Secret Recipe Club: Sweet Tomato Basil Bisque

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I received Shockingly Delicious' blog in the swap. There were so many amazing recipes to choose from, but I was drawn to this recipe for Sweet Tomato Basil Bisque. I love tomato basil soup and I was intriqued by the addition of honey to the soup.   I served this soup as a started at the wine exchange I hosted.  This recipe makes a ton of soup, there was enough for my party and I still had a large container left over to pop in the freezer.  I know Miss F will love this soup with a grilled cheese on the side.  I would never have thought to add honey to soup, but it really works beautifully.  Thanks again to Shockingly Delicious for the amazing recipe.

Sweet Tomato Bisque

1/3 cup butter
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/3 cup flour
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
8 cups chicken stock
5 tablespoons honey
1 ½ cups cream
½ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

In large soup pot, melt butter. Over medium heat, sauté onions in butter, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Onions should be translucent but not brown. Add flour and stir; it will look a bit pasty. Cook and stir for a minute or two until the paste, begins to brown slightly. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano and stock. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add honey, cream and parsley and return to a boil. Use an immersion blender to blend to desired consistency. Taste, add salt and pepper to season, and serve.

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Sriracha Chicken Strips

I have been mildly Sriracha obsessed lately.  I think every other recipe I pin on Pinterest involves Sriracha.  This recipe came from a Pinterest pin that led tme to Jenn's Food Journey.  I adapted the recipe to better suit my tastes, but the idea remained the same.  Take chicken, dip it in Sriracha, cover it in Panko, bake and enjoy.  I first had Sriracha when I was 22 years old.  I had just graduated from college and was hanging out it with a group of friends late at night.  Our host decided to make ramen soup (hey, we were recent college grads!)  I still am a huge fan of ramen, but he added a big squirt of Sriracha to my bowl.  It was divine, like nothing else I have ever tasted.  For the record, he also introduced me to the tiny Vietnamese egg rolls that you wrap in leafy lettuce.  I owe him a lot, obviously.

Sriracha Chicken Strips

¼ cup Sriracha
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder

In a large, shallow dish combine the Sriracha, vinegar and ginger. Add the chicken strips, tossing to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a wire cooling rack overtop of a baking sheet. In a shallow dish combine the Panko, pepper and garlic powder. Dip each marinated chicken strip into the Panko mixture and coat well. Place the Panko coated chicken strip on the rack. Repeat with the remaining strips. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

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Weeknight Spaghetti and Meatballs

Please note the "weeknight" part of this post.  Note the pasta sauce sloshed all over the bowl because the whole shebang had just been dumped into a large serving bowl right before a hungry toddler dove right in to eat a meatball.  Spaghetti is a favorite of Miss F's and meatballs send her over the moon with happiness.  This great recipe comes from A Taste of Home Cooking.  Her weeknight meal has a lot more impressive presentation than mine does, but who cares?  It's a weeknight (and it tastes damn good!)

Weeknight Spaghetti and Meatballs

½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup red wine
1 cup water
½ pound spaghetti

Combine meat, Panko, egg, half the garlic, Italian seasoning and some salt and pepper in a bowl and knead gently until combined. Form meat into meatballs, about 1-inch around. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up the meat.

Heat oil in a large, 12-inch non-stick skillet with high sides over medium heat until just smoking. Cook meatballs until well browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain fat from the skillet.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, wine, water, pasta, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until pasta begins to soften, about 7 minutes.

Return meatballs to the skillet and simmer, covered, until meatballs are cooked through and pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes. Serve.

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Strawberry Jam

Once again we visited Froberg's Farms in Alvin to pick a whole mess of strawberries. I was determined to make jam with the spoils of our trip. I was overwhelmed with the amount of sugar in most recipes. My friend Courtney said you could add as little or as much sugar as you wanted. Score! I adapted this recipe from a combination of recipes on allrecipes. I only used one cup of sugar because the strawberries were fresh picked and perfectly sweet. Miss F loves this jam, she eats it straight with a spoon, but her favorite vehicle for the jam is crepes (aka thin pancakes.)  I use my meat thermometer to get the temperature right.

Strawberry Jam

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
1 to 2 cups sugar, to taste
¼ cup lemon juice

In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berries. Place a small plate in the freezer.  In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees. Remove the plate from the freezer and put a teaspoon of the jam on it, return it to the freezer for one minute.  Draw your finger through the jam, if it stays in place, the jam is ready to be jarred.  Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving ¼ to ½ inch headspace, and seal.

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Recipe Swap: Roti de Porc au Lait

The theme of this week's recipe swap was celebrity recipes. I submitted an old favorite, Chicken Marengo from The Next Food Network Star, Melissa d'Arabian.  In return, I received Anthony Bourdain's Roti de Porc au Lait from Cheese Curd in Paradise.  After a string of bad luck, my parents are finally living in Houston.  Well, they are here, their belongings are on a broken down truck somewhere in Georgia.  So I made them this meal since it had been weeks since they had been able to cook at home.  What a success this dish was.  The sauce was drinkable.  I really wish I had some crusty bread to sop it up, though mashed potatoes worked just fine.

Roti de Porc au Lait

3 pound boneless pork loin roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk (important not to "skim" on this)
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf

Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, swirl in the butter. Brown the roast on all sides, 6 to 7 minutes total. Remove the roast from the pan and set aside on the large plate. Add the onion, carrot, leek, and garlic and stir over high heat until soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stirring constantly, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, then add milk, parsley, thyme and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the pork and any juices that have collected on the plate. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, making sure to periodically rotate the pork (the sugars in the milk can cause sticking and scorching). Remove the pork and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Using a hand blender, purée the sauce until foamy. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Carve the pork and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon the sauce over and serve immediately.

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Roasted Rack of Lamb

I actually have half a rack of lamb pictured in the picture.  Lamb was on sale for Easter and I jumped on it.  Miss F's favorite meat is probably lamb, but we don't have it that often.  I figured I started her on lamb with herb roasted lamb chops last year, why not try a pricier cut on Easter Sunday?  She (and C) gobbled it right up.  We ate the entire (half) rack.  Thanks so much to The Imitation Chef for the fantastic recipe.  I am not sure how often I will get to make it in the future considering the half rack was $18 on sale, but I know I want to make it again soon for my favorite tiny carnivore.

Roasted Rack of Lamb

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 rack of lamb, trimmed and Frenched

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and move oven rack to center position. In a bowl combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron grill pan over high heat. Season the rack with the herb mixture and sear in pan for 1-2 minutes on each side. Wrap the bones in foil to prevent burning. Transfer the rack to a baking dish and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature is 130 degrees. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

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Spicy Korean Chicken

Whenever I go to Pei Wei, I always order one of two things. Shrimp Pad Thai with no egg, no peanuts and extra sauce or Spicy Korean Chicken with brown rice and extra vegetables. I am well aware there is very little actual Thai influence or Korean influence in either dish, but I love them both anyhow.  I found the recipe for the sauce on Yahoo Answers.  I made some changes to better suit what I thought how the sauce is made.  The sauce wasn't a perfect match, but I loved this stir fry anyhow.  The vinegar provides a tangy kick, which I loved.  C cleaned his plate and Miss F liked the chicken, broccoli, carrots and the peas from inside the snow peas.

Spicy Korean Chicken

¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small head broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1 bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 hand full of snow peas
½ onion, cut into bite sized pieces
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon toasted Sesame seeds

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, water, vinegar, Sriracha and corn starch. Set aside. Heat one tablespoon of the oil over medium high in a wok or large skillet. Stir fry the broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, snow peas and onions for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp tender. Remove the vegetables from the wok. Add the remaining oil and heat. Add the ginger and garlic, then add the chicken. Stir fry until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the wok and stir until thickened. Return the vegetables to the pan, toss to coat in the sauce. Sprinkle the Sesame seeds over top and serve over rice.

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Pantry Brownies

I was craving brownies. And my mom was coming to town to house shop for the second time under very stressful conditions. So brownies were in order. Which meant I had to endure C complaining how the house smelled like chocolate (how dare I!) But it was worth it. A friend recommended Martha Stewart's recipe for fudgy chocolate brownies, which I adapted to work with my pantry staples and simplified the preparation to better suit my cooking style. The result was a decadent brownie that can be whipped up in under an hour and only dirties one bowl.  So you can have brownies anytime, as long as your husband can tolerate that awful chocolate smell =)

Pantry Brownies

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray. Grease the pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave safe dish, microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate has completely melted. Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until well combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Then, whisk in vanilla and gently fold in the flour and salt. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until set. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan and cut into squares.

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Oven Baked Sriracha Chicken

One of my most favorite blogs, Alida's Kitchen, featured an amazing looking recipe for Oven Baked Sriracha Chicken.  I love anything with Sriracha and lately I have been putting it on and in nearly everything I make (my favorite is Sriracha Chicken Stir Fry.)  I even mix it with ketchup to boost the flavor.  The original recipe calls for two teaspoons of Sriracha, I upped it to a tablespoon, but next time I am going to double that because I love the spice!  Spooning the sauce in underneath the skin really boosts ths flavor of the meat.  Miss F couldn't get enough of the meat, she kept saying "more chicken."  That little girl loves her spice.

Oven Baked Sriracha Chicken

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced greens and minced whites
¼ cup Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
4 chicken thighs
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the minced whites of the green onions, Hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic, lime juice, and the Sriracha. Toss each thigh in the sauce, coating thoroughly.  Spoon the remaining sauce underneath the chicken skin.   Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, turning halfway through baking. Serve topped with green onions and sesame seeds.

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Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

I spied this recipe on Pinterest, originally from Healthy Delicious.  I adore flautas, but I don't love the idea of frying tortillas, chicken and cheese in my own home, so this baked version is a much better option.  These flautas were amazing and I cannot wait to try them with other fillings.  The chicken preparation was awesome, nearly as good as crockpot chicken tacos in one tenth the time.  Both C and Miss F were big fans, this recipe makes a dozen flautas and I was only left with three after dinner.  I especially liked them and I was very happy with how crunchy they turned out without frying.

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
2 cups water
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 Jalapeno pepper, minced
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
12 flour tortillas (8 inch)
6 ounces shredded Colby jack cheese
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a large saucepan, combine the beer, water, salt, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder and half of the jalapeno. Add the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks or add it to the bowl of your KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment and let her go.

Pour out all but ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Add the remaining jalapeno and spinach; cook over low heat for a couple minutes, until the spinach is wilted.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture near the edge of the tortilla. Add a spoonful of spinach and cheese over top of the chicken. Roll the tortilla up tightly. Place seam-side down on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spray the prepared flautas with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, flip over and back for 5 to 10 minutes more until the tortillas are golden brown. Serve with sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

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Recipe Swap: Thai Pineapple Rice

The theme of this week's recipe swap was fruit. I submitted a sweet recipe, strawberry cream cheese muffins. In return, I got the host of the swap, A Taste of Home Cooking's savory recipe for Thai Pineapple Rice. Miss F was SO excited to buy a whole pineapple at the store.  The original recipe called for canned pineapple, but I decided to switch it up and use fresh pineapple in the dish and to serve it.  Miss F snacked on fresh pineapple while I prepared the rice.  The rice was savory and sweet.  In the future I will pair it with soy lime pork tenderloin, chicken kebabs, crockpot Hawaiian chicken, and pork chops with peppers.  It is a versatile side dish and my family really enjoyed it.

Thai Pineapple Rice

1 pineapple
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, red or white, cut into large dice
1/2 jalapeno pepper, or 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, cooked according to package directions
Soy sauce to taste

Slice the pineapple in half length wise.  Scoop out one half with a melon baller until you have created a bowl.  Chop the other half of the pineapple into bite sized chunks.  Heat a the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and the jalapeno; cook until softened. Add the cooked rice and pineapple and stir to heat through. Add a few splashes of soy sauce to taste.  Serve the rice in the hollowed out pineapple bowl.

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Pasta with Bacon and Corn

I love pasta. I love corn. I love bacon. Who doesn't? And I know I love the marriage of corn and pasta, one of my most favorite dishes is Summer Sweet Corn Pasta.  This recipe comes from the talented Our Share of the Harvest.  She is lucky enough to live in my home state of Maryland, which means she gets amazing Silver Queen corn to prepare her pasta dish.  In Texas, I am stuck with frozen corn right now, which isn't the greatest, but it didn't matter for this pasta.  It was delicious.  We didn't have a bit leftover, Miss F couldn't get enough and C had two helpings.  Success!

Pasta with Bacon and Corn

½ pound dried pasta (I used linguine)
4 slices bacon, chopped
¼ cup minced shallots
2 cups fresh (or frozen) corn kernels
½ cup dry white wine
1/3 cup cream
½ teaspoon basil

Prepare pasta per package instructions. Meanwhile, in a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat, stir bacon until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add shallots and sauté until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, simmer for 1 minute. Add the corn and simmer for 5 minutes more. Stir in the cream and simmer for another minute. Stir in the basil, bacon and pasta.

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Key West Chicken Kebabs

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  The original recipe came from Grocery Budget 101.  I knew I would love this dish as soon as I read the recipe.  The flavors were so similar to my mom's recipe for Soy Lime Pork Tenderloin.  In fact, I added red pepper flakes to the recipe, which was a smart move.  These kebabs were full of bright lime flavor and are perfect for the grill.  I have a set of non-stick skewers that I registered for seven years ago when I got married.  They are long, which is perfect for kebabs with an assortment of meats and veggies, but short and cute bamboo skewers work perfectly for this recipe.

Key West Chicken Kebabs

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Juice of 1 Lime
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice, and garlic. Cut the chicken into large chunks and add to the marinade. Let marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes. Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 5 minutes. Thread the chicken and bell pepper pieces onto the bamboo skewers. Grill on medium high heat for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until juices run clear. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and serve over rice.

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