Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli “Stroganoff”

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Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli “Stroganoff”
Recipe Type: Casserole, Comfort Food
Cuisine: Easy, American
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
“Comfort food” to the extreme! Get out your slow cooker and let ‘er simmer away all day! Feeds a crowd, and is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup lite balsamic vinaigrette
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 10 white mushrooms, sliced thinly
  • 1 lb (16 oz) broad egg-noodles
  • 1 16 oz package frozen broccoli florets
  • 1 8 oz. package cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat Neufchatel cheese)
  • 2 cans low-fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed)
  • 3 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional- I used a Mexican blend that I had already)
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Place chicken breasts, vinaigrette, and garlic powder in a freezer bag. Shake to combine and make sure the chicken breasts get evenly coated. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, turning over bag midway.
  2. Spray the bottom of a slow-cooker with cooking spray. Add onions, chicken, and mushrooms and cook on low for 4 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked.
  3. While still in the slow cooker, shred the chicken with two forks. It should pull apart easily!
  4. In a large saucepan, cook egg noodles to al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and add to slow cooker.
  5. In the same saucepan over medium heat, combine Neufchatel cheese, condensed soup, dijon mustard, and frozen broccoli. Mix until smooth and broccoli is completely covered. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Add broccoli and sauce to slow cooker and stir to combine.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 deg. Spray a 9×13″ casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread casserole evenly in dish and sprinkle with shredded cheese (optional).
  8. Cook for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and egg noodles are just beginning to brown.
  9. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  10. Serve with a side salad and fresh grapefruit wedges.

 

 

ClaireLeave a comment

Do-It-Yourself Hot Cocoa Kit

Looking to save this holiday season? Feeling crafty? Tired of giving gifts that require you to simply click “Complete my order” or “This item contains a gift”?

I came across the cutest recipe for DIY hot chocolate mix wedding favors at BridalGuide.com and fell in love. They (almost) made me wish I’d waited another 5 months to get married in December just so I could give these little nuggets as favors! Easy as (wedding?) cake, you can make these using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Simply layer the ingredients in a pretty clear canister or antique-looking glass jar, and fasten a recipe tag on with some pretty, festive ribbon. Ta-da! Half your Christmas list is covered. These would be especially great for grandparents or those folks that you never know what to get because they don’t need anything (and would probably enjoy something homemade more than store-bought). You know, that whole “it’s the thought that counts” thing.

The original instructions were designed for pint-sized favors, just enough for two mugs of hot chocolate. I decided to multiply the recipe by two and a half in order to fill the 33 oz jar I had gotten from Sur La Table and figured it would serve about six using the entire jar. Feel free to adjust the recipe based on your own needs! I layered sugar, cocoa powder, powdered milk, and salt (see label below for amounts of each) and topped it all with Christmas-colored chocolate chips and some mini marshmallows.

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I made up a little tag to fasten around the jar with a navy ribbon, listing the ingredients and instructions for serving. Here’s your chance to get creative and personal! The label reads:

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
Cozy Cocoa Recipe

Ingredients:
1 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ c. unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ c. powdered milk
1 pinch of salt

Family Movie Night (serves 6):
Mix contents of jar in a large bowl with 8 cups boiling water. Stir well and serve!

Romantic Date Night (serves 2):
Combine ½ cup of each layer (sugar, cocoa, powdered milk) in bowl with 2 2/3
cups boiling water. Top with marshmallows and chocolate chips!

Again, play around with your own wording to make it as personal as you can! For example, I was making this for a friend as a Secret Santa gift, and because she was going home to visit her family and boyfriend for the holidays, I decided to make it a “Baby It’s Cold Outside- Hot Cocoa Date Night” theme. I also gave her some pretty painted floral mugs from Anthropologie, a half-dozen freshly baked thumbprint jam cookies (her favorite), extra mini marshmallows, a peppermint bark Ghirardelli  chocolate bar, and two cute little porcelain bunny spoons for “stirring up some romance” with her beau.

I had so much fun making these- I hope you do too! Happy gifting 🙂

 

Claire1 Comment

Kale, White Bean, and Turkey Sausage Stew

This was actually the first dinner I ever made Ben, and though I’ve posted a picture of it before, I’ve never gotten around to putting the recipe up! Adapted from a Real Simple recipe, it’s definitely one of my favorites- a light but still hearty stew that couldn’t be easier to make!

Ben and I kicked off the Christmas season by having this stew with some crusty bread and a glass of Moscato in front of the TV as we watched the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting! I always love the cozy feel of those first few days of December, when Christmas music (which is now officially given my “OK” to listen to since it’s after Thanksgiving) is still fresh on the radio. I’ve been taking full advantage of my precious Pandora Mariah Carey station with the hopes of hearing “All I Want for Christmas is You” at least 6 times in one sitting 😛

I have to say, I don’t get the same warm and fuzzy feel from the twelve gazillion jewelry commercials on every single TV channel…

I hope this stew warms your bones the same way it warmed ours tonight! Happy December, ya’ll!

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Kale, White Bean, and Turkey Sausage Stew
Recipe Type: Stews, Soups, Chilis
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Claire McCormick of Claire Tastes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Here’s a light (but still hearty!) stew to warm your bones on an early December night! Just chop a few veggies, add them all to a big stockpot, and simmer for about half an hour as you shop for Christmas gifts online or decorate the tree!
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp EVOO
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 4 turkey sausage links, fully-cooked and sliced thinly
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2-3/4 cup white mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cans Great Northern or Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cans sliced, peeled tomatoes or diced tomatoes, in their juice
  • 6 whole carrots, sliced
  • 1 large bunch of fresh kale or spinach, rinsed well and torn into small pieces
  • 1 32 oz carton of low-sodium chicken broth (plus additional if needed! I ended up adding 1 tsp of Better than Bullion and about 2 more cups of water)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried Italian herb blend
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • A sprinkling of dried bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Grated parmesan cheese, to taste
  • Crusty whole grain bread
Instructions
  1. Slice onions, mushrooms and garlic thinly.
  2. Heat EVOO in a saute pan on medium heat.
  3. Saute onions, mushrooms, and garlic until soft, about 4 minutes. Make sure to scrape up all the brown bits in the bottom of the pan!
  4. Add onion mixture to a large stockpot.
  5. Transfer sliced turkey sausage to the saute pan, adding additional oil if needed. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned on both sides.
  6. Add sausage to stockpot.
  7. Add chicken broth and all herbs to stockpot.
  8. Add tomatoes and carrots to stockpot and turn heat to medium-high. Allow liquid to come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low so that stew is slightly bubbling.
  9. Add drained beans to pot and simmer stew with lid tilted for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  10. Right before serving, stir in kale pieces until bright green in color (about 2 minutes).
  11. Ladle stew into bowls. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper and parmesan cheese.
  12. Serve with a side salad and crusty whole grain bread.

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Claire1 Comment

Brown Butter Green Beans & Radish Sauté

While celebrating with my in-laws in Pittsburgh this year, I had the privilege of testing out this new recipe, adapted slightly from Williams-Sonoma’s Home Recipe Collection. Everyone loved it, and it was certainly worth the attention to detail, if you have the time on a busy Thanksgiving before all the guests arrive (or you have someone to delegate to!). The garlic, mustard, and tarragon meld perfectly and complement the bite of the sherry vinegar, and sautéing the radishes mellows out their flavor a bit so that they don’t overpower the rest of the veggies! They also provide a splash of bright red color, especially appreciated on a holiday on which brown and white (brown stuffing, white turkey, brown gravy, white potatoes, white dinner rolls, etc. etc.) seem to be the theme. A definite “must-try” for your Thanksgiving feast next year!

We have so much to be thankful for. I hope you’re enjoying your day as much as I am enjoying mine!

Happy Thanksgiving, ya’ll, and God bless!

Green Beans and Radishes

Brown Butter Green Beans & Radish Sauté
Recipe Type: Side Dish
Author: Claire McCormick of Claire Tastes
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
The bold flavors of garlic, tarragon, whole grain mustard and sherry vinegar intermingle and play off of each other perfectly in this dish. Sautéed with green beans, spicy radishes, and topped off with toasted pine nuts, this is a much lighter (and tastier!) alternative to the traditional, calorie-laden green bean casserole. A perfect choice to add to your Thanksgiving recipe box!
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs green beans, rinsed and ends trimmed
  • 1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 package (about 15) radishes, trimmed and quartered
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted*
  • *Toast pine nuts (or nuts of choice- hazelnuts or walnuts would also work well!) on a regular baking sheet at 350 degrees for 6-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until nuts are golden brown and toasted.
Instructions
  1. Boil a large pot of salted water and add green beans. Cook for about 4 minutes, then blanch by rinsing with cold water to stop the cooking process. Beans should be bright green in color!
  2. In a large sauté pan on medium heat, warm the oil. Place the radishes cut-side down and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sherry vinegar and continue to stir until all of the liquid is evaporated, about 1 minute more. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and transfer to a medium bowl.
  3. In same pan, heat butter until melted and just starting to brown- about 1 minute.
  4. Add garlic, mustard, and tarragon and stir continuously for about 1 minute.
  5. Add green beans and radishes to pan and toss with brown butter sauce until warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.
  6. When ready to serve, toss with pine nuts and transfer to a warm serving bowl.

Recipe adapted from http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/green-beans-brown-butter-radish.html

Claire1 Comment

Pumpkin Kale Lasagna

Pumpkin Kale Lasagna
Recipe Type: Holiday; Pasta
Author: Claire McCormick
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Warm up those bones with a quick and easy lasagna variation that is the perfect balance of sweet and savory! Layered with pumpkin, goat cheese and melted fontina blend, and topped with crispy kale.
Ingredients
  • 1 box regular lasagna noodles, pre-cooked and cooled
  • 1 can pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 large bunch kale, torn into pieces and stems removed (about 6 cups steamed)
  • 6 oz. crumbled goat cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella, fontina, and provolone cheese blend (or other cheese that melts easily!)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 deg.
  2. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions and about 1 minute less (to al dente texture). Drain and allow to cool to touch.
  3. Steam kale.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin, egg, spices, and brown sugar. Spread a thin layer of pumpkin mixture into a casserole dish sprayed with cooking oil.
  5. On top of pumpkin, layer 3-4 lasagna noodles (the noodles can overlap slightly!).
  6. Spread another thin layer of pumpkin mixture on top of noodles.
  7. Top with a layer of goat cheese.
  8. Add a layer of steamed kale.
  9. Sprinkle a layer of shredded cheese on top of kale.
  10. Top with another layer of lasagna noodles.
  11. Repeat layering until there are a total of four layers of noodles.
  12. End with a layer of kale with sprinkled shredded cheese on top.
  13. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
  14. Remove foil and bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes more.
  15. Cool, cut, and enjoy!

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Add a thin layer of pumpkin sugar mixture to the bottom of the dish. Layer lasagna noodles on top, filling in any gaps with broken pieces (I always seem to get a bunch of these… I must be an overzealous stirrer during boiling!). Add a thin layer of pumpkin sugar mixture on top of noodles and spread evenly.

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Add a layer of crumbled goat cheese.

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Top with steamed kale and a layer of shredded mozzarella, fontina, and provolone mixture. Continue layers of noodles, pumpkin, goat cheese, kale, and shredded cheese until you have about 3-4 layers (the kale will take up a good amount of space because it’s so leafy, so it doesn’t take a ton of layers to reach the top of the dish!).

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Stick it in the oven at 375, covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for the last 10. Cool, cut, and devour!

Claire2 Comments

The Best Cup of Coffee You’ll Ever Have

Last Christmas, Ben surprised me with an Aeropress kit. What the heck is Aeropress, you ask? I had the exact same response when I opened the package. “Ummm thanks dear! … Soooo, what is this exactly?” Well, that husband of mine had done his research. It turns out that Aeropress is a way to prepare coffee similarly to a French Press, with the idea of concentrating really finely ground coffee down to an espresso-strength concentrate, and then adding hot water to fill the cup to the strength of your liking. The concept behind Aeropress, which is described as a “High-Performance Sports Toy” on their website, is to use the ideal temperature of water, gentle air pressure, and total immersion of the coffee grounds to brew a smooth, rich, lower-acidity cup of coffee that only takes about a minute to make. I was skeptical at first- add water to my coffee? Won’t that just make it really weak? But I soon found that with a little bit of practice, the cuppa joe you get at the end is stronger and less bitter than any mug of drip that you’ll ever drink. Don’t believe me? Ask… actually, I don’t know anyone else with an Aeropress. So just believe me. With my new toy, Ben also got me a few months’ subscription to Tonx coffee. Tonx, a small company out of Los Angeles, is a really great  (though a bit pricey) way to try out different coffees from all around the world. Every 2 weeks I looked forward to receiving a small package of freshly-roasted (as in, within the last few days) whole beans from El Salvador, Ecuador, the Phillipines, Brazil, etc. with a little blurb on the quality and flavor of the coffee, and the profile of the community it came out of. I also soon ordered an automatic coffee grinder, which I absolutely adore. I highly recommend the Encore Coffee Grinder by Baratza. It’s not cheap, but it will allow you to grind your beans just the way you like them, is sturdy, relatively quiet (as far as coffee grinders can be), and convenient as you don’t have to manually turn a knob over and over and over just to get out like, a teaspoon of grinds. Given that the Aeropress requires a decent amount of ground beans to make the concentrate for a double-espresso strength cup (or 12 oz or so of regular brew), an automatic grinder is definitely a worthwhile investment. I’ve reserved my Aeropress-brewing days for Saturday and Sunday mornings, when I have a bit more time to sit and savor my coffee. It also means I get to look forward to it all week long! Want to know how to make it? Let me show you! Me last Christmas with my new “toy.” Excited to enter the world of snobby coffee-drinkers!

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First, here is what all the components look like (coffee grinder wasn’t included in the Aeropress package. Nor was the Eight O’Clock Coffee :P). From left to right, a funnel for drip-free hot water-pouring, filter holder and 350 micro-filters, scooper, Aeropress plunger (top) and chamber (bottom), filter cap, and stirrer.

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 Grind your coffee. Insert the plunger into the chamber until the rubber bottom lines up with the “4” line on the chamber. Flip the entire plunger/chamber over. Using the scooper, scoop 2 level scoops of finely-ground coffee (I used about a setting of 15 on the Encore) and pour into the chamber (this part is on top now). 

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Heat your water until just about boiling (but not quite). According to the “High-Performance Sports Toy experts”, boiled water added to the coffee isn’t the “correct” way of Aeropressing. So they say.

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Pour the hot water into the top of the chamber up until the “1” line. Steep for about 15 seconds.

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Using the stirrer, stir the coffee and water until the grounds have dissolved and you get a nice smooth mixture.

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Place one of the paper filters into the filter holder. Dampen the filter paper with a few drops of warm water.

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Screw the filter and filter holder onto the top of the chamber.

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Place the mug you plan to use on top of the filter holder, covering it completely. With one hand holding the mug securely in place, invert the entire complex so that the coffee/water mixture is free to drain out the bottom, directly into the mug.

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Shake it up a little bit to get the bits of wet grounds that are still stuck to the bottom of the plunger. With gentle pressure, slowly press the plunger down into the chamber. This step is the key to getting your coffee to be less bitter and acidic! The air pressure is concentrating the coffee, so you want to be as gentle as you can as you plunge. The entire plunging should take 20-25 seconds. When you start to hear the hissing of air, it’s time to stop!

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This is what you end up with. Exciting, I know. Funny story: the first time I tried to Aeropress last Christmas morning, I thought this was the final step in the process. I thought to myself, “well gee, that’s lame! It hardly makes any coffee at all! I’ll just have to add 4 scoops next time!” I then gave it to my non-coffee-drinking husband to try. “Phew- that is STRONG!” he said as he took a tiny sip. I think one drop of that double espresso-strength concentrate kept him awake till New Years’!

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 Continue to add hot water to fill the mug, leaving room for milk if desired.

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 The finished product!

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And here you have it- with a little bit of milk: the best cup of coffee you will ever taste! Bold, smooth, and rich! 

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Will you Aeropress this holiday season?

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