What's Cooking with Jean

Monday, August 27, 2007 White balsamic vinaigrette

Other than the occasional blue-cheese dressing (Clemson BlueCheese, of course), I stick to simple vinaigrettes. So if you want a good ratio for ingredients, I think this is a good start. This is what I've been mixing up lately with my new Trader Joe's favorite: white balsamic vinegar. I never measure when I make dressings (sometimes a disaster) but here are estimations!

¼ C white balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
fresh herbs*
1 to 2 tsp. honey
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

optional variations:
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

*I usually grab a few basil leaves and a sprig of oregano. Dried herbs can certainly be substituted.

Labels: Salads and what you can dress them in

Posted by Jeannie :: 6:19 PM :: 1 comments

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Friday, August 24, 2007 Here's what's cooking with Jean....

Sorry for the lack of posts lately!

Between

Home improvements...no, dare I use the word home "improvements" when all I've managed to do this month is tear apart our home. The 1/2 bath off of our kitchen is as close I came to creating a culinary masterpiece!

And this sunset from the middle of Nantucket Sound...we've been gone for almost 2 weeks escaping the DC heat to visit with friends and family in Rhode Island and S. Yarmouth, Massachusetts.

Bringing home a cooler full of striped bass (also known as "rock fish") that my husband caught has left me trying new recipes with this favorite fish of ours. Of course, at the end of the day nothing beats searing the fillets in olive oil, salt and pepper. One small addition that I picked up on our honeymoon that I highly recommend is any product from Coastal Goods. These spices add so much flavor!

We've been busy, but a sense of normalcy is around the corner, we hope, and I hope that means more cooking!

Posted by Jeannie :: 10:03 AM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, August 23, 2007 Angel Biscuits

I just tried this recipe from Cooking Light (Sept 07). If you're going to the effort to make biscuits (and use Crisco), these are amazing! Also great that you can make the dough ahead of time, avoiding a mess right before a meal.

1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/2 cup warm water
5 cups all-purpose flour (about 22 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl, and let stand for 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. Roll dough to a 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush the melted butter over the biscuit tops. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until golden.

Makes 2 dozen

Labels: Breads and pastries

Posted by Jeannie :: 10:21 AM :: 1 comments

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Saturday, August 04, 2007 Chicken Chilaquiles

Stop by the grocery store and pick up a can of tomatillos (I'm assuming you might not keep them on your shelf) and then grab a fresh bunch of cilantro for this great recipe from July's Cooking Light.

2 cups shredeed cooked chicken (I used leftovers from the herb-roasted chicken)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers, divided
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (11-ounce) can tomatillos, drained
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine chicken, green onions, 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
Place milk and next 3 ingredients (through chiles) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth.
Heat tortillas according to package directions.
Pour 1/3 cup tomatillo mixture into bottom of a baking dish (I used an oval clay dish that is about the size of a 9x13) coated with cooking spray.
Arrange 4 corn tortillas on top of the the tomatillo mixture, and top with half of chicken mixture. Repeat layer with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture, ending with tortillas.
Pour remaining 1 1/2 cups tomatillo mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Labels: Main Dishes

Posted by Jeannie :: 8:47 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, August 01, 2007 Herb-Roasted Chicken

If you're trying to use your money wisely, buying chickens whole is the way to go. The most bang for your buck, and I think you gain a lot of flavor. *A few of my friends don't prefer ever picking anything off of the bone; hence, this recipe is NOT for those friends!

This recipe could easily be doubled (or tripled) if you wanted to bake a few chickens at the same time, pick all the meat off and then freeze or refrigerate the chicken for later use in quesadillas, casseroles, or stuffed shells like I'm making tonight!

6 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. poultry seasoning

2 tsp. freshly chopped sage
2 tsp. freshly chopped basil
2 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary
2 tsp. freshly chopped thyme
2 tsp. fresh minced garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper

1 whole chicken

Stir together first set of ingredients.

Rinse chicken, removing any extra "parts" (ex: giblets) and discard. Pat chicken dry.
Loosen the skin of the chicken (do not detach) and use rub about 2 tsp. of the olive oil mixture underneath the skin on the breasts. Rub remaining mixture over the chicken. Place chicken on a lightly greased wire rack in a pan.

Bake at 450 for 30 minutes; then cover loosely with foil, and bake 45-55 minutes or until your meat thermometer (at thickest portion of chicken) registers 165. Let stand 15 minutes before beginning to slice the chicken.

Note: This is an adaption from a Southern Living recipe.

Labels: Main Dishes

Posted by Jeannie :: 7:19 PM :: 0 comments

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