Tag Archives: dinner

Chicken, Ranch, Black Bean Quesadilla

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I made this recipe a few weeks ago when my sister was visiting from California and it was a big hit. It’s kid friendly and incredibly easy!

From start to finish, these take 15-20 minutes, so they are perfect for a busy weeknight. They make a good snack or appetizer for a party.

Chicken, Ranch, Black Bean Quesadilla

8 ounces whipped cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tablespoon dry Ranch salad dressing mix

½ cup corn, drained

2 tablespoons chopped black olives

½ cup black beans, drained

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon of chopped red onion

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)

1/3 cup chunky salsa (it must be chunky)

1 cup chopped chicken

2 cups shredded Mexican style cheese

6- 8 flour tortillas

Guacamole or extra salsa to serve (optional)

MIs together cream cheese and Ranch dressing until thoroughly combined. Then stir in corn, black olives, black beans, onion, cilantro, salsa and chicken.

You have two options when cooking. You can bake the tortillas or make them on the stovetop or skillet (my favorite method). Baking is easier but the shell gets crispy and busts up a little when you cut it. If you want to bake them, bake at 400 for 6-8 minutes.

If you have a pancake skillet, it’s perfect for these. If not, you can make them two or three at a time or just bake them all at once.

Directions:

Divide mixture between flour tortillas, only filling halfway so when you fold over the tortilla you will have a half moon. Top the mixture with cheese.

Spray a nonstick pan or skillet with cooking spray. Turn heat on to medium. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve immediately. These are great with guacamole or extra salsa.

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Awesome, Chicken and Artichoke Sandwich

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Awesome Chicken, Artichoke Sandwich

This chicken sandwich is crusty on the outside, gooey on the inside and packed with flavor. If you love artichoke dip at parties, you will LOVE this.

This recipe can easily be doubled and you will want to once you taste it. It’s one of my favorites.

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken breast

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoon your favorite olive tapenade (I like green olive for this)

1 cup chopped artichoke hearts

1 cup shredded, fresh parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Half a loaf of French or Italian bread (not baguette)

Preheat oven to 375.

Stir together chicken, cream cheese, mayonnaise, olive tapenade, artichoke hearts, Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Set aside.

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Cut the bread in half and then cut it horizontally. Fill the bread with chicken mixture. If desired, add a tiny sprinkle of more Italian seasoning.

Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil and pop in the oven for 18-20 minutes. When it’s done, cut into four servings.

Yes, it’s THAT EASY!!

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Serve with a salad.

Asian Chicken Quinoa Salad

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This dish is packed with protein from three sources: quinoa, chicken and edamame. It’s a light dish and has vitamin C, antioxidants, B vitamins, fiber and more.

.This makes a large batch, so you can enjoy it for several days. It’s so easy to pack for lunch and leftovers are great cold. I actually prefer it cold.

You can use any combination of stir-fried vegetables, like broccoli. I sometimes toss that in if I have takeout leftovers. I personally love ginger, so I’d prefer twice as much ginger, but to tame it for everyone else, I use this amount. If you love ginger, you can add more, too.

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Asian Chicken Quinoa Salad

This serves 6

2 cups white quinoa

4 cups chicken broth

½ teaspoon ginger paste

1 bunch green onions

2 cups shelled edamame (microwave is most convenient)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 (7.75-ounce) bag of tri-colored cole slaw mix

1 red bell pepper

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Black pepper, to taste

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

Meat from one rotisserie chicken

Dressing:

4 tablespoons canola oil

2 teaspoon soy sauce

2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

4 teaspoons sesame oil

4 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon ginger paste

For the dressing: whisk all ingredients together and set aside.

For the quinoa, in a medium to large pot with a tight fitting lid, bring broth, ginger paste and quinoa to a boil for 3 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to low for 15 minutes. You will know quinoa is done when the grain releases what looks like a little hook. If it’s not done after 15 minutes, cover and cook another 5.

While that cooks, slice roots off green onions and thinly slice the rest of the onions and set aside. Chop red bell pepper and set aside.

Cook edamame according to package directions.

Grab your bundle of cilantro and chop the leaves.

Next, in a large frying pan, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and cole slaw mix and cook 7 minutes. Add red bell pepper and stir fry 3 minutes. Then add soy sauce and pepper to taste.

Debone and de-skin your chicken and chop it into small cubes.

By now, quinoa should be done.

Transfer it to a large bowl. Add edamame, cabbage mixture, cilantro and chopped chicken. Toss with the dressing and serve.

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Chicken Alfredo

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Pasta is one dish I never order in a restaurant because it’s so easy and inexpensive to make at home. Like this Chicken Alfredo. The most time consuming part of this dish is cooking the pasta. I make mine with angel hair because the sauce sticks to the noodles more.

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Chicken Alfredo

Serves 4

Both breasts from rotisserie chicken

8 ounces angel hair pasta

¼ cup butter

1 garlic clove

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cusp fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh chives (optional)

I use chives because we have them in our garden. It’s not worth buying chives for this dish, so the chives are optional. Also, I love basil in alfredo but you can skip it if you’re not crazy about basil.

Do not salt your sauce until the end because there is a lot of salt in cheese.

This dish comes together quickly at the end, so have everything prepped.

First, put water on to boil for pasta.

Then remove the chicken breasts and the skin and chop chicken into chunks and set aside.

Slice basil and chop parsley.

When water is ready, add the pasta

Cook pasta according to aldente directions on the box, strain and set aside.

In a large skillet , heat butter and garlic for 1 minute. Add heavy cream and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan, chicken, pasta, parsley and basil. Cook 2 minutes until sauce sticks to pasta. Garnish with fresh  basil and chives, if desired. Serve immediately.

This photo does not do this dish justice. Just know it’s delicious!

Les Bourgeois Winery in Rocheport, MO, is worth a visit

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Missouri’s third largest winery is tops in my book.

Les Bourgeois Winery, nestled on a bluff in Rocheport, has it all: a great selection of wine; a spectacular view of the Missouri River; a lovely restaurant; and an American success story.

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This family-owned vineyard was started by Curtis and Martha Bourgeois who hailed from Louisiana. In 1974, they bought 15 acres of bluff top property on the Missouri River and relocated to the Show-Me state.

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Initially, they planted grapes to beautify their land and make wine as a hobby.

But in 1985, they had a huge harvest- five tons of grapes that yielded nearly 500 gallons of wine—which they sold to a winery in Rolla.  It was then that the family realized the potential for a vineyard.

A year later, they renovated a building on their property, added a sales counter and opened as “Les Bourgeois Winery.”

In two months, their entire vintage of “Jeunette Rouge” sold out.

In time, they began to buy more land and plant more grapes. In 1994, they purchased more bluff top property adjacent to their home to build a bistro.

Their son, Stephen Bourgeois, an architect, designed the Blufftop Bistro, which is a gorgeous restaurant and a must if you visit. Aside from good food, the view is fantastic.

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If you visit the winery, first stop at the tasting room for a free tasting. You can sample six wines for free or the entire menu of 23 wines, for $8 per person.  The tasting room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

I was just there to celebrate my birthday and the staff were friendly and helpful.

I prefer dry wines and Les Bourgeois has a good selection.

Most of my favorites sips were in the “Collector’s Series” which are higher-end wines. Wine is all about personal taste, but my top picks were:

The Collector’s Series 2013 Vidal Blanc: it was a crisp, vibrant, dry white with citrus flavors.

The Collector’s Series 2011 Syrah: is one of the best Missouri reds I’ve tasted (but in fairness, they bring in California grapes for this wine). It was a full bodied red with hints of pepper, smoke and berries. I loved it and this was my overall favorite.

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Collector’s Series 2012 Valvin Muscat: was very unusual. It struck a lovely balance between sweet and semi-dry. It had strong flavors of orange but hints of pineapple, melon, and strawberry.

I also loved the Vignoles. Vignoles tends to be my favorite Missouri varietal and I drink it in the summer when it’s hot because it’s a refreshing wine (even though I don’t typically like sweet wine and many Vignoles are sweet). This one was dryer than most and had a beautiful floral bouquet, with apricot undertones.

Again, I typically do not like Rose, but there was a sparkling Brut Rose that was light, lively, floral and had hints of berries.  This sparkling wine received a gold medal of excellence at the Jefferson Cup Invitational Competition, a wine competition.

The great thing about wine tasting is it opens you up to things you might never try but end up enjoying.

After the wine tasting, we headed to the Blufftop Bistro, which is one of my favorite Missouri restaurants.

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First, the architecture is stunning and it has great ambience.  Huge windows look out on the Missouri River Valley.  You can sit a table draped in a white linen tablecloth and admire the scenery or the sunset.

Dinner is pricey, but I think it’s worth it. My favorite main course is the filet: it’s melt-in-your mouth tender, served with mashed potatoes, and topped with a red wine demi-glace ($36).

This time, we were between meals so we only had salads and appetizers to choose from. We ordered the meat board and sent it back because we disliked it. They replaced it with a hummus board, which was great. We also had a nice house salad.

If you plan to have dinner in the bistro, make reservations in advance because it’s a popular restaurant in high season or on weekend.

If you don’t want to eat, you can savor a glass of wine on the balcony at the Blufftop Bistro and still enjoy the gorgeous views.

Spring is a lovely time to visit the winery, before it gets too hot outside. And if you’ve never been to Rocheport, be sure to pencil in a little time to walk around there, too.   Rocheport is a quaint town with lovely little antique shops, cafes and bed and breakfasts. The Katy trail runs through here the countryside is beautiful for a bike ride or short drive.

As the weather warms, Les Bourgeois Winery is a perfect place to explore.

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I wrote this article for the Joplin Globe. It appeared today in the paper’s Explore section. I write weekly food and travel features for that newspaper.

Want to go?

Les Bourgeois Winery, 14020 W. Hwy. BB, Rocheport. Wine tasting daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Blufftop Bistro is closed Mondays. There are limited winter hours, too. For a complete list, check the website. There’s a cool feature at the bottom of the website that allows you to try and calculate when the sun will set so you can be there for that. Visit: http://missouriwine.com/hours/

Jumbo Shells Stuffed with Feta, Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Chicken- SO EASY!

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This dish comes together so quickly that the longest part is typically boiling water. It’s an excellent dish and is good warm, at room temperature and even cold, so you can pack any leftover for lunch.

In the winter, I add dried rosemary, but in the summer, sprinkle the dish with fresh basil.

In this dish, you use 2 ounces of feta cheese crumbles and to give you perspective, the containers in the store are usually four ounces, so you want half that much feta.

This pasta just explodes with the flavor of feta, roasted red pepper and has lean protein. It’s easy and do delicious.

Jumbo Shells Stuffed with Feta, Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Chicken

Serves 2

12 Jumbo Shells

2 ounces feta cheese crumbles

¼ cup artichoke hearts

¾ cup jarred roasted red bell peppers (half of a 14 ounce jar)

¾ cup finely chopped rotisserie chicken

Pinch of dried Rosemary or fresh basil

Cook jumbo shells according to package directions (usually about 12 minutes). Drain.

While the shells cook, place feta cheese, artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers in a food processor and pulse until mixture is fairly smooth. You will see plenty of specks of feta and that is fine, but you want the red pepper and artichoke to be smooth.

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Finely chop your chicken and stir it into the roasted red pepper sauce. Add a pinch of dried rosemary or fresh basil. If I have fresh basil, I garnish the tops of the dish with it.

When shells are cool enough to handle, spoon filling into shells and serve. It’s that easy! Enjoy.

In terms of vegetables, this goes great with sautéed spinach or roasted asparagus.

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Jordanian Inspired Chicken in Filo Dough

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My initial inspiration for this recipe was a Moroccan filo pie, but it was extremely complicated and used tons of spices.

So when I started to simplify this in my head, I remembered a dish I learned to make when I took a cooking class in Jordan. I went to Jordan a few years ago to visit Petra, which is a spectacular site. Anyway, in the cooking class we made this delicious chicken seasoned with coriander, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg.

It’s one of my favorite chicken dishes.

So I combined both culinary inspirations and came up with this dish, which is excellent! I am thrilled with the results!!!

I hope you try this! It’s wonderful. Everyone loved it. There wasn’t a bite left.

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Directions

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 very large red onion (or two mediums)

1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

½ cup Pomegranate infused dried cranberries (or substitute raisins)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ cup chicken broth

1 roll of Filo dough

1/3 cup melted butter for brushing

Directions

Thaw filo dough according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice onion and set aside. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat, then add onion and spices and saute for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook 5 more minutes. Then add dried cranberries, tomato paste and broth. Cover dish and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Remove lid and pop mixture in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Use a deep dish pie pan and layer several layers of filo dough on the bottom with the sides hanging over the pie pan. Brush with melted butter. Do this until you’ve used half the dough. Then fill the filo dough with chicken mixture. Place the rest of the filo dough, adding two sheets at a time and quickly brushing with butter, until you have added all the dough and tuck it all in the sides of the pie pan, like a little present.

Brush with remaining butter. Bake for 20- 25 minutes or until golden on top. Cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

This dish can be served as an appetizer or main course.

It pairs well with a Riesling or a beer.

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Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

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I can’t believe it’s been a week since I posted anything, but I have been buried in snow and also had a ton of deadlines. The family were all home with snow days, which meant I couldn’t get anything done. But I did create this fantastic, one pot dish on Friday.  One of my best friends came over for dinner, we opened a bottle of wine, and savored this. It’s wonderful, easy, and delicious. What more can you ask for?

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 medium red onion

1 red bell pepper

1 heaping teaspoon cumin seed

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup Pomegranate infused dried cranberries

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 box garlic flavored couscous

½ cup chopped cilantro

3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

Zest from half an orange

This one pot dish is absolutely delicious and comes together in 20 minutes. It’s packed with flavor

Chop onion and red bell pepper and set aside.  You can use a food processor, just keep the bell pepper a little more chunky.

Remove skin and chop chicken breasts and either leg or thigh meat. Depending on the size of the bird, this should yield enough chicken.

Take about 2/3 of a bunch of cilantro and chop it. Set aside.

Zest your orange and set aside, too.

In a large nonstick pot, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook until almost tender. Add red bell pepper, cumin and cinnamon and cook 2 minutes.

Then add as much water as required to make the couscous (it will say on the back of the box and you’re making the entire box), and flavor packet and dried cranberries.

Basically, you are making it according to package directions but you cut amount of olive oil in half because you already used canola in the vegetables.

When water comes to a boil, add couscous, stir, cover with a tight lid and let it rest for 5 minutes.

NOTE: If your chicken is fresh from the store, you will add it at the end. If it’s been refrigerated, then you should add it with the couscous before you put the lid on.

When couscous is ready, fluff with a fork and toss in cilantro, chopped chicken and orange zest.

Serve immediately.

The orange zest and red bell pepper are a great source of Vitamin C in this dish.

NOTE: if you don’t like using flavored couscous, you can use plain, but I suggest cooking it in reduced sodium chicken broth instead of water. You use the same measurements.

White Chili

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White chili seems to be one of those divisive soups: people love it or hate it.  Some feel like any chili that doesn’t contain beef isn’t really chili.

I enjoy white chili because I love the pronounced flavors of cumin and sour cream. There are so many versions of white chili, but I add corn to mine.

I like to top it with cheese or avocados. Tortilla chips are a good topping, too.  This makes a good size batch, enough for six people.

White Chili

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 teaspoons cumin seed

1 teaspoons ground cumin powder

1 ½ teaspoons chili powder

1 yellow bell pepper

32 ounces of chicken broth, plus 2 cups

1 cup water

1 teaspoon chopped garlic or dried garlic

1 cup half and half

3/4 cup sour cream

4 ounces chopped green chilies (canned)

¼ cup chopped cilantro (optional)

2 can cannellini beans

1 can corn, drained

4 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

This has a lot of ingredients, but it’s still an easy dish.

Chop onion, yellow bell pepper and chicken and set aside.

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add onion, cumin seed, cumin and chili powder. Cook 5 minutes and then add yellow bell pepper and saute another 3 minutes. Then add the next nine ingredients (everything but the chicken) and cook over medium to medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Once you add the sour cream, you don’t want to let the soup boil because it could curdle, so keep the heat at medium.

Add chicken and cook 5 more minutes. Serve.

Creole Fried Rice

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I love fried rice and this is my Southern version.

This rice is flavored with Cajun seasoning, oregano, Andouille, chicken, and the “Trinity” is still crunchy, adding depth to the texture.

If you’re not familiar with the “Trinity” or “Holy Trinity” term, it’s a combination of onion, bell pepper and celery. This is the foundation of Cajun and Creole cooking and a staple in our house. I am married to a Louisiana man.

There’s a lot of differences between Cajun and Creole cooking, but the biggest one is tomatoes. You will notice I called this dish “Creole Fried Rice” and that’s because I use tomatoes in it. If you’re down South and have a jambalaya or gumbo with tomatoes, you’re eating a Creole-style dish.

Cajun food is considered to be more from the country. Creole cuisine is considered more city food.

Here’s a very condensed history. The word Cajun comes from “les Acadians” which were French colonists who settled in Canada. After British conquest of that area, those French descendants settled in Louisiana in the region now called Acadiana. This was a swampy region and what evolved in terms of food was incredible fare using local resources. Rice is a staple and so are spices and seasonings. There’s a lot of one-pot dishes and just down home comfort. Plus, I am amazed at what humans can create when they don’t have much.

The “Creoles” lived in New Orleans and were upper class descendants of settlers. The influences in that cuisine were largely Spanish, French, and African slaves, so there’s more fusion in this cooking. Also, the Creoles had more money to buy ingredients and import ingredients so dishes can be a little more complicated.

In general, I prefer Cajun food, and I use more Cajun ingredients like Andouille, Boudin, and Tasso.

Of course, this is an over-simplification and both styles of food have evolved. My husband stays true to Cajun cuisine and if I try to put a modern or “Yankee” twist on that fare, he tells me I am “bastardizing” his food.

So I can say it’s a big compliment that he loved this dish – although it’s my Creole version, not Cajun.

Be careful when using Cajun seasoning in this recipe because a lot of grocery store brands are terribly salty. I use Joe’s Stuff, which I discovered at the New Orleans School of Cooking: http://www.neworleansschoolofcooking.com/

Just be sure you taste your Cajun seasoning before adding it to the dish.  If there’s another one you’d recommend, let me know. I am always interested in trying new foods. To date though, Joe’s Stuff is the best (you can order it online).

By the way, if you’re ever in New Orleans and enjoy cooking, take a cooking class at New Orleans School of Cooking. It’s fun and educational. I learned a lot there and will definitely take another class. Take a class with Kevin, if you can. He’s a riot and great teacher.

Now, back to my dish. This fried rice came together in about 15 minutes, which is perfect on a busy weeknight (and it was a busy weeknight when I created this).

It’s a great way to use up leftover white rice or if you plan ahead and are making rice on Monday, make a double batch and have leftover rice ready to go on Tuesday.

I hope you enjoy it.

Creole Fried Rice

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 Andouille sausages

2 cups day-old rice

1 cup chopped rotisserie chicken

¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning

¾ teaspoon oregano

1 cup canned tomatoes with celery, onions and peppers

Chop all vegetables (or use a food processor). If you’re using a food processor, coarsely chop the vegetables.

Slice Andouille in half and then chop into bite-size pieces.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add onions and cook 2 minutes. Then add celery and Andouille and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While that cooks, chop your chicken and set aside.

Add bell pepper and cook 1 minute (you want it to still be crisp). Now add rice, chicken, Cajun seasoning, oregano and tomatoes to the dish and cook another 3 minutes. You want to toss the rice so it’s coated in tomatoes, but don’t over-stir the rice or it will become gummy. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. Serve.cajun rice2