Recipe Swap - Week #3

I LOVE finding side dishes that are tasty and EASY, and that's exactly what I got this week during "side dish" week for our swap.  The recipe that I was assigned this week was no stranger to our house - I've made potatoes this way many times before.  The smaller red potatoes are the best in this recipe...cut them in half or quarters and they're like little bite size pieces of deliciousness.  And of course, the more garlic, the better :)

Gianna, who contributed this recipe, got it from Ina Garten.  It's been a staple in Gianna's house for a long time, too!  Her instructions were to roast the potatoes for at least an hour, but I only needed 45 minutes for mine.  

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

from Ina Garten

3 lbs. small red potatoes
¼ cup olive oil (I used extra virgin, as always)
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
Parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut clean potatoes in halves or quarters, leaving skins on. Place them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper & garlic; toss until potatoes are well-coated. 

Spray a large baking sheet well with cooking spray.  Dump potatoes onto baking sheet and spread into one layer.

Roast for at least an hour, until brown and crisp, TURNING them twice with a spatula during cooking so they will brown evenly (mine only took 45 minutes).  Toss with a little parsley before serving.

Fancy cheap eats

Times are tough right now for a lot of people, but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice good taste, or even something "special" for dinner at home.  As I've said before, I do a lot of my grocery shopping based on not only what looks good, but what's on sale.  Just about every week, you can get chicken on the bone for around 69 cents a pound, so make it a habit to integrate it into your meal planning every week if sticking to a budget is important to you.  It's so versatile - it's almost impossible to get tired of it.

Ina does it again, with a wonderful Coq Au Vin recipe that's delicious and easy to follow.  Pair it with some mashed potatoes and you've got a comforting, tasty meal that's good enough for company.  You could even look like a rock star and pull this together tomorrow for your Valentine :)

Coq Au Vin
adapted from Ina Garten (she says the recipe serves 3, but it definitely could serve 5-6)

4 oz. bacon, cut into chunks
5 chicken leg quarters
4 chicken legs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb. carrots, cut into chunks
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup Cognac
1 cup red wine
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons AP flour
1/2 pound frozen pearl onions
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes
10 medium potatoes
1/2 stick butter
4 oz cream cheese
3 tablespoons heavy cream
salt & pepper

Peel the potatoes, place in a pot and boil until they are soft enough to stick a fork in them, about 20 minutes.  Drain potatoes and put them back in the pot.  Break them up a bit, then add remaining ingredients (season to taste) and beat with a hand mixer until smooth, or leave chunky if you prefer more texture.

Serves 8.

Friends who are family

Everyone should be lucky enough to have friends they consider family.  If so, you know what I'm talking about - the ones who are there through thick and thin (a.k.a your "rocks")...who you can just be yourself with and not be judged...who actually LISTEN...who you appreciate more than anything (and vice versa) - you get my drift.

I'm eternally grateful to have been blessed with some of these people.  One of them came over last night to do what we do best - eat, drink and chill out :)  There were other items on the menu that ended up not making an appearance - maybe the wine (or even the laughter) took up too much room in our bellies, as usual.

Instead of a sit-down meal I went with apps and desserts for a more casual night.  We'll enjoy the quesadillas I had planned to make later today (plus leftovers of what you see here)...everything is football-friendly, so why not try some yourselves?  Goooo JETS!

Ina's Pan-Fried Onion Dip was awesome - especially if you're a ridiculous onion lover like me.  Doesn't look like much in the picture but believe me, it's GOOD.  It makes a good amount, too.

I wanted to try a baked buffalo wings recipe for future use - any way that I can make one of our favorite dishes healthier is always a bonus.  These didn't disappoint (see recipe below).  Once they were finished, I realized I probably didn't dry the wings off well enough after washing, because some of the coating didn't stick.  So, that didn't make for the best looking wings, but they definitely were some of the best tasting we've had.  The blue cheese dressing I made for dipping wasn't too shabby, either...and probably made up for the calories lost from baking the wings.  Hey, nobody's perfect ;)

And of course, the ever-popular spinach balls made an appearance (see my recipe below)...

...along with this delicious cake batter bark from a fellow food blogger from NJ, Stephanie.  To say I'm thrilled that we have leftovers of this is an understatement  :)

And finally, Chach's favorite (that's Jason, to those of you who don't know him) that I've been making him for 20+ years...key lime pie.  The "famous" recipe that I've been wowing him and many other friends with all this time can very easily be found on the back of Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice bottle.

And yes, I've made a "from scratch" version before...it doesn't compare.  Don't mess with this one.  Trust me.     See below for over 20 years of proof.

Baked Buffalo Wings
from Allrecipes

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 20 chicken wings
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce
• 
  
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt into a resealable plastic bag.  Shake to mix. 
• 
  
• Add the chicken wings, seal, and toss until well coated with flour mixture. Place the wings onto the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl. Dip wings into butter mixture, and place back on baking sheet. Bake until chicken is no longer pink in the center, and crispy on the outside, about 45 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.

Spinach Balls
1 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained VERY WELL of all liquid (use a paper towel to press excess water out)
1/2 cup grated cheese (I use pecorino romano...parmesan is fine)
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs (if you use plain, add whatever seasonings you like)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Roll mixture into small balls and place on baking sheets lined with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.

These can easily be frozen and reheated.

WW Points+ for Spinach Balls = 4 (about 4 balls per serving)
WW Points+ for Baked Buffalo Wings = 4

Who else is an Ina fan?

I'm hoping to befriend her one day so I have a nice place to stay in the Hamptons :)

Ina's terrific - so down to earth, smart and creative.  She also has a simple side to her (and her recipes) which is a breath of fresh air.  Like this one.  Although I only made it for Frank and myself, this is impressive enough for company, and it takes 10 minutes from start to finish.  

Best of all, it's delicious.  

Next time, I'll toss the shrimp in the oil, lemon and seasonings before placing it on the pan...it'll be much easier that way.

Roasted Shrimp With Thousand Island Dressing

from Ina Garten
1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp. kosher salt (I used sea salt)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice


Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp. minced capers (I omitted)
1 tsp. chopped gherkins (I increased to probably 3 or 4...didn't measure)
1 tablespoon sweet pickles (I omitted)
1 tsp. lemon juice
pinch kosher salt (I used sea salt)
pinch freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the shrimp on a sheet pan and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Pour the olive oil and juice over the shrimp, and roast in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes.

For the dressing, place the mayonnaise, ketchup, capers, gherkins, sweet pickles, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl, and stir until blended. Serve with the roasted shrimp.