Arroz con Pollo

Yummy, yummy family favorite.  This is a very popular dish with dozens of variations depending on your country of origin.  Some like to add chili peppers and paprika for spice, other areas use saffron and bell peppers.  However you make it, it is always a crowd pleaser.  This is my version.

Chicken & Rice with Spicy Italian Sausage

Ingredients:

1 lb meaty chicken (thighs, legs) on bone

1 lb hot italian sausage

1 lg green pepper

1 C chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 C long-grain rice (I use brown rice - NOT INSTANT)

3 C warm chicken stock

1/4 t saffron

bay leaf

oregano

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

14 oz can diced tomatoes (you may use fresh)

1/2 bag frozen peas

Coat the bottom of a large Dutch oven with olive oil.  Brown the chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes.  Remove chicken with slotted spoon.  Saute onion, garlic and pepper in oil.  Add the sausage.  Stir frequently.  Add rice and brown 1 minute.  Pour in the chicken stock, add saffron, bay leaf and oregano.  Stir in the tomatoes.  Return the chicken to the pot, nestling it on the top of the rice mixture.  Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until rice is cooked.  Add peas for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Oatmeal Bread

I've been in a bread making mood lately.  I've been trying to find a bread that is good for sandwiches.  I found this recipe on the back of the King Arthur's Flour bag.   It was mighty tasty!

As claimed by the company:  This tender, high-rising bread makes wonderful sandwiches and great toast.

Oatmeal Bread

3 C King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

1 C rolled oats 

2 T butter

1 1/2 t salt

3 T brown sugar or honey (I used honey)

2 t instant yeast OR 1 packet active dry yeast

1 1/4 C lukewarm milk

1.  In a saucepan, heat the milk with the butter just until the butter begins to melt.  Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let sit 5 minutes until frothy.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, mixing to form a shaggy dough.  Knead by hand or machine till it's smooth.  Add flour as needed.  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow to rest for 1 hour.  It'll become quite puffy, though it may not double.

3.  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled surface, and shape it into a log.  Place in a lightly greased 9x5 - inch loaf pan.  Cover the pan and allow the dough to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till it's crested 1 to 2 inches over the rim of the pan.

4. Bake the bread in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 40 minutes.  Yield:  1 loaf

Too Much Zucchini - Two Yummy Recipes

Last week at Trader Joes, I purchased a container full of zucchini.  There was way more of the obnoxious vegetable than I realized.  I've been trying to use it up ever since.  Here are two recipes to get rid of zucchini.  (For those of you with gardens, you may want to file these away for the summer season!)

Linguine with Clam and Tomato Sauce

This is a very easy, quick meal.  It gives a hint of seafood without the price tag.  We paired it with fresh artichokes that the Potter's brought back from Gilroy.

There are two types of traditional Italian clam sauce, one with and one without tomatoes.  This version can be made with canned or fresh clams.  I used canned clams.

Ingredients

2 lb fresh clams or 12 oz canned clams, with liquid

6 T olive oil

1 - 2 cloves garlic, crushed

14 oz canned or fresh tomatoes, finely chopped

1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

4 T chopped parsley

black pepper to taste

1lb linguine

Directions

1.  Place the olive oil in a medium saucepan with the garlic.  Cook until garlic is just golden.  Discard garlic. In the meantime, begin cooking the pasta.

2. Add chopped tomato and zucchini to the oil.  Pour in the clam liquid.  Mix well and cook over low to moderate heat until the sauce begins to dry out and thicken slightly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. A minute or two before the pasta is ready, stir in the clams and parsley into the tomato sauce, and

 raise the heat.  Pour the hot sauce over the drained pasta and mix well.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread - To die for!

Ingredients:

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

3 eggs

2 C sugar

1 C vegetable oil

2 C grated zucchini

1 t vanilla

2 C flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 t ground cinnamon

3/4 C semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.

2.  Melt chocolate in microwave.

3.  Combine eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, vanilla and chocolate.  Beat well.  Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Fold in chips.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

4.  Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Yummy!

Searching for the Perfect Scone

I love the blueberry scones at Starbucks.  They have a dense texture but are not too dry.  I cannot duplicate them.  I tried these scones from the Better Homes & Garden cookbook this week.  They were good - very light and flaky and not too sweet.  Yet, they are not the scone for me.  I must keep searching.

  

Ingredients

2 1/2 C flour

2 T sugar 

4 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/c C cold butter, cut into pieces

2 beaten eggs

3/4 C whipping cream

1/2 C dried currents (I used dried cherries, snipped)

milk 

sugar

1.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. 

 

2.  Combine eggs, cream and cherries.  Add wet mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Using a fork, stir until just moistened.

3. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.  Knead dough by folding and gently pressing for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth.  Pat or lightly roll dough into an 8-inch circle.  Cut into 8 wedges.

4.  Place wedges 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden.  Serve warm.

What To Do With Veggies?

When I have a lot of extra veggies sitting around I like to make a red sauce for pasta.  You can also serve it with chicken, over beans, or freeze it for later.  Using fresh herbs adds really great flavor as well.

Red Sauce

Saute the following veggies in 2T olive oil until tender (about 10 minutes)

garlic

onion

carrots

celery

zucchinni

yellow squash

Add 28 oz can of plum tomatoes

1/2 C water or broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh rosemary or oregano

Allow to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. (The longer you simmer, the better it tastes.) You can either serve it chunky style or put 3/4 of it through a food processor.  If you have finicky eaters who don't like whole veggies, definitely puree the mix and they will never know that they are eating squash!  Sprinkle on parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Beans & Rice

Douglas is still between jobs (that's very euphemistic isn't it?) Our little joke is how many ways can we serve beans, rice or pasta.  Here's what I've come up with.

Bean Soup w/ Avocado salsa & chips

Roast Chicken w/ potato salad

Chicken Soup w/ orzo pasta & caesar salad

Stir Fry Veggies & Rice Bowls

Spaghetti 

Leftovers (i.e. Bean soup)

And this week we will sing,

Beans, beans, the musical fruit . . .