Week 4 - Mastering the Mediocre

I find myself already struggling with a dilemma: what I like to eat vs. what I should be learning to cook. I feel like I should be seeking out recipes that would pose a particular challenge or get me to work with a new food. My body, however, doesn't like me to even consider a recipe unless it has my salivary glands doing a happy dance to celebrate the possibility of deliciousness.

Herein lies the problem - the things I like are not particularly hard to cook and contain about 5 key ingredients. My food likes can be boiled down to: melted cheese, massive amounts of carbohydrates, sour cream, black beans and red meat. Not exactly the makings of culinary perfection.

This week was a good example. These chicken burgers sounded tasty and turned out fine (even though I used turkey instead of chicken cause ground chicken is crazy expensive) but were not especially difficult. So I guess I'll eventually have to prioritize and decide whether I'll be happy learning some new recipes with foods I already know I like or whether I'll be able to push myself to really stretch my cooking skills for something I may or may not care to eat. I guess I still have 48 weeks left to figure it out.

CHICKEN BURGERS

Source: FamilyCircle All-Time Favorite Recipes

1 1/2 lbs ground chicken - 1 small onion, finely chopped - 3 T. water - 3/4 c. garlic croutons, finely crushed - 1 T. Worcestershire sauce - 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese - 1/2 tsp. salt - 1/4 tsp. black pepper - 2 T. chopped fresh parsley - 2 T. olive oil - 6 hamburger buns - Romaine lettuce - Tomato slices

1. Lightly brush a grill rack with vegetable oil or coat a broiler-pan rack with nonstick cooking spray. Then prepare a charcoal grill with medium-hot coals, or heat a gas grill to medium-high, or heat broiler.

2. Mix together chicken, onion, water, croutons, Worcestershire sauce, cheese, salt, pepper and parsley in a large bowl. With moistened hands, form mixture into 6 burgers. Brush completely with olive oil.

3. Grill or broil burgers 3-4 inches from heat, 4-5 minutes per side or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Serve on buns, topped with lettuce and tomato.

What Brian says:

For this recipe I can really only comment on the patty itself, considering it's the only constant in each person's burger.  Adding condiments can obviously alter the overall experience.  As far as the patty goes, it's very flavorful.  The addition of garlic croutons, cheese and Worcestershire sauce makes the taste buds work in overdrive when you're used to regular burgers.  

I'm not sure what the difference would have been had we used chicken as the original recipe called for but turkey seemed to do pretty well.  The consistency was similar to beef but slightly more on the softer side.  It was less harsh then ground beef can be and seemed to hold the moisture better, although leaving it on the grill longer can change all of that.  

Overall the flavor was great.  No need to hold back on condiments when the patty itself is very flavorful but I wouldn't go overboard if what you're looking for in a new recipe is something you can't get any other way.

Brian's rating: ****

Collateral Damage

FYI... If anyone is thinking this resolution is all fun and games, I have found one big drawback. Dishes. Blech. So many dishes...

Week 3 - Getting Stuffed without Having to Stuff

This week I opted for a dish that might be something I could have in my "everyday" repertoire to make for dinner parties, potlucks, etc, and this is definitely that dish. Yummers.

Manicotti is by far the most expensive dish I've made so far - you need several cups of several kinds of  cheeses so it adds up fast - but it easily made 6 or 8 servings so your money goes pretty far. It's not fancy or unique or especially creative, but it is easy and delicious. And I was extremely thankful that it doesn't involve actually having to stuff any pasta.

I really recommend this one for a big family dinner or potluck dish. Or if you just love manicotti so much that you want to eat nothing else for 8 meals in a row.

BAKED MANICOTTI

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Sauce: 2 x 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes - 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil - 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed - 1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes (optional) - Table salt - 2 T. chopped fresh basil

Cheese Filling and Pasta: 3 c. part-skim ricotta cheese - 4 oz. grated Parmesan (about 2 cups) - 8 oz. shredded mozzarella (about 2 cups) - 2 large eggs - 3/4 tsp. table salt - 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper - 2 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves - 2 T. chopped fresh basil - 16 no-boil lasagna noodles

1. Pulse 1 can tomatoes with their juice in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 or 4 pulses. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining can of tomatoes.

2. Heat oil, garlic and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 tsp. salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil; adjust seasoning with salt.

3. For the cheese filling, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper and herbs in medium bowl. Set aside.

4. To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13x9 inch broilersafe baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with the tipe of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water and dry baking dish.

5. Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle, leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

6. Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Remove baking dish, adjust oven rack to uppermost position (about 6 inches from element) and heat broiler. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Broil until cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then serve.

What Brian says:  

Well this wasn't a dish that cries out "unique" but it certainly was good.  For as much cheese as there was it was a pretty light recipe.  What's nice is that the main part of the dish (the filling) wasn't being overpowered by the sauce.  Although it could have used more garlic, the flavors melded pretty well.  Overall it came out very nice.  As your basic manicotti there's probably a number of ways to spice it up, but for now it's worth trying as is.

Brian's rating: ***

Week 2 - Definitely Do a Dollop

Here's a tip about healthy recipes: they always taste better when served with melted cheese, sour cream and avocado. Mmmm... sour cream.

So this week was Southwestern Stuffed Squash. It was easy but not particularly memorable and I would be hard-pressed to find a reason to make it again. The hardest part is actually preparing the squash which [SPOILER ALERT: If you don't like to know secrets, stop reading now] is just for decoration! You scoop the thing out Halloween pumpkin style and bake it for 40 minutes just to use it as a non-edible bowl. Hmm. I think that's why God invented ceramic bowls. 

I almost think the filling would actually be really good as filling for a taco or in some sort of corn bread casserole concoction. It's good, but it was definitely better with some badly needed fat delivered via good old-fashioned dairy products.

SOUTHWESTERN STUFFED SQUASH

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Big Book of Healthy Family Dinners

3 x 1.5-2 lb butternut squash - 8 oz. ground turkey or chicken - 2 green onions, sliced - 1-2 tsp chili powder - 1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed - 1 can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed - 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce - 1/4 cup sliced olives - 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1. Cut off the blossom end of each squash and cut off a shallow lengthwise slice from each. Finely chop enough of the slices to equal 1/2 cup; set aside. Hollow cavities of squash, leaving 1/2-inch shells. Invert squash in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

2. While that's cooking, cook meat and chopped squash until meat is brown. Stir in the green onions, chili powder and oregano. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, olives and jalapeno. Bring to boiling. Spoon bean mixture into hollows of baked squash.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 

(They say it makes 6 servings but I think they say that so they can say a serving is only 156 calories - but really it makes 3 or 4, at most.)

What Brian says:

  It has a kick.  With one whole jalapeno it should.  The flavor is still there but the lips tingle a bit after taking a bite.  Considering the main ingredient is squash, it's sometimes hard to pick out.  Dominating flavors are black beans and meat.  

  Using out the hollowed out squash as a bowl is a great way to present it but having only been partially cooked, per the recipe, it leaves you wanting to throw it back in the oven to make it edible, which is what we did.  I recommend cooking it through the first time to enjoy it all at once.  Tasty though.

  Brian's Rating: ***

Week 1 - Tears of the Shallot

I now have another goal for this project: be able to mince a shallot without a tsunami of tears hiding my view of the chopping that is happening in close vicinity to my fingers. Those are brutal! But tasty.

All in all, though, week one went blessedly well. I chose Meatless Stroganoff and the ingredients were inexpensive, the instructions were easy to follow and it was quick and tasty. PLUS... we have enough left over for at least 2 more servings (even after Brian had seconds).

MEATLESS STROGANOFF

Source: The Red Rock Ranch Collection (thanks Tamzen!)

4 T. olive oil - 1 portabello mushroom, sliced - 8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced - 2 shallots, minced - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1 yellow or red tomato, chopped - 1/4 c. chicken stock - 2 T. dry white wine - 2 T. soy sauce - 1/2 tsp. dried or 3 T. fresh basil, chopped - 1/4 tsp. sugar - 2 T. sour cream - 8 oz. cooked pasta

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute mushrooms until soft. Add shallots, garlic and tomato, stirring occasionally, cook 4 minutes. Add chicken stock, wine, soy sauce, basil and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until mixture begins to evaporate slightly. Turn off ehat and stir in sour cream until smooth. Serve over hot pasta, with crushed black peppercorns and freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

What Brian says: 

With a traditional beef stroganoff the gravy tends to overpower the dish. With so many ingredients in the meatless version it could easily become too complicated but for some reason it works here.  With slight nuances, each ingredient can be detected with a bit of effort but none dominating the dish.  The substitution of meat with vegetables like portabello and button mushrooms and tomatoes keeps the meal thick and filling.  The addition of whole wheat pasta that Kelly used adds a whole new element.  Overall the dish was flavorful and definitely worth a second chance.  

Brian's Rating: *****

Maybe I should have resolved to diet instead...

Welcome to my New Year's Resolution! Yes, that's right. For the whole of 2009, I resolve to prepare one new recipe each week.

Any of you who have been anywhere near me and a kitchen know that we have a cordial relationship at best. It's not that I have anything against kitchens, I just don't appreciate their potential.

So, while I won't ever give up on my staples of cold cereal, grilled cheese, popcorn and frozen pizza, it's time that I broaden my horizons.

The rules are simple: each week I'll choose a recipe I've never made before, shop for it, and make it. For the most part they'll be entrees but I'm open to potluck dishes or sides if the right opportunity presents itself. That's all there is to it.

Hopefully by 2010 I'll have 52 new recipes that I'm skilled with and I'll be just a smidge more knowledgeable with all those widgets that seem to clutter up our kitchen drawers and that I occasionally have to wash. Actually, let's get real, the biggest hope is that I won't burn down the kitchen or lose any fingers.

Here goes nothing...