Main Dishes – Page 45 – The Pajama Chef

Sweet and Spicy Blueberry Pork

September 23, 2010December 8, 2015 Sarah

Boy, am I loving the crock pot lately. School has been busy lately, and I’m trying to clean out the freezer, which means that big hunk ‘o pork shoulder needed to be eaten. Pronto. Since I don’t like to leave the crock pot on during the day when we were gone, I made this up on a Sunday after we got home from church. It cooked away all afternoon until dinnertime, and then we had a delicious, no-work dinner waiting for us at our leisure. I didn’t use to like the crock pot because it felt like cheater cooking, but for some things, like hunks ‘o meat, it’s just way easier than slaving over a hot oven. 🙂

This pork literally fell apart on it’s own; it was so tender. The flavors were sweet and a little spicy because of the cumin and the sweet chili sauce, with a hint of blueberry in each bite. A little bit of summer, a little bit of fall. A lot of flavor. And it’s really easy too.

Oh hey… I got a new hair cut, p.s. That’s all.

Sweet and Spicy Blueberry Pork

Servings: 6-8
Time: 8 hours
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by me 🙂

Ingredients:

1 cup blueberries [I used frozen blueberries from the freezer that we picked earlier in the summer.]
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce [I got mine from Trader Joe’s and it contains red chili, sugar, water, garlic, and salt if you need ingredients as a reference.]
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2-2 pound pork shoulder roast

Directions:

Place pork shoulder in a crock pot, then add all ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8. Shred pork shoulder with two forks, then serve over brown rice or in a tortilla.

Are you a crock pot fan? Why or why not?

Main Dishes, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes, Seafood and Fish

OTT: Citrus Tilapia

September 20, 2010December 8, 2015 Sarah

This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

———-

Bonjour and bienvenue! This is my latest Monday night meal. With Sarah being on campus until 6, I take control of the kitchen on these days this semester. Well, since my lovely wife was ill the previous week, I wanted to make a “real” dinner this past Monday. So, in a brash display of something far shy of wisdom, I decided to make up my own recipe. I really like fish. I also really like citrus flavors, and my experience tells me that these two things fit together nicely. So I came up with the following.

Citrus Tilapia

Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients:

tilapia filets (as many as needed to feed your family)
lime juice (roughly 1 T per filet)
lemon pepper (we have one that you grind, but approximately 1/2 t per filet for the marinade, and more to taste sprinkled on top)
orange zest (roughly 1/2 t per filet)
dried cilantro

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking dish with foil and cover lightly with cooking spray (you don’t have to use foil, but if you don’t definitely use cooking spray or grease the pan in some way). Place filets in baking dish. In small bowl combine lime juice, lemon pepper, and orange zest to make marinade. Brush the marinade onto the filets, coating evenly. I used the entirety of my marinade, but as long as they’re all well covered that’s what matters. Sprinkle lemon pepper and dried cilantro to taste on top of filets. Bake in oven for 9-11 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Serve with your choice of sides. I made a tasty salad and homemade fries! Eat until full, take a break, come back, and eat some more. Yum.

Salad to serve with Citrus Tilapia | thepajamachef.com — This is my salad (obviously). It’s made with romaine lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, dried blueberries, craisins, dried papaya and topped with two slices of orange, homemade croutons and poppyseed dressing.

Fries to serve with Citrus Tilapia | thepajamachef.com — These fries were baked in the oven for about ten minutes longer than the fish at the same temperature. They’re made from red potatoes coated in olive oil and sprinkled with lemon pepper and kosher salt. Excellent.

In lieu of a related question, I will ask what has been running around in my mind recently.

What would you do for a Klondike bar?

Personally, I would root for Michigan and the Patriots in the same weekend. Oh, the horrors! (As long as OSU isn’t playing Michigan. That’s pushing it. No food is worth that!)

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Radiatore Lasagna

September 16, 2010September 9, 2015 Sarah

Mmmmm pasta! I know I recently posted another pasta recipe, but I just can’t help myself. I love pasta. I dream of pasta. I could eat pasta for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.Same kind, different kinds, it wouldn’t matter.

I love the variety that comes with pasta. Sauces rich in tomatoes, cream, wine, or oil. Texture in the form of meats, veggies, or nuts. Pasta can be served hot or cold; it can be a sweet pasta or a savory pasta. Almost anything can be added to pasta to make it unique or different or more suited to a particular occasion. I’ve had peanut butter sauce on my pasta, and I’ve even had spaghetti omelets [when I was studying abroad in Cameroon]. It can be light and healthy or more indulgent. I love them all.

Perhaps my most favorite pasta dish of all time is lasagna. I grew up loving and always requesting my grandma’s lasagna. To this day, I can’t order lasagna in a restaurant or at a friend’s without being disappointed and comparing it to the family version. But alas, I do occasionally try a new recipe. This non-typical lasagna doesn’t disappoint. Comprised of the same red sauce, gooey cheese, and Italian seasonings as a traditoinal lasagna, this dish stands out in the noodle selection. Instead of flat lasagna noodles, I used Radiatore noodles, which are small, short noodles that are wavy and fun.

Radiatore noodles — try ’em, you’ll like ’em!

Another perk of this lasgana, besides it’s great taste, is that it’s easy to make and bakes up quickly. You can really use any small noodle shape you like, but you’ll have fun with the Radiatore!

Radiatore Lasagna

Servings: 8
Time: 55 minutes
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inspired by Sound Eats

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped
1 pound ground beef
16 ounces Radiatore pasta
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
ground pepper
1/2 cup red wine
26 ounces prepared spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese [I like to grate mine if possible but feel free to buy the pre-shredded stuff too!]
cooking spray

Directions:

In a large stock pot, begin boiling water for your pasta. Use Lynn’s tips for cooking pasta. They’re great! Add in Radiatore when water is boiling and cook to al dente according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, brown 1 pound ground beef with 1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped. Drain fat and return to pan. Mix in spaghetti sauce and red wine, stir to combine. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese, egg, Parmesan, and all herbs together. Set aside.

When all components are prepared, grease a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Layer your dish with 1/4 of the sauce, 1/3 of the pasta, 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, and 1/2 cup of Mozzarella. Repeat once, then top with 1/4 of the sauce, the rest of the pasta [1/3 of what you made], the rest of the cottage cheese mixture [again, 1/3 of what you made], the rest of the sauce, and the rest of the cheese [1 cup].

I know that’s complicated but I did it this way because I like the top to be covered with sauce and cheese so the noodles don’t dry out. But really, you can be creative and flexible with these measurements… I just eyeballed it. You could even mix the noodles and sauce together and do a layer of noodley/sauce goodness, the cottage cheese, half of the Mozzarella, the rest of the noodles, then the rest of the cheese. Anything goes! There are no lasagna police out there, I promise you!

Then bake your lasagna for 30 minutes, then turn up the oven to broil and let it broil for a minute or so–just until the cheese gets bubbly and brown on top.

Be sure to watch it carefully under the broiler so the pasta doesn’t burn. That would be so sad. But you won’t be sad when you’re eating this cheesy, noodlely, and saucy goodness. No, no, no! You will be so happy. 🙂

What family recipe is your absolute favorite?

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Sausage Pepper Penne

September 14, 2010September 9, 2015 Sarah

So last week was just one of those weeks. I was sick and we just didn’t eat off our meal plan as I like to do. By the time Friday came around, I was feeling a little better physically but I just wasn’t feeling up to eating something rich and cheesy like a calzone for dinner. However, we had plans to run a local 5K the next morning so I wanted something light, healthy, and filling. This dish I threw together in a few minutes did just the trick! It is definitely one I will be making again, unlike some of my past pasta creations which were just so-so.

This penne pasta dish had just the right combination of savory sausage, flavorful veggies, and complimentary seasonings. I loved how the sweetness of the honey was just barely noticeable but made it’s presence known. However, my favorite part of this dish was the sundried tomatoes. They really added a lot to the pasta–a little saltiness, a little tang, and a dash of tomato flavor to really bring the sauce together… so don’t skimp on them! I bet fresh tomatoes and a little tomato paste would be delicious too, and would give the dish a slightly different flavor palate.

Sausage Pepper Penne

Servings: 3-4
Time: 30 minutes
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by me 🙂

Ingredients:

1 gigantic clove garlic, minced [or 2 smaller cloves]
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
2 Italian turkey sausages, chopped [I used 1 sweet and 1 spicy, and mine were not precooked but you probably could substitute if that’s what you had on hand.]
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 cups miniature penne pasta (uncooked)
fresh ground pepper
salt
olive oil

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat a dash of olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add garlic and onion and sauté for a few minutes until they are just beginning to brown and soften. Then add green pepper to the pan and cook for another two to three minutes until the green pepper is just beginning to soften. Turn heat down to medium and add chopped sausage into the pan. Let cook until sausage has browned, stirring every so often.

Meanwhile, bring water to boil in a large stock pot for your pasta. [Be sure to check out Lynne’s Kitchen Adventures for tips on the perfect way to cook pasta. It sounds elementary but it is not at all!]

Meanwhile, add sundried tomatoes to sausage mixture. Cover and simmer on low while pasta cooks. Cook pasta to al dente. Before draining pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water to thin out sauce if necessary. Drain and add penne to saucepan with sausage mixture. Stir in honey and mustard, and add salt and pepper to taste. Add up to 1 cup pasta water to thin out sauce–I used about 1/3 cup. Toss to combine and serve. Eat and enjoy!

Notes:

This recipe yields about 3-4 servings. Ben had one large helping and a smaller helping, I had a medium-sized serving, and there was some leftover for lunch yesterday… so be sure to keep that in mind and alter to fit your needs.

Have you ever made an improv recipe that ended up being a favorite? If so, tell me about it!

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

September 13, 2010September 9, 2015 Sarah

As I have said before on this blog, Mexican food is the best. [See here, here, and here if you don’t believe me! Or even if you do. :)] I could eat it for days on end, I think. I’m always on the lookout for new recipes, because a girl can only have tacos so many times! When I saw this recipe on Iowa Girl Eats, I was instantly intrigued because it looked so easy and so tasty. I knew I had to make it, and so I did on a recent weekend day. [I have this fear of fire, and it just makes me nervous to leave a crock pot on all day while we’re away, especially with our low kitchen cabinets (no counterspace without cabinets over it) and our kitty who enjoys hanging out on the kitchen counters when we don’t chase her off… so crock pot recipes are reserved for days when we’ll be home.]

We found this dish to be so flavorful! I love how Ben put it when he said that the zest of the seasonings combined with the taste of each individual ingredient gave it a distinct Southwestern or Tex-Mex feel. I really enjoyed how the toppings of cheese, sour cream, green onions, lettuce, and cilantro blended with the rice and chicken to bring everything together and make every bite different and unique. Don’t skimp on the fresh cilantro or green onions–you’ll regret it if you do! 🙂

This chicken is also really versatile. Initially, we ate it on a bed of rice [brown for me, white for him] and scooped up more with tortilla chips. Then… I made oven-baked burritos–just roll up tortillas stuffed with the chicken filling and a slab of cream cheese [sounds weird, but tastes amazingly creamy] and place in an oven-safe baking dish in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until crispy. Top with shredded cheese the last few minutes of baking and with other toppings after it comes out of the oven and before it enters your mouth. Finally, I made nachos. No matter how you serve it, you will find it yum-a-licious!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Servings: 10+
Time: 7-8 hours
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from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients:

15 ounces chicken broth
15 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
15 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
8-10 ounces frozen corn
3 green onions, chopped + more for serving
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 teaspoon dried cilantro [also called coriander]
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper [or more if you like a lot more kick]
1 pound chicken breasts, thawed
fresh cilantro, chopped for serving
cheese for serving
sour cream for serving
lettuce for serving

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a crock pot with the exception of the fresh cilantro and the additional green onion for serving [but do put in the 3 chopped green onion… pieces? stalks? stems? What are they called? Anyone??!]. Cook on low for 7 hours. If you’re in a rush, you could probably cook it on high for 3-4 hours but I haven’t tested that out.

Remove the chicken breasts and shred with 2 forks or a combination of fork and fingers if you’re like me. 🙂 Return to crock pot, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serve over cooked rice or tortilla chips, or in tortilla shells. The possibilities are endless! Top with any combination of green onions, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and lettuce.

Notes:

This recipe makes enough to feed a crowd or feed two people many times. I think we’ve each had about 5 servings and we still have plenty more waiting in the freezer for a busy day. So have your tupperware on the ready!