Category: Main Dishes

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Spinach Mushroom Cream Sauce with Spaghetti

Sarah

dinner plateNeed a quick, light dinner? Well, have I got the masterpiece for you then! This Spinach Mushroom Cream Sauce served over spaghetti can be prepared in less than 30 minutes… and it’s not from Rachael Ray! I whipped up this pasta on a whim last Monday night after our other dinner plans were scrapped, and I absolutely cannot stop thinking about it. Spinach. Mushrooms. Sweet peppers. Italian seasonings. All melded together with a light cream sauce. I haven’t tried this, but I bet subbing some white wine for the cream would be fantastic. Not much else to say about this dinner because I know you’ll love it!

saucey sauce
so pretty!

Spinach Mushroom Cream Sauce with Spaghetti

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • ~1 cup heavy cream or half and half
  • ~2 tablespoons Parmesan
  • ~1 teaspoon oregano
  • ~2 teaspoons garlic
  • 1/3 cup roasted peppers, roughly chopped [I used roasted Piquillo peppers from Trader Joe’s–they are sweet, but if you wanted to use hot peppers that would work too!]
  • 9 ounces frozen spinach, cooked [don’t drain]
  • 1/2 pound spaghetti noodles

Directions:

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat up a little olive oil in a skillet and then sautee the mushrooms over medium-high heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste [for me, this is a teeny bit of salt with a lot of freshly ground pepper]. Stir in the cream, then add the Parmesan, oregano, and garlic. [I just eyeballed all the amounts.] Add the peppers and spinach, toss, and then simmer for about 5 minutes. When the spaghetti is cooked, return to pan and add sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Click here for the printable version: Spinach Mushroom Cream Sauce with Spaghetti

Question of the Day: Rachael Ray–yea or nay?

Chicken, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes

OTT: Lime-Soy Chicken

Sarah

A delightfully easy, flavorful chicken dish… it’s always a hit!

Lime Soy Chicken | thepajamachef.comThis has become one of my favorite dishes.  My wife first made it early in our marriage and it’s one of those recipes that’s stuck like oatmeal scone batter to a mixing bowl.  It’s got three of my favorite flavors in it.  I love citrus, so you’ve got lime.  I love Asian flavors and soy sauce is excellent.  And it’s got red pepper flakes for some kick, and I do love spicy food.  But this isn’t too spicy, so don’t let that scare you off.  Plus, you can always tweak it to your tastes.  But anyhow, this is a rich in strong flavor dish that delights your sense of taste.  Unfortunately, my latest attempt at it hardly delighted the sense of sight so there’s room for improvement.  Presentation is perhaps my greatest culinary flaw.  I suspect my wife would agree.

Lime-Soy Chicken

  • Servings: 4
  • Print

adapted from an unknown magazine

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 c lime juice
  • 1/4 c soy sauce
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 1 t crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 t cumin
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (unless for some reason you enjoy boning and skinning the chicken breasts yourself…which would make you weird)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl (except the chicken of course).  Then marinate the chicken in it for at least 30 minutes to an hour, although I’m a big fan of overnight marinating.  The more the time those flavors have to absorb into the meat, the better.  Now it’s time to fire up your grill (or you could just broil it in the oven).  When it’s ready, place your flavor-infused chicken breasts on the grill and cook.  Unless you’re using a George Foreman (which at this time of year you should be…unless you live in the south or west in which case you can use the time waiting for your outside grill to fire up to contemplate what it would be like to experience the weather phenomenon most of us call “seasons”), turn the chicken after several minutes.  When the sweet sweet juices run clear, your chicken is done.  Remove from grill and enjoy.  It can be served with any tasty vegetable such as fresh green beans or roasted potatoes.  I served it most recently with a cilantro lime barley.  This was basically just barley cooked in chicken broth, with lime juice and cilantro added.  Also try adding bacon.  I haven’t tried this, but bacon makes everything better so I don’t see how it could hinder this either.

Question of the Day: With Thanksgiving just around the corner, what’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Mine is turkey, covered in gravy. Mmmm… or really, anything covered in gravy, except cranberry sauce; that would just be gross. Side note: my wife hates gravy. I don’t know what’s wrong with her.

Recipes, Sauces

Apple City Barbecue Sauce

Sarah

If I had to pick a favorite condiment, barbecue sauce would be the one! It is so versatile. I love putting barbecue sauce on anything and everything, from pasta salad to burgers to french fries to salads. So when I was visiting my parents for a weekend recently and we had a little baking/cooking day, I jumped at the chance to make homemade barbecue sauce for our oven ribs. And boy was I glad I did.

Mike Mills' Apple City Barbecue Sauce | thepajamachef.com
din-din

This barbecue sauce is so much better than the bottled stuff, and even easier than I imagined–just throw it in a pot and cook away! I bet it would be really easy to make in a small crock pot too. I loved the distinct flavor of apples coupled with a bit of spicy kick. This is a barbecue sauce I can definitely see making again, especially during apple season. Be sure and try it soon–you won’t be disappointed!

Mike Mills' Apple City Barbecue Sauce | thepajamachef.com
Look at that sauce!

Mike Mills' Apple City Barbecue Sauce

  • Servings: approximately 2 1/2 cups
  • Print

from Mike Mills’ Peace, Love, and Barbecue

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled [if you don’t eat bacon for whatever reason, feel free to omit this–I think it would be fine without it]
  • 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons green pepper, finely chopped

Directions:

Place all ingredients except apple, onion, and green pepper in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine, then boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Fold in apple, onion, and green pepper, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook over a simmer for about 30-60 minutes, or until apple, onion, and green pepper are softened and sauce is thickened to desired consistency.

Let cool and puree in a blender or food processor for maximum smoothness, if desired. We left it chunky but texture-phobic people may not like that. 🙂

Use to marinate meat or serve with pulled pork, shredded chicken, ribs, tofu, etc.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite condiment?

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Hawaiian Chicken

Sarah

Hawaiian chicken When my husband and I first got married about a year and a half ago, I wasn’t a bad cook. I grew up cooking and baking a lot at home with my family, and living on my own for two years post-college gave me time to experiment with new recipes and figure out things in a grown-up kitchen. Problem was, I married a meat-lover and so in the early days of our marriage, I quickly realized I needed to expand my cooking repertoire to make Ben happy. Because I did want to make him happy… and I still do. 🙂

That first summer of marriage, I wasn’t yet working or in school so I had a lot of spare time [after all the wedding gifts were unpacked, I was settled into our new apartment, thank you notes written, etc.]. One day, I was flipping through one of my new cookbooks looking for some recipes I could try out. I knew Ben liked meat and Asian food, and when I saw the recipe for Hawaiian Baked Chicken, I was sold. It wasn’t exactly Chinese food, but it had a bit of Asian undertones, if only in the fact that it was chicken and veggies with a sauce served with rice. We didn’t have all the ingredients, but I improvised and by the time Ben arrived home that night, had dinner prepared.

wedding day
5/23/09--I love you, Benny.

This sweet and savory chicken dinner was a winner and was quickly proclaimed a keeper. There’s some mustard and spice for a savory, tangy kick, and honey and pineapple for sweetness. Served atop a bed of rice, this will make any hungry man happy. Now, it was what I make for my husband when I know he’s had a hard week or to celebrate an accomplishment at work. I like to make it for him when we haven’t had it in awhile just so he knows I remember how much he enjoyed it. I look forward to making it for my Ben in the years to come, so we can be in our 60s and look back to remember our early days of marriage in our tiny apartment in Bloomington, Indiana.

Hawaiian Chicken [from The Taste of Home Cookbook]

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound raw chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
  • 16 ounces pineapple chunks in pineapple juice, undrained
  • 1 cup green pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • cooked rice prepared with chicken broth instead of water
  • cooking spray

Directions:

Grease a shallow baking dish with cooking spray and then place chicken in dish. Pour green pepper and pineapple [and its juice] over chicken. In a large measuring cup, whisk together chicken broth, mustard, honey, olive oil, and paprika. Pour mixture over chicken and pineapple, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours for best results. Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven for about 40-45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve over rice.

Notes:

I’ve also used Dijon mustard and chili powder in lieu of brown mustard and paprika with excellent results. I’ve also added carrots before, but would recommend very small pieces so they cook and/or pre-cooking the carrots prior to baking. Also, this dish doesn’t have to marinate over a long period of time but it does get more flavorful the longer it sits. I like to prepare this the night before or morning of, but do what works best for you.

Click here for the printable version: Hawaiian Chicken

Question of the Day: What dish do you like to make for a special person in your life?

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Stovetop Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

Sarah
mac and cheese
homemade mac & cheese... and a colorful salad 🙂

Mac and cheese. This mainstream dish is truly a staple in the diet of American children [and adults… let’s be real here]. Many of us grew up eating this out of a blue box [hello, Kraft!] and then later enjoyed baked macaroni and cheese and wondered what we’d been missing all our lives. Well, at least that’s been my experience.

A few weeks ago I was sitting in class, outlining a meal plan in my head… whoops… and I began to wonder if I could create a stovetop mac and cheese that tastes just as good as Kraft’s, and just as good as baked mac and cheese, but without the processing and without the long baking time. I felt up to the challenge one night last week and embarked on a journey that has changed my perception of stovetop mac and cheese–forever. I hope it will change yours too!

This stovetop macaroni and cheese boasts a variety of flavors that meld together in mere minutes [scarcely more than it takes to make a box of Kraft] to make a rustic, home-cooked comfort dish, perfect for a relaxing night at home. The aged Wisconsin cheddar meets the sharpness of mustard, the spiciness of nutmeg, the richness of cream, and the tang of Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to have a party in the pan… and then in your mouth. Just add some broccoli for texture and a boost of veggies, and a delicious dinner is ready in no time at all.

And in case you’re interested, and in need of some reading material, be sure to click here to read about the history of macaroni and cheese in America! It all began with Thomas Jefferson and his love of cheese and Italian food. This influenced American colonists’ meal preparation in the early days of limited food choice. In 1896, a recipe appeared for macaroni in cheese in the cookbook for the Boston Cooking School and by 1937, Kraft marketed a boxed version. Now, versions spring up all over America. Here’s the latest!

Stovetop Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound small pasta [macaroni, mini penne, etc. I used mini bowties.]
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream [to lighten it up use half and half]
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • few dashes freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried mustard
  • 10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 small bunches broccoli, chopped into florets

Directions:

In a large stock pot, prepare pasta according to package directions. [If you haven’t yet checked out these instructions for best pasta preparation, do it! They are so helpful!] Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, cream, milk, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, and mustard in a small bowl. In a separate pot or the microwave, steam broccoli for a few minutes, but don’t let it get completely tender as it will cook more in the pasta.

Once pasta is cooked and drained, toss butter with pasta until it melts. Then pour in egg mixture and stir to combine. Fold in cheese and broccoli, cover, and cook for about 3-4 minutes on low-medium heat or until cheese is melted. Top with freshly ground black pepper and enjoy!

Click here for the printable version: Stovetop Mac & Cheese

Question of the Day: Were you a Kraft kid? Are you still? I was. I think we tried other boxed mac & cheeses but nothing compared to the blue box! Now, I still like it occasionally but my tastes have changed somewhat.