Smoked Turkey & Artichoke Panini

This is a great sandwich. If you have a panini press and love turkey like I do, I highly suggest making this for lunch or a quick dinner.

Ingredients...

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 8 slices rustic sourdough bread
• 3/4 pound thinly sliced smoked turkey
• 2 cups (loosely packed) spinach leaves
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 7-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved lengthwise
• 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions...

1. Place the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and basil in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Spread the flavored mayonnaise on one side of each bread slice. Layer the turkey on 4 bread slices and top each with spinach, cheese, artichokes, and tomatoes. Cover with the remaining bread slices, with the mayonnaise side facing down. Lightly brush both sides of each sandwich with olive oil.
2. Heat a panini press or panini pan, or prepare the grill to medium-high. Place the sandwiches in the press or pan or on the grill. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden-brown, about 5 minutes if using a panini press, or 5 minutes per side if using a grill. Serve immediately.

Serves 4
Source: Sara Wells blog (ourbestbites.com)

Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas

Very easy, and great for the week. This was a hit with my family. If you're into a Mexican food, try it out. I bought grilled chicken strips from Trader Joe's to make this recipe even simpler.

Ingredients...

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups salsa, divided
• 2 10-ounce cans enchilada sauce
• 3/4 cup low-fat cream cheese
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 8 8-inch flour tortillas
• 1 8-ounce package shredded Mexican four-cheese blend

Directions...

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Place 1/2 cup of the salsa and the enchilada sauce in a medium bowl and stir to combine; set aside.
2. Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and heat in the microwave for 1 minute or until very soft. Add the spinach, chicken, and remaining 1 1/2 cups salsa to the bowl and stir until blended.
3. Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture and roll up. Place the enchiladas, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Pour the enchilada sauce mixture evenly over the rolled tortillas and top with the cheese.
4. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove the enchiladas from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.

Source: Lori Lange blog (recipegirl.com)

Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard

Nothing fancy, but good for a quick weekday dinner.

Ingredients...

• 1 large egg or 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
• 1 to 2 cups panko 
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Honey
• Yellow or Dijon mustard

Directions...

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Beat the egg lightly in a large shallow dish. (If you are using buttermilk instead, pour it over the chicken strips in a large bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.) Place the panko and cheese in another large shallow dish, season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
3. Dredge the chicken strips in the egg (or remove from the buttermilk) and roll in the crumbs to well. Lightly spray the prepared chicken strips with non-stick cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake until the chicken strips are golden and fully cooked, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, mix equal amounts of honey and mustard to create a dipping sauce. Serve immediately.

Source: Julie Van Rosendaal blog (dinnerwithjulie.com)

Lemon Chicken

My first whole chicken recipe. Can't say I ever want to quarter a chicken myself... but glad I learned how to! You can eat this chicken hot or cold.

Ingredients...

• 2 chickens (2 1/2 pounds each), cut into quarters
• 2 cups fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Chicken Stock 
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 lemons, sliced paper-thin

Directions...

1. Combine the chicken pieces and lemon juice in a bowl just large enough to hold them comfortably. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Drain the chicken thoroughly and pat dry. Fill a plastic bag with the flour, salt, paprika, and black pepper, and shake well to mix. Put 2 pieces of chicken into the bag at a time and shake, coating completely. Shake off any excess flour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Heat the corn oil in a frying pan or cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Fry the chicken pieces, a few at a time, until well browned and crisp. About 10 minutes per batch.
5. Arrange the browned chicken in a single layer in a large shallow baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with the lemon zest and brown sugar. Mix the chicken stock and lemon extract together and pour around the chicken pieces. Set a thin lemon slice on top of each piece of chicken. 
6. Bake the chicken until tender, 50 minutes.

6 or more portions.
Source: Silver Palate Cookbook

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Lobster

I love twice-baked potatoes, so when I found this recipe with lobster, I knew it was a must-try. I made these for my family on Easter Sunday. The potatoes were delicious as anticipated, and I look forward to making them again. I included some cooking notes at the bottom that shave some time off.

Ingredients...

• 4 large baking potatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups cooked lobster (or crab) meat
• 1 cup dry white vermouth 
• 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche (or sour cream)
• 1/2 cup grated Jarlsberg cheese, plus additional cheese for topping the potatoes
• 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)

Directions...

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Scrub and dry the potatoes. Cut a small, deep slit in the top of each potato. Set the potatoes on the center rack of the oven and bake until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour (Took atleast 1 hr 15 min for me).
3. Let the potatoes cool slightly, cut off and discard the tops, and scrape the potato pulp into a bowl. Do not scrape so deeply that you tear the potato skin. Salt and pepper the potato shells; reserve. Mash the potato pulp; reserve.
4. Melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat and saute the chopped onions, covered, until tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes*. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes. Stir in the lobster or crab. Season with salt and pepper, add the vermouth, then raise the heat to a boil. Stir frequently over high heat until all the liquid has boiled away**. Stir in the creme fraiche and remove from the heat.
5. Combine the lobster mixture with the reserved mashed potato pulp and the 1/2 cup Jarlsberg. Taste and correct the seasonings; add the heavy cream if the mixture seems too try.
6. Stuff the mixture into the reserved potato skins; mound the filling slightly. Sprinkle additional grated cheese on top and place on a baking sheet.
7. Bake again, at 400 degrees, until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

4 portions
Source: Silver Palate Cookbook

*I sauteed the onions for less time on a higher heat. 25 minutes seemed excessive to saute onion.
**Instead of waiting for the liquid to boil away, I drained the skillet after a few minutes so that the lobster meat would not get chewy. 

California Shellfish Stew

This is a  zesty main-dish soup that can be adjusted with your favorite shellfish. Afterward, you can save the sauce and reuse it either as a sauce for dipping bread or mussels. The recipe calls for bay scallops, but in my opinion, I would skip the scallops and add more of the other shellfish.

Ingredients...

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped yellow onions
• 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely diced
• 6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cups Fish Stock
• 2 cups Zinfandel
• 1 can (2 pounds, 3 ounces) peeled plum tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil 
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 8 mussels
• 8 small Littleneck or Cherrystone clams
• 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• 3/4 pound bay scallops
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions...

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot over low heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic and cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Add the fish stock, Zinfandel, and tomatoes and raise the heat.
3. Stir in the basil, thyme, and bay leaf, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
4. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes with the stirring spoon. Taste and correct the seasoning. 
5. Scrub the mussels and clams well and debeard the mussels. Place them in a heavy pot, add water to a depth of 1 inch, cover, and set over high heat. As they steam open, remove the mussels and clams one by one with a slotted spoon and reserve. Discard any shellfish that haven't opened after 5 minutes. Freeze the shellfish juices for your next batch of fish stock. 
6. Rinse the shrimp and scallops and pat dry.
7. At 5 minutes before serving the stew, bring the tomato and wine mixture to a boil. Drop in the shrimp and scallops, then the clams and mussels in their shells. Add the parsley, stir well, and remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, for 1 minute.
8. Ladle the stew into heated bowls, dividing the seafood equally, and serve immediately.

Serves 4
Source: Silver Palate Cookbook

R.I.P Laptop

My laptop died (sigh) so I have been unable to update my blog and my pictures. When I get a new computer, or perhaps decide to procrastinate at work, I will update with my most recent dishes, including:

• Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla Espanola) 
• Smoked Turkey and Artichoke Panini
• Curried Lamb with Lentils
• California Seafood Stew 
• Curry Shrimp Fried Rice