Grilling For A Change: New England Style Seafood Dinner

The grill and I have become very close friends this summer. The days have been so hot while the evenings cool off just a touch that although it's still warm out, it's totally pleasant... much more pleasant than being in my hot kitchen when my stove is on. I've tried grilling a little bit of everything this summer from the usual steaks and chops to all kinds of veggies and seafood. I've been totally inspired by Jamie Oliver and have basically turned my grill into an outdoor oven. Next summer maybe I'll have a full blown vegetable garden with an outdoor kitchen as I often see him working in on his show... a girl can dream!! 

This recipe popped up in my inbox a couple weeks ago and it couldn't have been more easy. It's the absolute perfect summer meal because there is very little prep work and since you cook it all in aluminum foil, clean up is even easier! Even better, there is no need to turn on your stove on a hot summer night. Just find some fish at your local market, throw in fresh corn and a couple potatoes, top with butter, dill and lemon and voila!! You have a deliciously simple and fairly nutritious meal in no time at all. It also looks really pretty when you open up the little packet with all the beautiful colors, which makes me happy!

New England Seafood Bake

2 tbsp butter, room temperature

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

2 large red potatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 lb skinless cod fillet, cut into about 2 by 2 inch pieces

1/2 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 ears corn, quartered or cut into thirds depending on size

1/2 lemon thinly sliced

hard rolls, optional

Heat grill to medium. In a small bowl combine butter, dill, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Fold 2 14 inch squares of heavy duty aluminum foil in half to form 2 square packets. Assemble packets with potato slices layered on bottom in a single layer. Top with cod then shrimp. Place corn around outside of fish. Season with salt and pepper and top with a spoonful of butter mixture and 2 lemon slices. Fold foil over all ingredients and crimp edges of aluminum together so packets are tightly sealed. 

Place packets on grill with potato layer on bottom. Cook, rotating packets occasionally but do not flip, about 14 minutes until fish is cooked and potatoes are tender. Remove from grill and transfer to serving bowl. Serve hot with rolls. 

Recipe adapted from marthastewart.com

Deliciously Simple Suppers: Peppered Beef Stroganoff

If your anything like me, then I know what you're thinking right now.... beef stroganoff? Beef stroganoff is one of those dishes that I'm well aware of but has never sounded particularly yummy to me. Actually, it kind of sounded the opposite- steak with some weird creamy sauce served over egg noodles?? It just seems so un-natural. Then, a couple weeks ago, while out running errands with the hubs I was searching through my ever trusty epicurious iPhone app and stumbled upon this dish. The photo looked incredibly appetizing and the recipe sounded a lot better than what I had originally perceived to be beef stroganoff. I read the recipe to the hubs and he seemed to think it sounded just fine so I figured now was as good a time as any to attempt a well known classic and hope that it didn't suck. You also should be aware by now of my new found love/addiction to mushrooms and this dish screams mushrooms so I had to try it! So, I give to you a pretty darn delicious recipe that will hopefully change your mind like it did mine on a deliciously simple classic dish.

Peppered Beef Stroganoff

1 tbsp coarsely ground peppercorn melange (mix of green, pink, white and black peppercorns)
2 8 oz beef tenderloin steaks or strip steaks
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
8 oz crimini mushrooms, halved
1 1/4 cups beef broth
1 tbsp cognac or brandy
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 8.8 oz pkg wide egg noodles
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Sprinkle pepper and salt all over both sides of steaks and press to adhere. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add steaks and cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer beef to plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add 1 tbsp oil and mushrooms to same skillet. Saute until browned, about 4 minutes. Add broth and cognac and bring to a boil. Add cream, boil until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in mustard.

Meanwhile cook noodles in pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and return to pot. Toss with parsley and 1 tbsp oil. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide noodles among 2 plates. Slice steaks into 1 inch thick slices and place atop noodles. Spoon mushroom mixture over steaks.

Recipe adapted from epicurious

Super Simple Weeknight Meals: Country Chicken and Biscuits

Life seems to be flying by lately and my days seem to do the same. I have very few nights these days where I have time to make a nice dinner for the hubs and I, which means I'm in search of more and more quick and easy weeknight supper recipes. My dad gave me a cookbook a while ago and while thumbing through it one night, I found this recipe. I've made it many, many times as the hubs absolutely loves it. I love it because it's cheap and if using already cooked chicken, such as a rotisserie chicken from your local market, the prep work takes about 10 minutes and you can let your oven do the rest. Oh, and feel free to add any mixture of your favorite veggies to change up the dish as you'd like. 

Now as much as I'd love to live an organic lifestyle, sometimes life just doesn't permit it and this recipe is the perfect solution to those days. With that said, I plan to create my own version of this dish this summer when fresh veggies are in full swing and my days are a little longer. If it works out, you can expect a delish organic, Jersey Fresh Sunday supper to come your way in a few months. 

Country Chicken and Biscuits

1 14.5 oz can cream of soup, any variation you like such as cream of mushroom

1/3 cup milk

1 14.5 oz can green beans

1 cup frozen or canned peas

2 cups chicken, cooked and cut into bite size pieces

salt and pepper, to taste

1 11 oz can refrigerated biscuits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine soup and milk in a large bowl. Add chicken, green beans, peas and salt and pepper. Spoon into an 11x7 inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes. 

Remove from oven. Separate biscuits and place on top of heated chicken mixture. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are baked through and golden brown. Serve hot.

Recipe adapted from "Old Fashioned Favorite Recipes of All Time" by Barnes and Noble

Deliciously Simple Weeknight Meals: Salmon with Hoisin Glaze

I had the best salmon the other night at the farmhouse and I don't even like salmon, unless it's in sushi form. I try to incorporate some sort of fish into our weekly rotation as much as possible and I'm pretty sure I'll be making this dish much more often. I think from start to finish it took me maybe 20 minutes. The glaze was an easy 4 ingredients and I'm pretty sure it would be darn tasty on just about any fish. I may even try it on chicken one day. It's sweet from the honey, tangy and slightly smoky from the hoisin sauce. All in all it's insanely good, even easier to make and I think I only dirtied a total of about 4 dishes, including the hubs and my plates.

Salmon with Hoisin Glaze

1 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp honey
4 salmon fillets
salt and pepper

Heat broiler. In a small bowl whisk oj, hoisin sauce, and honey. Rinse salmon and pat dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush both sides of salmon generously with glaze. Broil salmon about 4 inches from heat, basting about half way through, until opaque in center, about 10 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Cooking For One: Savory French Toast BLT

The hubs is travelling for business this week which means I'm cooking for one the next few days. I actually kind of enjoy making dinner just for me because I can be a little selfish and I can make anything that sounds good to me, and only me. I do think it can be difficult though to come up with a yummy dinner that is easy to make just enough for one person without having way too much leftover. But, a warm, savory sandwich is perfect on a cool night and you can easily control your portions so that you aren't left with way too much after you enjoy.

I found this recipe from Martha Stewart a couple weeks ago and I've been dying to try it but I knew the hubs wouldn't be much of a fan, therefore tonight was the perfect opportunity! I absolutely love french toast and I absolutely love BLT's, so to me, this was a match made in heaven! I altered Martha's recipe a little since I consider myself really great at making both BLT's and french toast and also since I was cooking for just me. Below is my version as well as a link to Martha's version in case you'd like to compare and contrast. I know it sounds a little funky, but seriously, give it a shot! SO delish!

P.S. The yummy little green nuggets in the background of the photo above are homemade bread and butter pickles made by my mama. It's my grandmother's recipe and if I ever get the recipe then maybe one day I'll share with you!

Savory French Toast BLT

2-3 slices thick cut bacon
about 1/4 to 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
2 eggs
1/2 cup cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp butter
2 slices crusty bread
a couple lettuce leaves
2 slices tomato
mayonnaise, optional

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add bacon to pan and just enough maple syrup to lightly coat (you don't need much maple syrup at all, just basically enough to swirl in the pan). Cook bacon until just crisp, about 5 minutes, turning half way through.

Meanwhile, combine eggs, cream, chives, and salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Add bread and soak each side. In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add bread and cook until golden and crisp around the edges, about 3 minutes on each side, flipping once.

Assemble sandwich with a very light layer of mayonnaise (optional), lettuce, tomato, bacon, and sprinkle any leftover chives on top. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ain't No Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie

Who doesn't love to come home to the aroma of classic, cozy comfort food permeating from their oven. I know I do, although, usually the hubs is the one coming home to it while I'm the one preparing. Either way, all those classic comfort food dishes just tickle me pork! I came across this deliciously modern Chicken Pot Pie recipe in Cooking Light magazine a few years back. Being that it came from Cooking Light, it is obviously much lighter in fat than a classic Chicken Pot Pie but my fave thing about this dish (besides that its super tasty and makes great leftovers) is how easy it is. The phyllo dough topping makes this dish unbelievably simple and is a HUGE time saver. I think this dish is an absolute must for all you modern housewives to add to your repertoire.

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups red potato (about 1 pound)

2 cups diced onion

2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 8oz.)

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced carrot

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

2 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 cups fat free milk

1/2 cup less sodium chicken broth

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 12oz.)

1 cup frozen green peas

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed

Preheat oven to 375.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over med-high heat; add oil. Add potatoes and next 6 ingredients (through thyme). Saute for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle flour over vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in milk and broth. Increase heat to med-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, peas, salt and pepper.

Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface. Make sure to cover remaining phyllo dough with a towel to keep from drying out. Lightly spray phyllo sheet with cooking spray. Repeat layers with cooking spray and place phyllo layers loosely on top of mixture in dish. Place dish on baking sheet and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Makes about 6 servings.

A few tips:

1. To save even more time, grab an already cooked rotisserie chicken from your grocery store.

2. Phyllo dough can be found in the freezer section at your grocery store. You will get more sheets than you need in a pkg so feel free to throw those unused sheets back in your freezer for next time.

3. Fresh herbs are always nice, but I've found I can never use up all the herbs that come in a pkg, thus it ends up going to waste, which I hate! Dried herbs are just as yummy in this dish, just make sure to cut the amount in half as dried herbs are about twice as strong as fresh herbs.

recipe courtesy of Cooking Light April 2007