Night 85

Recipe 228
Chicken in Puttanesca Sauce over Creamy Polenta
Matt rating ****


Ingredients used:

Chicken stock
Whole milk
S&P
EVOO
Chicken tenders
Garlic cloves
Flat anchovy fillets
Red pepper flakes
Oil-cured black olives
Capers
Crushed tomatoes
Flat-leaf parsley
Quick-cooking polenta
Unsalted butter
Parmigiano-Reggiano

Mmmmmmmmm....this was so yummy.  The polenta was the star of this dish and went so well with the puttanesca sauce.  I am a huge fan of creamy polenta with lots of cheese stirred in.  Matt enjoyed it, however Judah, our 18 month old daughter, took one bite and almost started dry-heaving.  I think that there were just too many new flavors in this dish to try to introduce her to, so she ended up eating a lunchable for dinner, lol!

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Mandy

Night 84

Recipe 252
Croque Monsieur with Greens
Matt rating *****


Ingredients used:

Unsalted butter
Flour
Whole milk
Dijon mustard
Freshly grated nutmeg
S&P
Sandwich bread
Sliced ham
Gruyere cheese
White wine vinegar
Apricot jam
Tarragon leaves
EVOO
Mixed baby greens

I made this delicious meal after a hike in the mountains on a crisp fall day.  I was disappointed with how they looked when they came out of the pan, but looks were definitely deceiving in this case!  The sandwiches had a delicious surprise of a creamy sauce on the inside with the ham, and a cheese crust on the outside.  The salad and dressing were a nice contrast to the heaviness of the sandwiches.  My sister and her kids were here and they all raved about how good the sandwiches were.  Matt took one bite out of the sandwich and yelled out "FIVE!" for the rating.  I am making a spinach bisque in the crock pot today (not a Rachael Ray recipe), and I just may have to make these sandwiches again to go along with the creamy soup.  It's a perfectly chilly and rainy fall day for comfort food.

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Mandy

Night 83

Recipe 277
Chorizo-Tomato Stew on Garlic Croutons with Zesty Parsley Sprinkle
Matt rating ****


Ingredients used:

EVOO
Chorizo
Garlic cloves
Yellow onion
Celery
Carrot
Red potatoes
Fresh thyme
S&P
Canned diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Chicken stock
Crusty country-style bread
Flat-leaf parsley
Lemon zest
Orange zest

I love fall for the simple fact that I can make soup to warm up my bones instead of giving in and firing up the furnace.  I was really tempted this morning to turn on the heat for the first time this season, but decided against it at just the thought of making soup later in the day.  Matt gave this four stars just based on the fact that it was soup (stew) - he has never been a fan of soup - period.  So four stars coming from him on this recipe is considered a five in my book!  What's great about this dish is that it is considered a "master recipe", which has a little twist to make it differently at a later date.  Can't wait!

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Mandy

Night 82

Recipe 107
Turkey Club Super Mashers
Matt rating ****1/2


Ingredients used:

Bacon
Potatoes
Coarse salt
Turkey breast cutlets (I used tenderloin)
Coarse black pepper
Poultry seasoning
EVOO
Unsalted butter
Flour
Chicken stock
Thyme
Sour cream
Milk
Fresh spinach (the recipe called for watercress, but the store didn't carry it)
Canned fire-roasted tomatoes
Scallions

I served this meal for company and everyone seemed to like it.  The turkey was delicious and not dry at all, and the potatoes were fabulous with the bacon, spinach, and tomatoes added to them.  Our friends brought over a yummy salad to go alongside and a sinful chocolate cake as dessert.  Needless to say, I was delightfully satisfied when dinner was over.  Even one of the kids that came over who doesn't usually eat meat asked for thirds on the turkey!  Good stuff Maynard!

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Mandy

Night 81

Recipe 114
Thai Shrimp with Basil
Matt rating ****


Ingredients used:


Vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds shrimp
Salt and course black pepper
Fresh ginger
Garlic
Red pepper flakes
Red bell pepper
Scallions
Tamari
Honey
Basil
Iceberg lettuce


I know you are stunned that I made two seafood dishes in one week, considering Matt's aversion to seafood, but in between this meal and the meal I blogged of before, we went away over the weekend.  We had SO much heavy, greasy, bad-for-you food that we both just wanted something light.  Shrimp is one of the seafood-type foods that Matt doesn't mind, although he will always pick steak or fettuccine over shrimp every time.  This had quite a kick to it, considering the only real spice in it was a little bit of red pepper flakes.  This recipe can also be used on chicken or pork and will be just as fabulous, I'm sure!


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Mandy

Night 80

Recipe 181
Scallop Burgers
Matt rating ***


Ingredients used:


Sea scallops
Shallot
Flat leaf parsley
Navel orange zest
Chives
Old Bay Seasoning
Coarse S&P
EVOO
Crusty rolls
Romaine lettuce


This was one of those meals that came together in a flash, thanks to the work of a handy dandy food processor.  Three minutes on each side in the pan and they were done!  I absolutely loved these because it was definitely different, but Matt was not a fan.  I don't think he even ate half of his!  I would have eaten the rest of his for him, but didn't want to look like a pig.  


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Mandy

Night 79

Recipe 95

Island Bird: Pineapple-Rum Chicken

Matt rating ****1/2

*Sorry, forgot to take a pic for this one!!!*

Ingredients used:

Rice

Pineapple

Vegetable oil

Yellow onion

Garlic

Coarse salt

Red pepper flakes

Spiced rum

Chicken stock

Chicken breast halves

Coarse black pepper

Flat-leaf parsley

Cilantro

So I quickly redeemed myself by making this meal after such a sub-par meal a couple of nights before. We had company over and they all seemed to enjoy it. I have always had an aversion to mixing meat and fruit (i.e. pork chops and apple sauce, pineapple on pizza, etc.) but since I am always giving Matt a hard time about trying things he thinks he doesn't like, I had to give this a try. I was pleasantly surprised at how well this turned out! And boy, it went a long way! This meal fed 7 people (and a toddler) with some food left over, and that was with only 2 1/2 pounds of meat. I both love and hate proving myself wrong...

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Mandy