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I was wathing some random cooking show the other day and they kept adding shallots to everything so I of course wanted to at least se what the differenc was between a shallot and well an onion. So I found some reasonablly priced shallots at the grocery store. Then I didn’t want to make what the show had made. I wanted something simple and of course quick. So here is the recipe I came up with to use the shallots. Here is what you need, serves 2

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1/4 flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 2 tsp dry parsley flakes
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock

Mix flour, salt, and pepper in shallow bowl. Coat chicken with thin layer of flour mixture. Heat oil on medium high in frying pan. Add chicken to pan and cook until golden brown.

Add chicken stock, shallots and parsley. Simmer gently about 10 minutes, cooking until light gravy forms.

Ready to print recipe: Pan Seared Chicken with Shallots

Victoria and I were talking about some of the most expensive foods in the world. Saffron came up as one of those food items. I wanted to try and see if the price meets the hype. Well I’ve tried this recipe twice and I’m here to say I will purchasing some saffron for my mom and my sister-in-law to add to their kitchens. The saffron adds a nice hint of color and a nice warm flavor that I suspect I’ve probably had this spice before.

So here is what you need for the potatoes with saffron and parsley.

• 1 lb red skinned potatoes chopped into large chunks
• 3 to 4 threads of saffron
• 1 T salt
• 2 T melted butter
• 1-2 T dry parsley flakes
• Pepper

Place potatoes in pot and add cold water to cover potatoes by 2 inches. Add saffron treads and salt. Let potatoes boil for 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are just tender. Drain liquid from potatoes and stir in melted butter and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ready to print recipe: Potatoes with Saffron and Parsley

Spagetti not really started as a working title and just stuck as a name for a simple quick dinner. The basic concept is that it’s a pasta dish without using the standard spaghetti noodle. There are so many different pasta noodles that are produced why not just mix them in with some pasta sauce?  So our version of spagetti not really typically involves some bow-tie, penne or mafalda pasta. These pasta noodles are all bite size and the pasta sauce doesn’t flip off like a spaghetti noodle. These are important traits of food since I typically eat dinner in my work clothes. Pasta sauce doesn’t wash out easily and work clothes are not nearly as fun to buy as casual clothes are.

As a recap of what Spagetti Not Really for 2 servings

• 1/2-1 lb ground beef browned
• 14 oz prepared pasta sauce
• 7-8 oz pasta noodle of choice

Cook ground beef until browned. Drain any excess fat. Add pasta sauce and cook until sauce has warmed to person heat.  Meanwhile cook pasta noodles per package directions. Mix together pasta and meat sauce with pasta noodles and serve.

Hope you enjoy Spaghetti Not Really as much as we do.

Ready to print recipe: Spaghetti Not Really

Grilled potatoes sounds great but what I’ve learned is that just potatoes is not appetizing as it sounds. The foil protects from some grill flavors from mixing with the potatoes. So I started to experiment by adding some additional flavors.

What you will need for two servings:

• 2 medium red skinned potatoes diced
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 1 T butter
• 1 T light cooking oil
• 1 T dry parsley flakes
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp all purpose seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Create flat foil packet with all ingredients in. Heat grill to high heat and place foil package in center of heat. Cover grill and let cook for 10 minutes. Flip foil package on other side and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Gently peel open foil package careful of the hot steam to check to see if the potatoes are cooked fully. Potatoes should be fork tender. Remove from foil and serve.

Ready to print recipe: Grilled Potatoes with Shallots

This classic dish in my home is so simple and the ingredients seem to be staples now. At first this might sound and look wierd but if you have kids in the house this recipe is quick and easy.
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 14 oz pasta sauce
• 28 oz of shoestring french fries

Cook ground beef in frying pan until browned. Drain any excess fat remaining. Add pasta sauce to browned meat and heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile cook fries per package if wanted dash some kosher salt immediately after removing from the oven. I highly suggest cooking the fries until they are a little crunchy. Place meat sauce in individual bowls and top with fries.

Ready to print recipe: French Fry Pie

While this dish can be a great side dish I have found that it can fill you up as a main course. The flavor is great it’s quick to prepare and doesn’t take of action once it’s cooking. This makes quite a bit and taste great as leftovers as well.

So you will need:

• 1 lb red skin potatoes
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 bag of baby carrots (12 oz) or bite size carrots

Cut up the potatoes and cauliflower into bite size pieces. Place potatoes, cauliflower, and carrots into 9×13 baking dish.

Seasoning for dish:

• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 T minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix ingredients in bowl and pour over veggies. Use a spoon to help coat veggies.

Cook at 450 degrees, covered for 20 minutes. Remove cover and cook for an additional 10 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are fully cooked

For a variation, I thought about cooking this recipe on the grill in a foil package. I have to give an update when I finally get the chance to grill out again.

Ready to print recipe: Roasted Rosemary Vegetables