Main Dishes – Page 19 – The Pajama Chef

Quick & Healthy Pineapple Fried Rice

January 20, 2014January 22, 2014 Sarah

Lately I’ve been really into quick but still healthy meals. Working full time is great… but when I get home from a long day and an even longer commute, half the time I want to just curl up on the couch with my soft blanket and my Kindle, and the other half of the time I want to bake doughnuts, cookies, and muffins and skip dinner entirely. No idea why this disparity, but dinner is usually not my highest priority. But ya gotta eat, right? So I’ve been turning to quick meals that are still healthy and that make loads of leftovers to eat all week long, like this fabulous Pineapple Fried Rice. This crave-worthy dinner can be made in about 20 minutes so it’s awesome for busy or lazy nights when you just want something yummy but not heavy.

I started off this dish with the Asian Cuisine Cooking Oil from STAR Fine Foods which they graciously sent me to try out. If you can’t find this at your local grocery store, just add a little ginger [fresh or ground] and some extra soy sauce as the veggies are sauteing. Normally I wouldn’t think of using special infused oils on an ordinary weeknight, but I’m beginning to change my mind. They really make an ordinary dish shine–and cut down on my prep time so I can get back to my book sooner. 🙂 #librarianalert

For this batch of fried rice, I used garlic, carrots, edamame, peas, and green beans, but feel free to use whatever veggies you want. I’m thinking some sugar snap peas and broccoli would be good to try next time. What we especially loved about this vegetarian fried rice was the subtle sweetness of the pineapple with the salty soy sauce and sesame oil. Oh man, what a combo! This dish was hearty enough without meat [I totally think fried rice is one of those dishes where meat isn’t missed] but if you gotta have some, pork or shrimp would be good. Chicken is too predictable, methinks. Oh, and don’t forget the chopped honey roasted peanuts on top. Crunch crunch! 🙂 Cilantro would be a good addition too! TTYL 🙂 [I can’t believe I just wrote that. LOL! Hahaha.] Enjoy!

one year ago: Lemon Cranberry Muffins
two years ago: Camp Tecumseh Baked Oatmeal
three years ago: Pork Chops with Red Wine Sauce

Quick & Healthy Pineapple Fried Rice
click to print

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons STAR Asian Cuisine Cooking Oil [extra virgin olive oil infused with soy and ginger]
2 carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup frozen edamame
2/3 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup frozen cut green beans
20 ounce can pineapple tidbits in pineapple juice, drained [reserve 1/4 cup pineapple juice and save the rest to drink or for something else]
4 1/2 cups cooked, cold rice [day old if possible]
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
sesame seeds, for serving
chopped honey roasted peanuts, for serving

Directions:

Add cooking oil to a large skillet or wok set over medium-high heat. When hot, add carrots and saute for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in edamame, peas, green beans, and pineapple. Cook for a minute or so until they just begin to soften.

Add rice and soy sauce to vegetables, then stir continuously for about 4 minutes, until rice is hot and begins to crisp up.

Push all the rice mixture to one side of the pan and pour the eggs in the empty spot. Quickly stir the eggs on the hot surface until they just begin to cook, then whisk them into the rice mixture. Pour in toasted sesame oil, then stir to combine.

Remove from heat, and serve fried rice with sesame seeds and chopped honey roasted peanuts.

Time: 20 minutes.

Yield: 5-6 servings.

Disclosure: STAR Fine Foods sent me a complementary package of their new cooking oils and some other goodies to try out. I had no obligations to blog about them or provide positive feedback. I’m glad I had the opportunity to try them though! Thanks to Ruby and all the other great people at STAR Fine Foods for their generosity.

Linked up with: What’s Cookin’ Wednesday.

Chorizo, Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Sweet Potato Chorizo Chile Mac

January 6, 2014February 24, 2017 Sarah

I’ve been making this Sweet Potato Chorizo Chile Mac for well over a year now since Joanne posted it, and have no idea why I haven’t blogged about it yet. It is AMAZING! It’s no secret that I like baked pasta, cheese, and Southwestern/Mexican food, and this dish fits the bill for all three of those categories. Saaaweeeet!

Or more accurately, sweet ‘n spicy. This version of chile mac features a hearty sweet potato sauce, some spicy chorizo sausage, and just enough cheese to be yummy but not too indulgent/unhealthy. I mean, I love a super cheesy dish as much as the next girl, but there are other flavors I like too… and this dish brings it! If you have all the ingredients at your disposal and are currently snowed/iced/frozen in, then I highly suggest you make this today! If not, then by the end of the week, stat!

I’ve been trying to figure out what my favorite part of the dish is, and the sad answer is… I don’t know! The spicy meat pairs so well with the smooth sweet potato sauce that neither is overwhelming. Ben isn’t a huge sweet potato guy but this is one dish he really can get into. For the most part, I followed Joanne’s original recipe, but of course I had to add my own little twist, my own little departure from regular ‘ole chili mac… and that is to toss everything in the oven for just a bit, to create some crunchy noodles and a nice layer of melted cheese. By jove, I’ve got it! The crunchy noodles are my favorite part. Crunchy, cheesy, spicy, sweet potato covered noodles, that is! Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Chicken Tinga Tacos
two years ago: Crock Pot Cran-Apple Sauce
three years ago: Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Sweet Potato Chorizo Chile Mac

Servings: 8
Time: 40 minutes
Print

from Joanne via Marcus Samuelsson

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes [approximately 2 pounds]
1 cup skim milk
1-2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
freshly ground black pepper
4-6 ounces shredded cheese [sharp Cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack], divided
8 ounces small whole wheat pasta [shells or macaroni]
8 ounces chorizo
1/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
sour cream, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce all over with a fork. Place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through.

While sweet potatoes cook, prepare pasta according to package directions.

When cooked sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and place in a large bowl. Add milk, chipotle chiles, and a generous amount of pepper. Mash and stir in half of the cheese, then add pasta to sweet potato mixture.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat, then add chorizo and cook 4-5 minutes until brown, stirring to crumble. Add to bowl with sweet potatoes and pasta. Stir together along with half of the green onions and cilantro, then transfer to prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Top with green onions and cilantro and serve with sour cream [if desired].

Notes: preparation time can be reduced for this dish if you bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Seafood and Fish

Mystery Dish: Baked Fish Tacos with Cranberry Salsa

December 30, 2013December 30, 2013 Sarah

Welcome to December Mystery Dish! Should be a good post for my last recipe of the year. I didn’t intend to take a two week break, but it’s been nice to unplug. 🙂 Sherri at The Well Floured Kitchen was this month’s host for Mystery Dish, and the ingredients she chose for us included: Dark Chocolate, Greek Yogurt, Berries, Coconut Oil, Walnuts, Fish, Baby Spinach, and Pecorino Romano Cheese. We had to use at least two, and I chose to use fish and berries… cranberries to be specific. I know cranberries aren’t always thought of as traditional ‘berries’ but they are in season and I love them so I wanted to use them! For more info on berries, check out Wikipedia. 🙂

Ben helped extensively with this recipe–he came up with the idea to make fish tacos, and I wanted to try my hand at a cranberry salsa. Fruit salsas are so complimentary to fish tacos, and this one, though a little more tart than most, was absolutely amazing. I used two types of fresh herbs [rosemary and parsley] and tangerine to flavor it up, then added a little sweetness and tartness with honey and red raspberry vinegar. My goal was to make the salsa be different from my usual cranberry relish [fresh cranberries, sugar, and an orange], and I think I succeeded!

While I was cranberry salsa-ing it up, Ben was busy preparing the fish tacos. He’s the fish taco expert in the family, and decided to season the tilapia with some olive oil and vinegar–but not just your average olive oil and vinegar. He used some special blood orange-infused olive oil and coconut-infused white balsamic vinegar from the Bumble Olive Oil Company in his hometown [Toledo, Ohio]. If you can get your hands on these infused oils, DO IT! So good. But if not, use extracts or juices to create the same effect. The result? A sweet, tender, flaky fish that pairs so well with some tart salsa and crunchy cabbage. I also whipped up some Mexican rice with dinner… aka my favorite side ever. Yum yum and yum! Hope you enjoy!

one year ago: White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies
two years ago: Classic Sugar Cookies
three years ago: Cranberry Scones

Baked Fish Tacos with Cranberry Salsa
click to print

Ingredients:

3-4 tilapia filets [frozen or fresh]
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil [mine was blood-orange infused]*
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar [mine was coconut infused]*
1/4 of a sweet yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tangerine, sliced and seeded [leave on peel]
1/2 cup parsley
4 sprigs rosemary
2 tablespoons red raspberry vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups fresh cranberries
freshly ground black pepper
salt
tortillas, for serving
chopped red cabbage, for serving
lime wedges, for serving
sour cream, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray, then place tilapia filets in baking dish. Combine olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl, then brush mixture over tilapia, turning to coat. Cook for 13-15 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. If you use fresh fish, the cook time will be reduced.

Meanwhile, combine onion, garlic, and tangerine in a food processor. Pulse until nearly smooth, then add parsley, rosemary, vinegar, honey, and cranberries. Pulse a few times to break up cranberries, then season with pepper and salt to taste.

Gently slice fish into strips, then serve in tortillas with cabbage and sour cream, squeezing lime wedges overtop before enjoying.

Time: 25 minutes.

Yield: 3-4 servings.

Note: I used infused evoo and balsamic vinegar. You can add a few drops of coconut or orange extract for a similar flavor profile, or a little orange juice or zest.

Please check out the rest of the Mystery Dish posts when you have a chance too. They all look SO delicious!

1. Cinnamon Coffee Cake from Buttercream Fanatic
2. Dark Chocolate Chip Coconut Oil Cookies from Chez Catey Lou
3. Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tart from The Dessert Chronicles
4. Berry Chocolate Streusel Bars from Baking a Moment
5. Green Berry Smoothie from I Want Crazy
6. Baked Fish Tacos with Cranberry Salsa from The Pajama Chef
7. Dark Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Brownies from Joyful Healthy Eats
8. Healthy Homemade Granola Parfait from Yummy Healthy Easy
9. Pear Cranberry Crockpot Oatmeal from See Hubby Cook
10. Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies from Culinary Couture
11. Raspberry Chocolate Crumb Bars from I Dig Pinterest
12. Dark Chocolate Walnut Coconut Macaroon Fingers from The Well Floured Kitchen

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Cheesy Baked Everything Pasta

November 25, 2013December 28, 2013 Sarah

Welcome to another edition of Mystery Dish! This month Krista from Joyful Healthy Eats challenged us to use three of the following ingredients: lamb, apple, butternut squash, puff pastry, Frosted Flakes, goat cheese, fresh rosemary, cherry pie filling, spinach, or corinader. I decided to use apples, butternut squash, and fresh rosemary to make a delightfully cheesy baked pasta.

The pasta features two kinds of cheese AND chicken sausage [that also contains spinach–bonus points for me!], so when I was trying to come up with a name for this dish, Ben suggested we called it “cheesy baked everything pasta” because it contains everything that’s good… fruit, cheese, veggies, meat, pasta. Pretty much all we eat on a regular basis. If only I had also included yogurt! Haha.

Anyways, this pasta is basically a kicked up mac ‘n cheese. All the magic begins with the sauce. While this sauce does include cheese–swiss and ricotta, to be precise, what makes this sauce stand out is that it starts with butternut squash soup. So Krista, I hope you don’t mind that I took a little liberty with this month’s ingredients. 🙂 At the core, butternut squash soup still features the squash itself as the star ingredient. For my dish, you can make your own soup [use leftovers] or use some storebought soup. Either way, butternut squash soup is so creamy that it thickens up perfectly with a little flour, seasonings [rosemary!!!], and cheese. It’s the perfect coating for pasta, sweet apple slices, and sliced chicken sausage.

Now, I know for the hardcore mac ‘n cheese lovers out there, there may be two red flags. First, the cheeses. Ricotta and swiss are NOT very strong. But they are flavorful and creamy, which helps this baked pasta dish stay velvety and indulgent on the inside, while still being a little crisp and heartier on the top. [On a sidenote, I love baked pasta so much because I adore standing in the kitchen after dinner, picking at the dish and grabbing the crunchy, cheese-covered noodles. Ben makes fun of me, but please tell me I’m not the only one who does this?!?] Also, this dish is a little sweeter than your average pasta… but really, the apples are just a fun addition and pair so well with the rustic herb-flavored chicken sausage and the woody rosemary. Cheesy Baked Everything Pasta is truly a great fall dinner… comforting and full of amazing fall tastes! I can’t wait to make it again!

one year ago: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
two years ago: Thai Peanut Ginger Chicken Wings
three years ago: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce

Cheesy Baked Everything Pasta [adapted from Eats Well With Others]

Ingredients:

16 ounces rigatoni
32 ounces butternut squash soup [storebought or homemade]
2 tablespoons flour
6 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated Swiss cheese, divided
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 apples, sliced [I used Jonathan]
12 ounces chicken sausage, sliced [I used Trader Joe’s Spinach, Fontina, & Roasted Garlic variety]
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish by greasing with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook rigatoni for 3 minutes less than the recommended cooking time. Drain and return to pot, setting off the heat.

Meanwhile, heat the soup over medium heat. Stir in the flour, half the rosemary, and some pepper. Simmer until it starts to thicken, then add half the swiss cheese and all the ricotta cheese.

Add cooked pasta to sauce, then fold in apple and chicken sausage slices. Pour into greased baking dish, then top with remaining rosemary, swiss cheese, and panko bread crumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are golden brown.

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Be sure to check out the other recipes for this month’s Mystery Dish here:

Main Dishes, Recipes, Turkey

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

November 21, 2013November 22, 2013 Sarah

For our early Thanksgiving dinner, Ben really wanted turkey. Problem was… we didn’t plan ahead enough to defrost a turkey AND my meat thermometer is busted so I would have had to buy another one of those to cook the big bird. Fortunately, I saw a recipe earlier this month for turkey breast. Who knew you could just buy part of a turkey? Certainly not I! But I am so glad to know now that I can… because this was absolutely delicious, fabulously easy, and all in all… amazing.

This turkey breast was so flavorful and so tender. It was just as easy as making a roast chicken in the oven, and while there was no dark meat for Ben to enjoy, we’ve been eating turkey leftovers all week. Can’t be disappointed with that! There were even a few bones so I could make some turkey stock in the crockpot. Yum yum! I hope you’ve been enjoying my Thanksgiving recipes this week… I can’t wait to share one last dessert recipe tomorrow! 🙂

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast [from Good Cheap Eats]
click to print

Ingredients:

3-5 pound turkey breast half
1/4 cup salted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon tarragon
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
sprigs of thyme and rosemary, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the turkey breast in a roaster or baking dish.

In a bowl, stir together butter, thyme, tarragon, and sage. Cut slits in the turkey breast skin, then brush butter mixture evenly over the turkey. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the herbs around the turkey breast.

Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 45-90 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Time: 2 hours.

YIeld: 10 servings.