Quinoa Salad with Edamame and Lemon-Dill Dressing

I made the below salad a couple of weeks ago and have been meaning to add it to the blog. I loved how simple it was and it can be served warm or cold. I brought this in my lunch all week and ate it cold and it was great.  You could easily alter the ingredients to suit your taste; I thought some canned tuna would be an easy and cheap substitute for the chicken. This salad will definitely be added to my lunch rotation!

Quinoa Salad with Edamame and Lemon-Dill Dressing
*** adapted from One Perfect Bite

Serves: 6
Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 c. quinoa
2 c. vegetable or chicken broth
2 c. frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 c. cooked chopped chicken
1 T. grated lemon zest
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
2 T. chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. drained and diced jarred roasted red peppers
1/4 c. chopped walnuts

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook quinoa for 8 minutes. Remove lid and add edamame. Cover and continue to cook about 8 minutes. Drain any remaining water if necessary.

Whisk lemon juice, oil, dill and salt in a large boil. Add peppers and quinoa. Toss to combine. Stir in chopped chicken and walnuts.

Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Shallots

I made the below pork chop recipe for Brady over Labor Day weekend and it was a huge hit. Brady's a big fan of pork chops but I never seem to think of making them. When I've made pork chops in the past, I've been afraid that I was going to overcook the pork but the below cooking method helps keep them from drying out. Plus, you can set the cooked pork chops aside, tented with a little foil, while you prepare the sauce and that allows the juices to settle in the meat, making them extra flavorful. I served the pork chops with roasted vegetables which made for a perfect simple and healthy dinner.

Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Shallots
** adapted from Skinny Taste.com

Serves 2
Prep/Cook Time: 25 minutes

1 tsp butter
2 pork line chops (with bone), 1 inch thick, trim all fat
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 c. fat free chicken broth
10 oz. sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 T. dijon mustard
2 T. chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Season pork with salt and pepper and add the pork to the skillet. Saute for 5 minutes, turn and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Put the skillet in the oven and cook the pork for an addition 5 minutes or until done. Remove cooked pork chops from the skillet; set aside and keep warm.

Add shallots to the skillet and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the stock to deglaze the pan and stir in the mustard, 1 T. parsley, and mushrooms. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and cook about 3 minutes. Put the chops on a platter and pour the mushroom sauce over the meat, top with remaining parsley.

BLT Pasta

I just realized that I haven't posted any new recipes since the 18th, yikes! It's been a busy (and fun) two weeks with the start of school and a wedding last weekend in Minneapolis. I have a few recipes that I will be posting this weekend that we have made over the last two weeks and hopefully from here on out I will be better about posting more frequently. No guarantees though!

This week we made two great dishes, a BLT pasta and a pizza that I will share the recipe for later. The BLT pasta was Brady's idea, it's a favorite dish of his at a restaurant in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where he went to college. I was expecting a heavy pasta dish but the recipe that we used is light and perfect for the end of summer. I loved the garlic lemon sauce and the addition of the basil and arugula not only adds great flavor but makes the dish bright and aesthetically pleasing!

BLT Pasta
recipe from Heather Cristo Cooks

Serves 4
Prep/Cook Time: 25 minutes

1 lb whole wheat pasta (we used Fusilli)
5-6 slices bacon
1 large bunch arugula
1 handful fresh basil
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons, juiced
¼ cup olive oil (I think you could use less and just add a little pasta water at the end)
Kosher salt and Cracked black pepper
*** canned crab meat (optional) 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon till crispy and then set aside to drain on a paper towel.

Cook the pasta according to directions.

In a small bowl, combine garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add the vinaigrette to a skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Add the crumbled bacon, arugula, basil, and cherry tomatoes to the pasta and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

*** The original recipe suggests topping the pasta with a little crab meat. We tried this, it was good but I don't think it's necessary.

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce

I have exciting news to share, I got a teaching job!!! I am going to be teaching a 1st/2nd grade split class at a school in Evanston. I'm extremely excited and so thankful that I was able to find such a great job. I found out I got the position Tuesday afternoon, started yesterday and the first day of school is next Wednesday- needless to say, I have been a little busy.

I've been wanting to post the below recipe for a few days now and just haven't gotten to it. Brady made Giada's recipe for Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce for me and it was amazing. I loved the creaminess of the sauce and the addition of the mushrooms. It's not the prettiest dish (hence why I am using Giada's photo instead of mine) but it tastes great!

 

Photo Courtesy of Food Network

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce
** recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4
Prep/Cook Time: 45 minutes

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil
2 T. butter, divided
3/4 c. chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 T. minced garlic
1 c. dry Marsala wine
1 c. mascarpone cheese or light cream cheese
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the Marsala wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 1 tablespoon of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

Happy Blog Anniversary!

This past Tuesday marked the one year anniversary of A Kitchen on Elm Street. I had planned to make a celebration dinner and bake a fun cake but unfortunately life got in the way. It turned out to be a busy week of job interviews, working, and unfortunately pretty unexciting meals. Since I can't write about some exciting dinner we made, I decided to share our top 5 recipes from the past year. My mom has been asking me to do this for a while now, so here they are in no particular order!

Brady's Top 5 Recipes

Sausage and Fig Pizza

Chicken and Andoullie Gumbo

Chipotle Honey Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Squash

Soy Glazed Short Ribs

Bruschetta with Honey, Ricotta, and Pistachios

My Top 5 Recipes
Sausage and Fig Pizza
African Peanut Soup
Soy Glazed Short Ribs
Chipotle Honey Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Squash
Chicken Pot Pie
** and since it's my blog I am adding in a 6th- Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes!

Let me just say, making this list was nearly impossible. I have so many favorites plus so many of these recipes make me smile as I think of the story behind them. It's definitely been fun documenting our exciting travels, meals at great Chicago restaurants and all of the time spent cooking in my kitchen on Elm Street!**

** And Brady's kitchen on Clifton, then Sheridan, and now Pine Grove :)

Mexican Pizza

Pizza is one of those foods that always hits the spot. I love making my own pizza because it's easy, cheap and always ends up being much healthier then delivery. Now don't get me wrong, there are definitely times were delivered pizza is in fact the easiest route to go. But, on a night like last night, when I was just staying in and had some pizza dough on hand and random ingredients, it was the perfect night to come up with a new pizza combination.

I'm not sure if I've had Mexican Pizza before. I know I've seen it on countless pizza menus and now I know why. It's really good!! I loved the black bean sauce. I honestly could have just dipped a few chips in it and would have been happy. I used spicy chicken sausage because I had it on hand but using ground turkey or beef, or even forgetting the meat all together, would work. I thought this was another winning pizza combo and a perfect example of thinking outside the box (pizza box that is!)

Mexican Pizza

Serves 4
Prep/Cook Time: 30 minutes

favorite pizza dough
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 lime
1 red pepper, diced or cut into strips
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
2 Spicy Chicken Sausage links, diced
bunch of cilantro
Monterrey Jack cheese

Preheat oven according to instructions on the dough. Spray a pizza pan with cooking spray and dust with a little flour.

Using a food processor or immersion blender, blend the black beans until smooth. Stir in the cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder and the juice of half a lime. Season with salt and pepper and add more cayenne if you would like the black bean sauce more spicy.

Spread the pizza dough on the prepared pan. Cover the dough with the black bean sauce, leaving about a 1 inch crust free of sauce. Top with the red pepper, red onion, jalapeno, chicken sausage, and enough cheese to cover the pizza. Top with some cilantro and bake according to the dough directions. Serve with a slice of lime.

Toasted - Coconut Rice Pilaf

Unfortunately I haven't spent much time in the kitchen this week. The last time I cooked (making eggs and heating up my rotisserie chicken from the store doesn't count) was last weekend. I felt like Thai food and it was the perfect opportunity to try out the below rice pilaf recipe. I LOVED it! It was super easy and tasted like something you'd order from a takeout restaurant. Plus it was so much healthier than anything that could have been delivered. I served the rice with chicken, zucchini, red pepper, and summer squash that had been sauteed in a Thai peanut sauce (I recommend House of Tsang, it's great and low in fat and calories).

Toasted-Coconut Rice Pilaf

Serves 4
Prep/Cook Time: 25 minutes

3 T. coconut
1 T. olive oil
1 c. long grain brown rice
1 c. broth
1 c. light coconut milk
2 or 3 slices lime
1/2 c. frozen peas

In a medium saucepan, toast the coconut over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In the same saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add rice and sauce for about 3 minutes. Add broth and coconut milk and bring a boil. Add a little salt and pepper and the lime slices. Stir, cover tightly and reduce heat to low and simmer about 15-20 minutes or until fluffy. Make sure to stir occasionally.

Add peas and coconut and stir to combine. Cook 1 minute or until peas are just cooked through.