Kate's Plates: New Feature: Mid-Week Must Try

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

New Feature: Mid-Week Must Try

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to give you an update. I will now post a recipe each Wednesday to be featured as the "Mid-Week Must Try" on the right hand side. This is your chance to post a favorite recipe of your own, that you think will inspire your friends, family and fellow bloggers to cook a fun and delicious mid-week meal. Please send your recipes to katesamson@gmail.com no later than Wednesday at 9:00 am. Thanks!

Also, thanks to Jessica for being our first post! Enjoy :)

1 comment:

BHL said...: kate - i'm still trying to figure out this whole "blog" thing... but i cant wait to try all your recipes :); July 23, 2008 at 1:41 PM

Mid-Week Must Try (October 29, 2008)

Fresh Corn Salad

This recipe is embarrassingly easy and ridiculously good! It is so fast and easy, and a great way to add some punch to your daily veggies.

Ingredients

5 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob. Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature

Mid-Week Must Try (October 22, 2008)

Fat-Free Tzaziki
(And I promise, it's actually delicious!)

Ingredients

1 cucumber, seeded and diced
1/4 red onion, diced, about 2 tablespoons
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pita wedges, served on the side

Directions

Put the cucumber, red onion and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until minced. Put the yogurt into a mixing bowl. Add the cucumber mixture, the lemon zest and juice, salt and red pepper flakes and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined. Transfer to a decorative bowl and serve with pita wedges.

Quick tip: Use an English or Hothouse cucumber -- they have a lot less seeds and you won't need to remove them.

Mid Week Must Try (October 15, 2008)

I try to eat as healthily as possible during the week, and during a trip to the market one afternoon, I developed this recipe. After testing it out at home, I loved it so much that it has become a staple in my weekly meals - perfect for a mid-week must try.

Smoky Black Beans with Lime and Cilantro

Ingredients:

2 cans of black beans (med size)
1/2 cup of diced onion (red or yellow)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
olive oil cooking spray
salt and pepper

Directions:

In a saucepan, saute the diced red onion and garlic over medium heat with the olive oil cooking spray, until the onion is soft (about 5 minutes). Add the 2 cans of black beans. Discard most of it, but add about 1/4 of the bean liquid as well. Add the lime juice, chipotle chili powder and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on medium-low to low heat for about 15 minutes, until beans have thickened and flavors have blended.

Cooks note: I add more chipotle chili powder than the recipe mentions, but that's because I like them smoky and spicy. Add as little or as much as you like, but don't leave it out. It is a unique flavor that gives the dish a special kick. Also, if beans get too thick, add water as necessary.

Mid-Week Must Try (October 8, 2008)

I made this the other night for my family, and it is completely sinful and delicious! It will get you over the hump day, guaranteed.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ingredients

1-pound loaf French bread, cut into cubes (about 15 cups)
3 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Place the bread in the baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, and liqueur. In another bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugars with the cocoa powder and mix well. Add this to the milk mixture and whisk to combine. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the cinnamon to the beaten eggs. Combine the egg mixture with the milk mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes; let stand, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed most of the milk mixture. Bake the pudding for 1 hour, or until set; a knife inserted into the center of the pudding should come out clean. Serving the pudding warm, or refrigerate it and serve chilled. Serve it warm or cold, with whipped cream or a dessert sauce.

Mid-Week Must Try (October 1, 2008)

In honor of football and tailgating season, I wanted to post a great recipe that you can make at home, package and take with you to any tailgate or viewing party. Enjoy!

Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed sour-cream-and-onion-flavored potato chips
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
6 chicken breast fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup butter, melted

Honey Mustard, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put potato chips in a plastic storage bag and pound with pan until crumbed. Place crushed potato chips in a shallow dish. Beat together the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken cubes into the egg mixture and then dredge them in the chips. Place the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. The chicken nuggets can be frozen after baking. Serve with your favorite sauce, such as honey mustard or ranch dressing.

Honey Mustard:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice or juice from 1/2 lemon
Horseradish, to taste
1/2 tablespoons orange juice

Combine all ingredients except orange juice; stir well. Thin to pouring consistency for dressing or dipping consistency for dips with orange juice. Cover and chill for 2 or 3 hours.

Cook's note: I usually don't add the oj, but I have before and it comes out fine. It just depends on how loose you want it (sauce or dip). I also add extra horesradish for extra kick! Play around with the ingredients until you have the consistency, spiciness and sweetness that you like.

Enjoy...these are really yummy and perfect for tailgating and watching the game!

Mid-Week Must Try (September 10, 2008)

Hash Brown Quiche

Ingredients:

3 cups, shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
1/2 cup diced green onions
1 cup shredded Cheddar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

Great for breakfast, brunch or any time! Enjoy!

Mid-Week Must Try (September 3, 2008)

Spiced Chicken and Grape Skewers

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
8 (10-inch) skewers
1 1/2 cups seedless green grapes
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat. Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, soak the skewers in water if wooden.

Thread 4 pieces of the chicken and 4 grapes onto the skewers, alternating them. Spray a grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over a medium-high heat, or prepare an outdoor grill. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with mint and serve with lemon wedges.

Contributed by: Stacey Heffernan

Mid-Week Must Try (August 28, 2008)

The Mucho Gusto Dip
(Yields 12 Servings)

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados
3 tbsps lime juice
Salt and Pepper
1 cup Sour Cream
1 package of taco seasoning mix
2 (15-ounce) cans refried beans
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can ripe olives, drained and chopped
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped coarse
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Tortilla Chips for serving

Directions:

Cut avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pits. In a small bowl, scoop out the flesh (and smash) with a spoon. Season avocado with lime juice and salt & pepper to taste. In another bowl, combine the sour cream with the taco seasoning mix. Stir and blend well. Spread the refried beans in an even layer on a large round platter, or shallow casserole dish. Spread the smashed avocados on top of the beans. Cover with sour cream. Scatter the chopped olives, chiles, tomatoes and scallions over the sour cream. Top with grated cheese. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Recipe by Brittany H. Lee

Mid-Week Must Try (August 20, 2008)

Marcela's "Mac Daddy" Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

1 pound of macaroni
5 tablespoons of butter
½ cup all purpose flour
6 cups of milk
3 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons of salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Fix time: about 40 minutes.
Feeds: 6-8 hungry people.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook and drain pasta. In a sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, stirring constantly to make the roux, and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the milk and cook for 7 minutes, or until mixture thickens. Add the cheese and salt and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts. Remove from heat.Combine cooked pasta with the cheese sauce in a baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes:

Roux: This is the most important step in this recipe so pay attention and be patient! What is a roux?
Pasta: Under cook the pasta (just a little) since it will cook longer in the oven.
Measurements: Do not skimp on any of the above ingredients. The ratio is everything in this recipe.
Milk: Heat the milk before adding to the roux, it will thicken much quicker and give you better results. You can heat it up in the microwave or on the stove but don't let it come to a boil, just a simmer.
Pasta: Switch it up! Any short dry pasta would work here.
Cheese: My favorite alteration to this recipe is substituting cheddar with gruyere (a lot pricier but worth it) or mozzarella or any combination of the 3. Just make sure to have 3 ½ cups of shredded cheese.
Milk: Whole milk is the best option here (skim milk is no good...this is comfort food not diet food). For extra richness try replacing 1-3 of the cups of milk with whipping cream.

Mid-Week Must Try (August 6, 2008)

Compound butters are super easy and very versatile. Better yet, they'll store in your freezer for months, so you can pull them out and use them on a variety of dishes. Think basil compound butter on grilled corn, or blue cheese butter on steak! I saw this recipe on Paula Deen's show, and thought it would be great to put on everything from chicken to french toast. She seved it on steak with a savory blackberry and red wine sauce. Enjoy!

Blackberry Compound Butter

Ingredients:
1/4 fresh blackberries
One stick of unsalted butter (at room temperature)

Directions:
Lightly mash the blackberries with a fork and add to the butter in a bowl. Combine the blackberries with the butter and transfer to plastic wrap. Form butter to a log shape, cover in the wrap and refrigerate or freeze to firm. Enjoy!

Mid- Week Must Try (July 30, 2008)

St. Augie Scampi

Ingredients:
1 white onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil (couple times around in the pan)
3/4 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup parsley chopped (plus more for garnish)
1/2 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio recommended)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 lb. linguine
Salt and pepper

Sauté onion, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste in olive oil until onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant. (med to med-high heat) Make sure not to burn the garlic, or will become bitter. Add white wine and lemon, and cook until no longer smells like alcohol. Add shrimp until pink on both sides (about 1 minute; just make sure both sides of shrip are pink). Add to cooked al dente pasta, garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Posted by: Brittany H. Lee

Mid-Week Must Try (July 23, 2008)

Vegetable Goat Cheese Frittata with Cilantro Chile Sauce

Cilantro Chile Sauce
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small bunch cilantro
1 green (serrano) chile, seeds and ribs removed
2 pinches ground cumin
a couple big pinches of salt

Frittata
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 small potatoes, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup yellow zucchini or cauliflower,1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
couple pinches of salt

Preheat your oven to 450F degrees. Make the cilantro chile sauce by pureeing the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, chile, cumin, and salt until very smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk the eggs with a small pinch of salt. Set aside.

In a (small) 8 1/2-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onion, and another pinch of salt. Saute, stirring constantly, until the onion starts to brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini (or cauliflower), cover, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Slide everything out of the skillet onto a plate and set aside.
Turn down the heat a bit. Using the same skillet, add the eggs and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until the eggs are just set and there isn't a lot of liquid running around the pan. To facilitate this, run a spatula underneath the sides of the frittata and tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs run to the underside and cook. Drizzle the eggs with a few tablespoons of the cilantro chile sauce, now sprinkle the potato onion mixture over the top.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 9 minutes, or until well set and puffy. Add crumbled goat cheese across the top of the frittata in the final 2 minutes of baking. Remove from oven (be careful the handle is hot!), cut into wedges and serve.
Serves 2 to 4.

Recipe from Jessica Barandiaran

Kate's Plates

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

New Feature: Mid-Week Must Try

1 comment:

About Me

Blog Archive

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What is your favorite comfort food?

Mid-Week Must Try (October 29, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (October 22, 2008)

Mid Week Must Try (October 15, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (October 8, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (October 1, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (September 10, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (September 3, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (August 28, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (August 20, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (August 6, 2008)

Mid- Week Must Try (July 30, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (July 23, 2008)

Healthy, Fresh & Fast: My Favorite Lunch Spots

My Top Five $$$ Restaurants (in no order)

My Blog List

Kate's Plates

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

New Feature: Mid-Week Must Try

1 comment:

About Me

Subscribe To Kate's Plates

Blog Archive

Fans of Kate's Plates

What is your favorite comfort food?

Mid-Week Must Try (October 29, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (October 22, 2008)

Mid Week Must Try (October 15, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (October 8, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (October 1, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (September 10, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (September 3, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (August 28, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (August 20, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (August 6, 2008)

Mid- Week Must Try (July 30, 2008)

Mid-Week Must Try (July 23, 2008)

Healthy, Fresh & Fast: My Favorite Lunch Spots

My Top Five $$$ Restaurants (in no order)

My Blog List