Ginger-Stuffed Chicken with Sesame Spinach

I may have deconstructed this a bit too much.  It sounds wonderful, but by the time you saute the chicken with ginger and spinach and a bit of sesame oil it’s nothing much.  Maybe it really was meant to be made with skin-on chicken and all that mess tucked into it.  I just wanted more flavor.

Baked Chicken and Rice

I used a wild rice that took for freaking evgaer to cook, but other than that it was lishy.  Throw rice, canned tomatoes (undrained), orange juice, chicken broth, onion, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, and some raw chicken in a dish.  Throw that in the oven for half an hour at 400 degrees.  Very good.  But for crying out loud remember that the red pepper flakes in your cupboard have some kick.

Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

I have never looked at a package of ravioli and wondered how I could add more fat, but if I had this would be my answer.  Cook cheese ravioli as directed, while browning butter and fresh sage with some shallots.  Splash it over the finished ravioli and sprinkle with Parm.

Pasta Puttanesca

I doubt it tastes like this in Italy, but it was a nice change from the usual sauce in a jar (even if that’s still the base).  Saute some capers and kalamata olives (they also suggest adding shrimp) and then dump the jarred sauce over it.  Surprisingly good.  And I now have capers and kalamata olives in my kitchen.

Quick Moroccan Chicken

Don’t know how Moroccan it really is, but it was certainly quick.  Seared the chicken with oil and garlic, then in the same pan added canned peaches and reduced red wine vinegar, orange juice, brown sugar, and a bit of nutmeg.  Serve over couscous, done in 15 minutes.

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Peaches

If by “roast” you mean “adapted to work with some cut up chicken in a skillet, at least, although I’m sure the proper roast is lovely, too.  Just throw some chicken in the skillet with oil, shallots, peaches, balsamic, and thyme.  Do not settle for substandard fresh peaches under the assumption it won’t matter when they’re cooked.  Just grab frozen or canned instead.

Another Turkey Burger Recipe

This was supposed to be a meatloaf with the addition of some egg and bread crumbs, but this was faster and single serving.  I should have made two, though, because it was perfect.  Onion and roasted red peppers and grated Parm and good mustard mixed with ground turkey then grilled up in patties = win.

Satay Chicken Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Cilantro

So much easier than I’d feared, and completely work-night appropriate.  Plus it impresses people more than your usual stir fry.

Lamb! (it’s the cuteness that makes them so tasty)

So I bought two lamb chops and chopped them up into a million little pieces, or enough to use in 5 meals.  Yummy.

I did three marinades:

– lemon, olive oil, garlic, onion, and za’atar (the closest I came was some thyme and sesame oil, but it worked)

– yogurt, cumin, onion, and garlic

– ras-el-hanout, lemon, olive oil, garlic, and cilantro

I also enjoyed lamb with rosemary, garlic, red onion, and Dijon mustard with white beans and spinach. So very very very good.

And let’s not forget the “Greekish Lamb Pasta”

Spinach Pockets

Made of win. 

Heat oven to 400, then throw some Parmesan and ricotta (I used cottage cheese) in a bowl with a bit of egg, salt and pepper, and a bunch of spinach. 

Fold a sheet of phyllo in half then brush with melted butter.  Top with another folded sheet, brush, top with another folded sheet, and then top with the spinach mix.  Leave a 2 inch border around the edges, then roll up the pastry and tuck in the sides.  Brush with more butter, then back for about 30 minutes.

Can get a bit messy on the baking sheet, so lining it with aluminum foil would definitely help with the clean up.