everything, let the pan come to room temperature and then bake according to the recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!

It’s not the prettiest, but it sure is yummy.

Ingredients:

• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (I used a pound of ground pork for this version. Cheaper and actually healthier because there’s no dark meat!)
• 1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 can (28 oz) green chile enchilada sauce
• Corn tortillas
• 4 cups Monterey Jack cheese
• Sour cream, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss chicken and cumin together. Line a greased 9-in. x 13-in. with tortillas, about 6 per layer. Layer half of the chicken, 1/3 of the sauce and cheese. Repeat, ending with tortillas, sauce and cheese.

Cover and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. Serve with sour cream. Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad

This recipe came from one of my beloved cooking magazines. It’s full of fresh ingredients and it’s pretty healthy. (Using whole wheat pasta would make it even healthier!) It’s a great make ahead because the longer the flavors mingle, the better it tastes. I made this on Sunday and I’ll probably bring it to work every day this week. You can eat it cold, as it’s intended, but I love warming it up too because the mozzarella melts. Mmmm.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pasta
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 2 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup fresh mozzarella, chopped (Or if you’re broke, like myself, you can chop up string cheese. No joke)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; transfer to a large bowl. Add chicken, tomatoes, onion and mozzarella.

In a small bowl whisk oil, basil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. Enjoy!

Greek Chicken Salad

This is a recipe I stumbled across on a great blog called Poor Girl Eats Well (http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/). She used a store bought tzatiki, but I have a delicious recipe for that here: https://amyschobinger.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/greek-pizza-with-tzatziki/. (That also happens to be my first post!) This is a delicious snack or lunch, and it’s perfect to bring to work. It’s super quick to make and it’s one of those dishes that keeps getting better the longer it chills.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• A few tablespoons tzatziki, depending on how saucy you like it. I used about 3 or 4.
• Pita chips, for dipping

Combine the first 5 ingredients. Serve immediately with pita chips, or chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Makes about 2-3 servings. Enjoy!

*This would also make a great pasta salad! Just double the ingredients and add a pound of cooked pasta.

 

Chicken and Spinach-Artichoke Grilled Cheese

I recently made Spinach Artichoke Dip for a party and there was a little bit leftover. Crazy, right? But I had the wonderful idea to make this into an epic sandwich. It’s so freakin’ good, you need to try it ASAP.

Ingredients:

• Spinach Artichoke Dip (See my Thanksgiving appetizer post here for the recipe: https://amyschobinger.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/thanksgiving-appetizers/)
• Two chicken breasts, cooked and sliced
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 8 slices of bread
• Butter

Butter each slice of bread. Top 4 slices with 1/4 cup cheese each. Top with chicken and place on a pre-heated griddle or large skillet. Spread a little spinach artichoke dip on the remaining 4 slices and top the half sandwiches with their other half. Cook until bread is toasted. Flip and cook until the other side is toasted. Makes 4 sandwiches

Enjoy!