What's for Dinner {41} - Irish Nachos!

When Gspice came up with a fun date night idea, I started looking up recipes right away. His idea? Irish Night so we could celebrate St. Patrick's Day from the comfort of our own home. I thought it was such a cute idea and found a recipe we just had to try! We had also talked about watching a movie that would be appropriate for this particular day but when we sat down to eat, we decided a couple episodes of Better Call Saul would do just fine. So beyond the recipe we tried, there wasn't an ounce of Irish in there... We tried :)

The recipe we decided to make was so darn easy and delicious. If you're looking for a good appetizer or side dish, you should consider this! We paired it with some beer battered fish fillets.

Irish Nachos adapted from The Gluten Free Homestead

*We made only enough for us so our quantities are low. If you want to use this as a party appetizer, I'd definitely check out the original recipe or just pay attention to how many potato slices you have.

• 3 medium russet potatoes, wash with a vegetable brush, sliced ⅛ inch thick
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup Sargento Mexican shredded cheese
• 1 package turkey bacon, baked per instructions and cut up into pieces**
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• sour cream for dipping
• Tabasco for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 450℉
2. Toss potatoes with olive oil and dashes of salt/pepper. Bake potato slices on a foil-lined baking sheet for about 15 minutes, turn over and bake another 15 - 20 minutes until golden and slightly crisp.
3. Use any leftover olive oil to coat bottom of the pan. I didn't want ours to stick! In our case, we used a square cake pan lined with foil for more easy clean up!
4. Make one layer of potatoes and top with cheese and bacon bits. Create more layers until the ingredients are gone. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 minutes to melt cheese. Then sprinkle with scallions.
5. Scoop up your serving and add a dollop of sour cream and even hot sauce for extra dipping!

**Gary also asked me to use this as the moment to declare that I liked the turkey bacon. I bought turkey bacon because I really, really dislike bacon but I knew we couldn't make this recipe without it. Though he would have preferred the real stuff, Gary said he's willing to forgive me that it was turkey bacon.

What's for Dinner {18} - Zuppa Toscana & Caesar Salad!

I am pleased to announce that I have made the first good batch of soup. I had not yet, in all my 25+ years of life so far, made a good soup. Tonight changed that. I did not, however, make the breadsticks or salad dressing because I was just plain lazy. I did the dishes instead :)

Zuppa Toscana Soup adapted from Copykat.com
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40-45 minutes (I was able to do dishes for a good 20-25 minutes)

*1 pound mild Italian sausage (I put a just under a T of red pepper flakes to spice it up a bit)
*2 large russet baking potatoes cubed
*1 large chopped onion
*2-5 cloves garlic,  minced
*3 cups chopped kale
*28 ounce cans chicken broth
*1-2 cups water
*1 cup heavy whipping cream
*Salt & Pepper to taste


Cook onion and garlic until translucent. Add sausage and cook like ground beef. Once done, soak up all the grease (I could have done a much better job of this)

Meanwhile, place in a large pot the potatoes, chicken broth, 1 cup water, salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high heat until potatoes are done. Add the sausage, onions and garlic and simmer for 10 minutes. Too finish, add the cream, 1 cup water and kale and heat through.

 

Had I removed all the grease, this wouldn't be so orange....it was delicious nonetheless!

Gary always wants to help so he was tasked with the salad - it, too, was delish. Thanks, Gspice!

 

  YUM!

What's for Dinner {15} - Baked Herb Lemon Dishes

Gary's got another obsession these days and has asked for this dish almost as often as Griddler Chicken. I'll ask what he wants and his response is always "Griddler Chicken". I'll ask again, saying that he has to pick something else and he always picks "Baked Herb Lemon Chicken".

I finally caved and am so glad I did! It turned out sooooo well and those little roasted garlic pieces sent it over the top. We loved it so much, we made it again, but with shrimp instead.


Baked Herb Lemon Chicken adapted from Andicakes!

2 split chicken breasts, skin on (We chose to use the plain chicken breasts instead)
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon sliced in wedges, 6-8 slices
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
9 cloves minced garlic- about 3 Tbs
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 Tbs grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
 2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves, plus 4 sprigs (didn't have any so didn't use it)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Trim any excess fat from the breast and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish skin side up. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Sprinkle the breast with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Now slice one lemon lengthwise into 6-8 wedges and set among the chicken breasts in the dish.

Next add the extra virgin olive oil to a small sauté pan and heat over medium-low temperature, once warmed and the minced garlic and cook for just a minute and stirring constantly. Turn the heat off and add the dry white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried oregano, and minced thyme. 

Pour the warm mixture into the dish to surround the seasoned chicken breasts. Using a brush lightly brush the chicken breasts  with the oil mixture so it will brown during baking and then add the 4 sprigs of thyme on top the chicken breasts.

Bake the dish uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, until the breasts are cooked and reach 165 degrees F. 

Like I mentioned above, we  made the same thing but with shrimp the next night. We paired this with some linguini :)

I wanted to use up some potatoes too and tried out a really fun recipe - using some ingredients we had in the fridge - ranch dressing, sour cream, cream cheese and butter. I know, really healthy, right?

First, cut up 2 russet potatoes in to equal-sized pieces. Place in boiling water and cook through. Drain once cooked and add a dollop of ranch and sour cream, about 2 oz. of cream cheese and butter to taste. Mash til your hearts content and enjoy!!  Gary LOVED these potatoes!!

Recipes from the Past {2 & 3} - Kabobs & Breadsticks!

This is one of my all-time favorite summer meals AND it serves a crowd. It'd be great for a family get-together during a sunny summery day! The only two times I've made this feast was for my summer housing staff at Luther and that was way back in 2009 and 2010. By golly, 2013 better see these recipes!

Recipes from the Past {2} - Build-Your-Own Shish Kabobs

from Summer 2009

Dijon-Rosemary Steak

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, stemmed

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 lb sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

Citrus-Tarragon Chicken

1 orange, zested, then juiced, remainder discarded

1 lemon, zested, then juiced, remainder discarded

1 lime, zested, then juiced, remainder discarded

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup canola oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced

1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 tsp chili pepper flakes

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 lb (16 to 20 count) shrimp, shelled and deveined

Veggies For Kabobs (your choice)

Bell peppers

Onions

Cherry tomatoes

Mushrooms

Italian squash

Baby potatoes, boiled until cooked through

Corn on the cob, husked and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

Balsamic Basting Vinaigrette for Veggies (I skipped this step but sure would be good!)

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

**If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 1 hour to retard charring.

Directions

Whisk together all of the Dijon-rosemary steak ingredients (except the steak) in a bowl. Toss the steak in the mixture until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours (I prefer overnight!)

Whisk together all of the citrus-tarragon chicken ingredients (except the chicken) in a bowl. Toss the chicken in the mixture until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours (again, I prefer overnight!)

Whisk together all of the lemon garlic shrimp ingredients (except the shrimp) in a bowl. Toss the shrimp in the mixture until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours (same here! I prefer overnight!)

Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces.

Puree balsamic basting vinaigrette ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds.

Place meats, shrimp, and veggies in individual bowls and set out buffet style. Instruct your guests to skewer their own kabobs and baste veggies with balsamic vinaigrette.

Grill kabobs directly over heat source for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning 1/4 rotation every 2 to 3 minutes, or until the meat and/or fish is cooked throughout.

Recommended beverage: Beer :-) OR the Oelrich family punch staple - equal parts pineapple juice, fruit punch and ginger ale. SO GOOD!

Recipes from the Past {3} - Herb Toast
Gary LOVES these breadsticks and it's also a great addition to the kabob grilling party!

 

Slice a baguette in half crosswise, then cut each half lengthwise into 4 sticks.

Cook 3 tablespoons minced red onion in 4 tablespoons butter until soft.  Season with salt and pepper and add 1/4 cup minced mixed herbs.

Brush onto the bread and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

Recipes from the Past {1} - Baked Fish & Chips

I just realized there are a few recipes that we've made over the years that haven't ever been posted! These are some of our most favorite recipes so I just couldn't resist digging them up for you all to enjoy as well.

Recipe from the Past {1} - Baked Fish & Chips

from January 22, 2011

FISH

Canola oil cooking spray

1 cup dry breadcrumbs

1 cup whole-grain cereal flakes

1 tsp lemon pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp paprika

¼ tsp salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 large egg whites

1 lb tilapia fillets

CHIPS

3 medium russet potatoes

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray.

Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick sticks. Toss with the olive oil and cayenne in a bowl. Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven, add the potatoes and spread in an even layer. Use a rubber spatula to scrape any oil from the bowl over the potatoes. Bake on the top oven rack, turning once, until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt.  Keep an eye on the sticks so they don’t burn in oven.

Place breadcrumbs, cereal flakes, lemon pepper, garlic powder, paprika and salt in a food processor or blender and process until finely ground. Transfer to a shallow dish.

Place flour in a second shallow dish and egg whites in a third shallow dish. Dredge each strip of fish in the flour, dip it in the egg and then coat all sides with the breadcrumb mixture. Place on the prepared rack. Coat both sides of the breaded fish with cooking spray.

Bake until the fish is cooked through and the breading is golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.

Serve with tarter sauce (for Gary) or Tabasco sauce (for Vanessa)