Lemon Raspberry Granola Pancakes

In the interest of saying SOMETHING about food this year…

I give you RASPBERRY GRANOLA PANCAKES!!!

See recipe for Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes…

Don’t fold the raspberries into the batter, however, as they have a tendency to be a bit mushy softer.

Ladle out the pancake onto the pan or griddle, then drop the raspberries artfully onto the top, and sprinkle with a bit of granola.

I also added a bit of lemon zest to the batter.

Try not to go overboard with the granola.  Just trust me here.  And try to find an unflavored granola.

When you flip them, you’ll have to smash them a bit, like a burger, but not too hard.

They are delightful! 😛

Penne With Vodka Sauce and Veggies

Featuring quick and easy food is becoming a way of life as I continue to clear brush hoping to finally create a clearing large enough for a house.  We did away with the last of the double-size garage brush pile last weekend…two more truck and trailer loads.

This weekend, I’m imposing on Aggie’s awesome hospitality while the blessed rain falls.  We really do need the rain, even though Swamp Nomstress, aka the front yard, will shortly reappear.  I will refrain from waxing poetic about the joys of slogging through shin deep mud while toting small trees and get on with the food.

In the interest of saving my sanity time, I used a jarred sauce, which was pretty good.  I’ll go ahead and include the recipe to make the Vodka sauce with actual vodka just in case you’re feeling like a glutton for punishment purist!

Beginning with the usual suspects, garlic and onion.  Chop and cook until tender.

Add some sliced mushrooms.

I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  Trimmed WELL.  Cut into about 1 inch pieces.

Stir together and brown.

When the chicken is browned, add the vodka sauce and a can or two of roasted diced tomatoes, drained.

Stir together well, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Leave off the lid so it’s not too soupy!  Then, add zucchini, cut into half moon wedges.

Let the zucchini cook for about 15 minutes, until it’s just becoming a bit soft, and add the spinach and peas.

Wilt the spinach for another 10 – 15 minutes.  It cooks down quite a lot, and you’ll want to put the lid on at this point.

Uncover and stir well.

Serve over penne with some hot bread.  You’ll feel so warm and fuzzy, but you’re actually getting a lot of great veggies, too!

To make the homemade vodka sauce:

1/3 cup vodka

15 oz diced tomatoes

8 oz tomato sauce

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)

Combine over low heat and stir until cheese melts and all ingredients are incorporated.

Fat free half-and-half is still creamy and rich, but keeps down the fat content.

Canadian bacon is an alternative to the chicken, also lean but loaded with flavor.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken

It’s still cold outside.  Well, if you consider 50-something cold…  I’m a Gulf Coast dweller.  Stop judging me!  🙂

Rat Boy is always asking me to make this for him, and it’s so easy, I probably should more often.  But then he’d just be tired of it, and it wouldn’t be a treat then.

So, I had this chicken.  And I was wondering what I’d cook today.  So I decided to make Rat Boy happy.  🙂

Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this.  It keeps really well, and is good cold on a sandwich, or even by itself, so make plenty!

Butter a baking sheet (with sides) well.  Really well, as the butter will kind of fry the chicken to heavenly.

Slice teh breasts in half crosswise to make them thinner.

This is so much easier and less messy than pounding them thin.  🙂

You’ll need 2 small bowls, one for breadcrumbs (I used panko and they were awesome) mixed with Parmesan cheese…

and one for a beaten egg.  Using a shallow, wide bowl for the breadcrumbs works the best.

Dip the chicken pieces in the egg.

Then into the breadcrumb/cheese mix.  You can press it on to get a nice thick layer.

Your fingers will be goopy, but it’s really worth it!

Lay the chicken in the melted butter on the baking sheet.

Pat any remaining crumb mix onto the bald spots, then bake at 350F for about 20 minutes.  Flip the chicken pieces over, and bake another 10-15 minutes, until the pieces are nicely golden brown and crunchy.

If your oven is a hundred years old like mine, you’ll need to rearrange the pieces so they are evenly cooked!

Then enjoy the crunchy deliciousness.  🙂

Oh, and don’t forget the wine.  You deserve it!

Please ignore all that stuff in the background.  I was washing up while the chicken was baking.  Now, I can enjoy the wine!

Spicy Chicken Pasta

Guess today is an unintentional 2-for, as I posted the Christmas Cake last night around 10, and it was already today on server time.  I am now convinced the server must be out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean somewhere, since I am so far behind server time!

It’s still cold.  Amazing in Texas to have the same kind of temperatures for 4 or 5 days, but the sun is back, so doubtless it will warm up soon.

Meanwhile, a bit of spice was in order to keep us warm, at least on the inside.  😛

Let’s hear it for the comfort food!

Slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts into thin, about 1 inch pieces, and brown with garlic, onion and celery.  Brown in a skillet with a bit of olive oil.  I used the Dutch oven, as I was planning to finish this off in the oven.

Wow!  Did I actually just say planning?  That’s a word that doesn’t see much use at our house!  😛

The cast of players tonight, include squash (of course), tomato, and chicken.

Thinly slice the chicken, and brown in olive oil with diced garlic, onion, and celery.  I used 3 cippolini onions I happened to have on hand for a sweeter flavor, but really couldn’t tell the difference when everything is smothered in tomato!

Salt and pepper to taste while browning.

Thinly slice some peppers.  I matchsticked these, a poblano and 2 jalapenos, just to be different.  🙂

Drop in the peppers when the chicken is almost finished browning, so they get a bit charred, too.

Then add 2 cans of diced tomoatoes.  I’m using the fire roasted with garlic variety.

Stir the whole mess together well, and add a cup or two of broth, veggie or chicken.

Stir together well, and pop the whole thing into the oven at 250F for a couple of hours.  I had planned to add red wine to this, but didn’t.  So I drank it instead!  😛

About 20 minutes before you want to serve, slice some squash, and add it to the sauce, making sure the squash is down in the liquid.  I used yellow squash and zucchini this time.  Stir in some tomato sauce, if you want thicker gravy.

 

Back into the oven for 20 minutes, while you make the pasta, and it’s ready to serve!  2 thumbs up from Rat Boy!  😀

Cheese Tortellini Soup

I made this last fall, and since the weather actually got cooler over the weekend (again), I thought I’d give it another go.  Last time, Hubby and Rat Boy decided it should be called kale soup, as I went a bit wild with the kale!  I thought it was great, but the boys grow suspicious of dishes with too many green things.  😛

I must mention here that a little kale goes a long way!  This time, I only used 2 stems out of the bunch.  I do try to keep the peace.

This ended up being an experiment in “everything but the kitchen sink” cooking, which can be good if you’re looking to use up some miscellaneous veggies.

Start with 1 onion, some garlic cloves, and a couple stalks of celery, chopped and sauteed.

I added mushrooms, too.  🙂

I decided to let this finish off in the crock pot, trying to get to yoga, and still not burn down the house!  😛  Next time, I’ll be using a larger pot, however, as my crock pot was full to the brim at the end.

Brown a package of sausage, any will do.  I used chicken for hopefully less fat!

Add 1 tbsp thyme, 2 cartons broth (veggie here), 2 cans of beans (I used 1 of cannellini and 1 navy), 1 bunch of asparagus or whatever other veggie you might be craving.  Don’t forget the kale!  For this batch I used 2 stems, approximately 2 cups as it’s fluffy.  🙂

Simmer on low about 2 hours, or until your veggie is slightly soft, then add 8oz. cheese tortellini, and cook according to package directions.  I prefer to use the fresh pasta, but any will do.

Top with shredded Parmesan or Assagio cheese, and enjoy!

I’d just like to share here, that Hubby has been behind me while I’m writing this, watching funny vids on You Tube.  So just in case it somewhere didn’t make sense….

Apple Stuffed Squash

Yesterday, I crawled out from under the huge pile of last week’s laundry and realized that I had no leftover turkey!  That just seems so strange.  I should be making turkey jambalaya, turkey soup, or turkey sandwiches this week.

I suppose it’s really good, though.  Usually by the time I’ve used up the left over turkey, I don’t care about seeing, smelling, or tasting another turkey until next Thanksgiving.

Because I ate about 7 different kinds of pie last week, and because I’m going on a bachelorette cruise in February (now only 2 months away!), I’ve decided to try and keep it light…at least during the Thanksgiving recovery period.  Yes, it’s bathing suit panic time, in the middle of winter.  😛

Thus, today for your viewing pleasure…stuffed acorn squash.

I’ve never cooked an acorn squash before, but they looked so pretty at the market I just had to get one.  I think I’m having a squash obsession this year, as I’ve put some kind of squash into every new thing I’ve tried lately.  Except the desert-y stuff.

Acorn squash is actually pretty awesome!  I did have a moment of “how the hell do you cut this thing?” at first, but it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.  I did sharpen the knife first, just in case.

Cut the squash in half and de-seed.  I felt like I was playing with tiny pumpkins!

Brush both halves lightly with olive oil, and bake at 350F, cut side down, for 30 minutes.

To make the stuffing, I used barley and brown rice, cooked to package directions…1 cup of each.  Add 1/2 cup cooked lentils, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup diced shallot, a couple of diced garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp chopped fresh mint, 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, and 1/2  cup chopped granny smith apple with the peel left on.

Guess I’m inadvertently advertising for smartWater today.  🙂

While the squash is baking, combine the stuffing ingredients in a medium bowl, and toss to combine.

If it’s not moist enough, add a bit more applesauce.  This stuffing recipe will fill 2 or 3 squash.  I only made 1 because I didn’t know if I’d like the acorn squash.  What was leftover will be going in the squash I picked up at the market yesterday, as I really really liked this.  I think the stuffing would be great in a zucchini too.

After 30 minutes, remove the squash from the oven, stuff the halves, and bake another 20-30 minutes. this could be a meal in itself, or could be a groovy side!

It makes a very pretty presentation.  And is ridiculously healthy and yumtastic!  I’m making more tonight.

The grilled cheese was for Rat Boy.  He currently eats like he has 2 hollow legs!

Moroccan Stew

I’m going to briefly apologize to anyone and everyone who came by to see yumtastic food last week, and I wasn’t here.  My Mum’s dog passed on to the happy green fields of Doggie Heaven last week, so I’ve been over at The Parent’s house more than at my own.

Kitchen Kat has been lonely.  😦

Today, I was feeling spicy.  Not Baby Spice or even Posh Spice, but Moroccan Spice.  Which means smoked paprika and cinnamon as the theme for this dish.

There’s a lot going on in this dish, but the flavors meld beautifully, and again…one pot cooking for the win!

It seems that I always begin with sauteing onion and garlic. Celery also, lately.

But it smells so good!  Also, I watched a couple of tutorials the other day on how to dice and onion, and now I need to practice.

This dish is vegetarian, but Hubby and Rat Boy raise such Banshee Queen wailing a fuss when I try to feed them anything vegetarian.  So I added some sausage.

After a couple more minutes of browning, I added some veggie stock.

Then, cubes of butternut squash, sliced carrots, chopped plum tomatoes, and quartered new potatoes.

Here’s hoping the hand isn’t too scary.  🙂

I ended up using the rest of the carton of stock, to cover all the veggies.  It’s 32 oz, so that’s 4 cups.

Wow!  I just did math in my head.  Correctly!  😛

The interesting part of this stew, I think, is the spices.  Cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika.  Of course, salt and pepper, too.  Cook until the veggies are tender, about 30 minutes.

Then I added these groovy sweet peppers I found the other day at Whole foods, because they are pretty (and tiny).

Some coconut milk…about half a can. Plus a can of garbanzo beans, rinsed.  I always have some garbanzo beans hanging around, as I never know when I might get the burning urge to make some hummus!  😛

I let it simmer on low, no lid,  while I made some rice.  Naan would have been just awesome with this, but since I didn’t happen to have any on hand, I just went with rice.

Kitchen Kat was keeping an eye on me from his stealthy location inside the cupboard.

Please ignore how messy it is in there.  Kitchen Kat likes to rearrange things, not necessarily in the best order…

At least he is out of the dishwasher.  😛

Finally, I arrived at Moroccan stew with rice!

It was very savory, but not spicy at all from the paprika.  To give it a kick, you might use half smoked and half Hungarian paprika, as it’s a bit spicier.  Was great for a day like today, though…not hot, but not really cool, and cloudy like it couldn’t decide whether it would be worth the trouble of actually raining.

I think I would definitely make it spicier on a really cold day!  🙂

Chicken and Pasta

I realize I’m falling down on the job of posting every day.  Yes, already.  But I will offer up the only excuse I have at the moment…I’m a slacker BEEN BUSY COOKING!!!

LOL.  Kat meme pics are amusing, but that’s not what I intended for this blog to be about.  And while I’m trying to turn Groovy Noms into a real life business, I AM still feeding Rat Boy and Hubby daily.  Some days, it’s just nothing new or interesting.  😦

Today I have good stuff.  The Pioneer Woman gave me the idea, and this is a slightly twisted version of her Penne Pasta with Chicken Thighs.  Deliciously twisted!

We will begin with chopped onion.  I chopped one half, and diced the other…just to be different.

Add some garlic, of course.

And olive oil.  Saute until tender and glassy.  It will smell divine!

Insert chicken thighs, skin side down so they will brown obediently.  I used my fingers to scoot the onion/garlic mix out of the way.  You might want to use a spoon, however.

I know.  Raw chicken looks…well, raw.  But when it’s brown, it looks golden!

When they ARE brown, flip those thighs over, and drain most of the grease from the pan.  I accomplish this by using a wooden spoon to hold the thighs, and carefully pour out most of the liquid into the sink.

It’s best if the sink is clean, due to occasional unplanned thigh-flight.  Obviously, chickens are unaware they do not fly.

Once the pan is safely back on the stovetop, add a jar of pasta sauce and a can of roasted tomatoes.

Add about 1/2 cup of a nice red wine, and give everything a stir.

This one is very nice.  So I had to drink it.

Let the chicken simmer, uncovered, about an hour on low heat.

Then add zucchini slices, and whatever other veggies you might desire.

Veggies are looking lovely right now.  The corn is for today.  But it looked so pretty, I just had to take a picture while the chicken was simmering.

When the zucchini has cooked, about 10-15 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove chicken, zucchini, and tomato chunks from the pan.

Turn up the heat, and stirring constantly, reduce what remains of the sauce.

Boil some pasta.  I was feeling the farfalle last night, aka bow tie pasta.  In whole grain, even!

After draining the pasta well, without rinsing, pour the reduced sauce over it and gently mix to coat.  The pasta will soak up the sauce and yummy chicken juices.

Serve chicken over saucy pasta.

Garnish with basil, if so desired.  Hubby and Rat Boy are getting a bit tired of basil this year, but it’s still going strong.  😛

Eat, enjoy, and LOVE that there’s only 2 pans to wash!  (And the collander.  but I’m not counting that one.)

Herb Crusted Pork Loin

A couple of weeks ago, I saw the Pioneer Woman doing a herbed pork tenderloin.  Fortuitously, the next week at the market, they had pork loin on sale!  Obviously, the stars were in alignment for me on that day.

I’m also happy when I get to make something for dinner that’s a little upscale, without using every pan in the kitchen!  😛

The trick to this is really getting the loin to cook without sitting in the juice at the bottom of the pan and getting soggy.  It’s really hard to call it a crust if it slumps off into the pan the minute you try to serve it!

I don’t have a roasting rack, which would be good for this, so improvisation was in order.

I sliced potatoes and onions very thinly and put them in alternating layers in the bottom of a 9×13″ pan.

The layers optimally will be about 2 inches thick.

Drizzle oilve oil, salt and pepper over your potaot foundation, cover, and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are just beginning to get tender.

While the potatoes are baking a bit, deal with the loin.  😛

Rub the loin with olive oil.  For this, i eschewed my favorite roasted garlic infused oil, and just used a good grade of Sicilian olive oil.

Rub the loin generously with the oil, and begin to pat the herb mixture onto the meat.

The herbs should stick in a nice thick layer.  I used Herbs de Provence, because I particularly like the mix of rosemary, thyme, basil, savory, and oregano.  It also looks pretty.

If you notice some bare patches, just get a small handfull, and press it onto the meat.  Then lay the loin on top of the potato and onion foundation.

Do not cover, as you don’t want to steam it, you want the herb layer to form into a crisp crust.  Bake at 400F for about 35 – 40 minutes.

Cover and rest the whole thing for about 5 – 10 minutes.  Then slice and serve with the potatoes and onion base, which will have now absorbed a bit of the herb flavor, along with some pork drippings.  Yum!

The pork will be a little pink, and very juicy because the crust holds in the juices.  The potatoes around the edges will get a little browned, so altogether, it really makes a nice presentation.  And you only have to wash one pan after dinner!  😀

Savory Crockpot Chicken and Mushrooms

With school getting started again, this has been a busy couple of weeks.  Sometimes, I need something I can just throw into the crockpot, let it simmer for a few hours, and have it taste like I spent hours on prep!  This is one of those things.  🙂

Start with a large package of chicken thighs.  Small if you don’t want to deal with leftovers.  😛

Brown the thighs in a nonstick pan.  Brown, not cook!  The thighs will juice out enough fat that you really don’t need to begin with oil or butter.  Browning chicken is a beautiful thing, I think.

 

While the chicken browns, dig out the crockpot or large heavy skillet like a dutch oven…if you’ll be home and have to fears about the stovetop being on all afternoon.  I use 1 package of Lipton mushroom and onion soup mix with 1 cup of white wine.  Yes, I know it seems I must combine alcohol with all meals somehow!

Place the beautiful brown chicken into the pot.

 

 

Use the residual chicken fat/oil to brown some sliced mushrooms.  Don’t they just look beautiful all golden and crispified?

 

 

Put the mushrooms on top of the chicken, no need to drain.  Use a slotted spoon so you don’t get a lot of grease, but a little will only add flavor!

 

Chop an onion, and add that also.

 

Leave it alone for about 4 hours on low, and just let the pot do its thing.  If the chicken is still standing like a mountain out of the liquid after a couple of hours, stir a bit to get everything down into the liquid.

 

After 4 hours or so, the chicken will just fall off the bone.  I like to peel off the skin at this point, and remove any obvious bones.

Let it simmer along for about another hour then remove the remaining bones, and serve.  I put it over the orange wild rice, and it was totally awesome.  Looked pretty too!  😀

 

 

I make a large package of thighs, so there are leftovers.  After all, there’s only three of us to feed!  The awesome thing about this…I can do anything you like while it’s cooking.  Like…play World of Warcraft with Hubby!  😛