Tag Archives: secret recipe club

SRC: Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

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It’s Secret Recipe Club time again!

Secret Recipe ClubIf you’ve missed past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog. Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

For the month of May, I was assigned to Katherine Martinelli, a food writer/blogger currently living in Be’er Sheva, Israel. I was really excited to be assigned her blog, since she made my Pumpkin Granola back for SRC November. I love the international flair of her blog–especially all the fun fresh produce and nuts available at her local market. So many of Katherine’s recipes sound amazing…. I could hardly decide what to make! I mean, Mango Chicken with Coconut Rice? Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies? Homemade Graham Crackers? Yes please times three! I had grand plans to make Homemade Graham Crackers… however, life got in the way. Last week was finals week, and I graduated from my dual master’s program (MA- African Studies, Master of Library Science) on Friday!

Sarah and Ben at her master's graduation, 2012Such a happy day and a great weekend with family! But sadly the craziness of the past few weeks derailed my grand plans. So once again I browsed through the recipes on Katherine’s site and found the most delicious, gorgeous dressing that I have ever laid eyes on… Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette!

salad spread and cilantro-lime vinaigrette I mean, is that not beautiful? Here’s a close up in case you’re not certain.

And not only is this dressing pleasing to the eye with its specks of cilantro, Dijon mustard seeds, and creamy-light goodness… it also tastes fantastic… by the spoonful or on a salad, duh. The sharp flavor of the garlic is mellowed and sweetened by the citrusy tang of the fresh lime juice. It’s the perfect pairing for classic salad components like baby spinach, shaved carrots, chopped tomatoes, and crisp bell peppers. I think it would also be great tossed with pasta or as a marinade for grilled chicken.

So even if you didn’t find this dressing because you were pressed for time like I was, this homemade Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette dressing is a great addition to any salad and to your homemade dressing repertoire. Enjoy!

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette [from Katherine Martinelli]
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Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 large cloves garlic [or 3 smaller cloves], minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
  • 1 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoons whole grain dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro, packed

Directions:

Place all items in food processor or blender. Pulse until garlic and cilantro are fully crushed, and everything is well combined. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Yield: 1 cup.

Time: 5 minutes.

Be sure to check out other posts from today’s reveal of the SRC. Have a great day!

SRC: Smoky Fried Chickpeas

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It’s Secret Recipe Club time!

Secret Recipe ClubIf you’ve missed my other SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog. Then, everyone posts about their assigned blog on the same day. It’s so fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

This month I was assigned Susie’s blog, Eat Little, Eat Big. Susie lives in Maui [jealous!! Can you even imagine?] and has tons of fresh, tasty, and creative recipes on her blog. I have several new things on my to-make list including Three Cheese Mini Macs, Avocado Dressing, and Pear & Prosciutto Appetizers. As tasty and intriguing as those treats sound, I decided to try out her Smoky Fried Chickpeas. Guess I was in a savory mood when recipe selecting, huh?

I had previously made roasted chickpeas, but never fried… and boy were they tasty! [edited to add: I must have had "roasted chickpeas" on my mind as I worked on the photos... see above! Whoops!] These chickpeas just required five simple ingredients: chickpeas [duh], olive oil, smoked paprika, chipotle chile powder, and lime zest. Oh, and salt. Six. I lied. Nevertheless, not a whole lot of ingredients, but a whole lot of flavor!

This simple appetizer is such a treat, with the smoky/spicy contrasts drawn from smoked paprika and spicy chipotle chile powder that is livened up with a hint of lime-salt goodness. Since we almost always have some chickpeas in the pantry, this may just be my new go-to snack. Sweet! Or, should I say… savory? :)

Smoky Roasted Chickpeas [from Eat Little, Eat Big]
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Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 can [15 ounce] chickpeas [garbanzo beans]
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest [about 1 lime]
  • salt

Directions:

In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Meanwhile, rinse, drain, and pat dry chickpeas. Add to skillet and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until brown, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, combine paprika, chipotle chile powder, and lime zest.

Remove chickpeas from pan and drain on paper towels. Then place in a bowl and toss with spice mixture. Salt to taste. Serving with paper napkins for greasy fingers suggested. :)

Time: 15 minutes.

Yield: 3 servings.

Note: I halved the original recipe, so you can easily multiply this but just check out the original for adjustments to cooking time/method.

Check out other great Secret Recipe Club posts here:


Turkey, Spinach, and Kale Stuffed Shells

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So, once upon a time almost three years ago, I made spinach-filled manicotti. Ben loved it, I hated it. It tasted like spinach cottage cheese to me. That’s because my mom’s lasagna [which I oddly enough, haven't ever blogged about even though it's amazing] uses cottage cheese instead of ricotta, and I thought that substitution would work in other dishes. Turns out I was wrong. Blech! Ever since that day, I’ve been wary of spinach in baked pasta dishes. I know it’s not the spinach’s fault, and I love it in other things, but in pasta now? No thanks.

When I heard through the Secret Recipe Club that Jey at The Jey of Cooking was raising money for the American Heart Association in honor of her mom’s heart transplant by asking bloggers to make a heart-healthy dish, I realized this was the perfect opportunity to get back into the spinach pasta game.

And get back into it, I did.

See that? I call it Turkey, Spinach, and Kale Stuffed Shells. From the outside, it looks like your typical cheesy, saucy stuffed shells. Delicious, right? Needs no explanation, you assume. Wrong! On the inside, you’ll find a creamy sauce made with lots of greens like spinach and kale, a bit of hearty meat, your typical Italian seasonings, and enough to ricotta and parmesan cheese to enjoy but not be weighted down by. Extra creaminess comes from fat free Greek yogurt. Perfecto!

So why is this recipe heart healthy? Well, for one, it uses ground turkey instead of ground beef [lower in fat and calories]–and the amount of meat is reduced to be more of a “condiment” or flavoring than the focus. The focus of these shells is the greens. Kale is one of the healthiest greens around, thanks to its vitamins and minerals, as well as its ability to lower cholesterol when eaten cooked. Pretty neat. Spinach isn’t bad for you either, and this recipe does not taste bad… unlike my previous attempt… so I’m in, and hope you’ll be too! I know you’ll love this cheesy, veggie filled, hearty take on traditional stuffed shells. Please head over to Jey’s blog to read more about what she’s doing to honor her mom and check out the recipe roundup on March 30th!

Turkey, Spinach, and Kale Stuffed Shells
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounce package jumbo pasta shells [approximately 36 shells]
  • 1/2 pound ground turkey
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups fresh kale, packed tightly
  • 2 cups fresh spinach, packed tightly
  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • dash ground nutmeg
  • 1 25 ounce jar marinara sauce [I used Muir Glen Cabernet Marinara]
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese [I used a pizza blend cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, romano) because I had it, but mozzarella or any Italian blend would work fine.]
  • freshly ground lemon pepper

Directions:

Begin by boiling a large pot of salted water for the shells. Once boiling, add shells and cook to al dente. Then drain, rinse with cold water, and spread out on a baking sheet to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Then, brown ground turkey in a skillet. Add garlic to pan to saute when turkey is almost done cooking. Drain any excess fat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine kale, spinach, ricotta, and greek yogurt and process until greens are chopped very finely. You may have to do this in two batches, or add more greens as you go depending on the size of your food processor.

Remove greens mixture to a mixing bowl, then add cooked turkey, parmesan cheese, black pepper, basil, oregano, and red pepper. Stir together until incorporated.

Spoon a small amount of marinara sauce [~ 1/2 cup] on bottom of a large baking dish*. Then fill each shell with about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of kale/turkey mixture and place in baking dish. Repeat until all shells are filled, then cover with remaining marinara sauce. You want the shells to be covered, but not drowning in sauce. Top with shredded cheese and lemon pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Time: 45 minutes [15 minutes active]
Yield: 8 servings.
Notes: *Regarding the baking dishes: I used a 9×13 pan and two individual size serving dishes, but you could use two square baking dishes [eat one and freeze/give away the other] or just use a larger dish [11x15]. Or just halve the recipe to begin with!

SRC: Quinoa Pancakes

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Another month, another dose of the Secret Recipe Club. :) My favorite Monday of the month, by far.

Secret Recipe ClubIf you’ve missed my other SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog. It’s a great way to find new blogs and expand your repertoire with new recipes, cooking styles, etc. Then, everyone posts about their assigned blog on the same day. It’s so fun–if you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

For March, I was assigned Rachel’s blog, Not Rachael Ray. While perusing her site, there were so many things I wanted to try [that is, when I wasn't sidetracked by the precious photos of her baby daughter]. I’ll have to come back later when it’s rhubarb season to make this cake. I’m also very intrigued by these pumpkin cheddar muffins–that’s one pumpkin combo that I have not experienced! But for March, I decided that a cozy, comfy breakfast was in order… hence, Quinoa Pancakes.

I love breakfast, I love quinoa. Why not put the two together? I know it sounds a tad bit strange, but take away your side-dish associations with quinoa and just think of it as the “grain” that it is. And I say “grain” because it is actually is a seed and a relative of spinach and Swiss chard, unlike our modern connotations. Check out this link for more info on this nutritious addition to your new favorite pancake recipe.

These pancakes were nutty and filling–just sweet enough to be satisfying, but not that over the top sweet that a little extra maple syrup and fresh blueberries would be considered overkill. Nope, not at all. Ben and I both loved these pancakes and are sure that you will too! Thanks, Rachel, for the new addition to our breakfast rotation. :)

Quinoa Pancakes [from Not Rachael Ray]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cooked quinoa or brown rice [approximately 1/3 cup dry cooked in 2/3 cup water]
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 cup skim milk
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg white
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the skillet [I used canola oil]
  • 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, optional [I used about 2 teaspoons because I only have a hand crank grinder and my hand was tired!]

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, flour, and baking powder. In a measuring cup, measure milk, then add in eggs, butter, and maple syrup. Whisk together, then fold into the quinoa mixture. Stir in flax if using.

Add butter or oil to skillet, then drop batter on skillet. [see yield for size info] Cook on first side for about 90 seconds to 2 minutes, or until bubbles form, then flip and cook until golden brown. Serve with fresh fruit, preserves, and/or more real maple syrup.

Time: 20 minutes.

Yield: about 7, if each pancake is made with about 1/3 cup batter. Rachel used 1/4 cup and got about 12. We each got a good serving, but for more than 2 people, doubling [or tripling, etc.] is a necessity.

Click on over to check out other posts from today’s reveal of the SRC. Have a great day!



SRC: Mexican Chicken Alfredo

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Good news! The Secret Recipe Club is back! We took a break in January, but are now back in action.

Secret Recipe ClubIf you’ve missed my other SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog. It’s a fun way to find new blogs and be stretched to try new recipes, cooking styles, etc. Then, everyone posts about their assigned blog on the same day. It’s so fun–if you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining.

This month I was assigned Raina’s blog, Connor’s Cooking. Raina is a busy mom of four, but she still manages to find time to blog multiple times per week about the recipes her family loves. So impressive! Her kids seem like very adventurous eaters–I don’t know many kids who would eat Stuffed Pepper Soup or Cajun Shrimp Skewers. Everything on her blog sounded amazingly delicious and not all stereotypical kid food [though some kid food is excellent!]. After perusing her blog, I could hardly decide what to make–everything sounded so good. So, I left the choice up to Ben and he decided on Mexican Chicken Alfredo.

Best decision ever. Yes!

Think spicy chicken in a creamy Alfredo sauce tossed with tender noodles, salsa, and corn. What’s not to love? Plus, it was easy to mix everything up in a big skillet on the stove and pour into a casserole dish for baking. My kinda comfort food, for sure. :) I didn’t make a lot of changes to the original recipe, but did use homemade taco seasoning and homemade Alfredo sauce, both of which I highly recommend if you have time. If not–no worries. It was the weekend, and I was feeling ambitious. But don’t be afraid–the ambition part is more time-related than anything. The Alfredo sauce isn’t something to be intimidated about–it’s really quite simple, and lends itself well to Raina’s Mexican Chicken Alfredo miracle. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks, Raina!

Mexican Chicken Alfredo [from Connor's Cooking, Alfredo sauce from Mel's Kitchen Cafe]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 16 ounces spiral pasta [I used rotini]
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces cream cheese [regular or low-fat], softened and cut into 12 pieces
  • 2 1/4 cups skim milk, divided
  • 2 cups parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes [original called for 2 pounds, but 1 was enough--2 wouldn't have fit in the pan]
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons taco seasoning, divided [I made my own from Mel's Kitchen Cafe]
  • 1 cup medium salsa
  • 1 cup frozen corn

Directions:

Begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to boil and preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Next, begin on Alfredo sauce.

Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese piece by piece, stirring until smooth between additions. Mixture may appear curdled, but keep stirring. After about 3 minutes, you’ll be rewarded with a smooth paste. Next, slowly add a total of 2 cups milk in 1/4 cup increments. Make sure the milk is fully incorporated before adding the next 1/4 cup. Then, stir in 1 cup parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon pepper, mixing until cheese completely melts. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to thicken, then cover and remove from heat.

By now, the pasta water should be boiling, so add pasta and cook according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, begin on the chicken.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, onion, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning to the pan, stir, and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Then, pour in Alfredo sauce [if it's homemade, give it a good stir first] and bring to a boil. Add remaining 1/4 cup milk, remaining 1 cup parmesan cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, salsa, and corn. Mix well, then pour into an ungreased 9×13 inch baking pan.

Drain pasta and fold into chicken mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. I baked mine uncovered but just noticed the original said to cover it. Works either way! Serve and enjoy. :)

Time: 60 minutes [30 minutes active].

Yield: 10-12 servings.

Notes: If not using homemade Alfredo sauce, substitute 30-32 ounces prepared Alfredo sauce. Original recipe also suggests dividing meal in half; baking one now and freezing one portion in a 8×8 inch pan for up to 3 months. To use frozen casserole: thaw in fridge overnight, then remove to counter top for 30 minutes prior to baking. Cover and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Click on over to check out other posts from today’s reveal of the SRC. Have a great day!