Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Todd English’s Prime Rib Chili.

by Filed Under: Chili, Mexican Leave a Comment

My sweet friend purchased a signed copy of Todd English’s latest cookbook for me for my 40th birthday.  I saw this recipe and needed to try it!  Decadent prime rib puts an unusual twist to a basic chili recipe.  I have no leftovers to speak of.  Everyone loved this recipe!  Definitely a keeper 🙂

Ingredients
  • 2 lb.prime rib steak, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
  • 1⁄4 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1⁄8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1⁄4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large finely diced red onion
  • 4 cloves finely chopped garlic
  • 2 seeded and diced Anaheim chiles
  • 2 to 4 tbsp. Mexican Spice Blend (2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp of chili powder, 1.5 tsp of coriander)
  • 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups drained and rinsed assorted canned beans
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese,
Preparation

Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Cook, in batches, in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl, reserving drippings in Dutch oven.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to hot drippings, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chiles and Mexican Spice Blend, and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Return steak to Dutch oven. Add broth and tomatoes.

Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Stir in beans, and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice. Serve with cheese.

— Knead to Cook

Asian Sesame Chicken Salad.

by Filed Under: Chicken, Salads Leave a Comment

Fusion at it’s finest.  This salad is so easy to make and I used leftover chicken from my roaster that I made on Sunday.  This can easily be made vegetarian as well by omitting the chicken.  I hope you enjoy this one 🙂

Ingredients:
1 head of Napa cabbage
1/2 head of red cabbage
1/2 tsp of sugar
2 c of shredded chicken
1 c of cilantro leaves
1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 c of slivered almonds, toasted
2 tbl of sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Asian noodles to garnish (optional)

Directions:

Slice the cabbages in half and core.  Slice into thin strips.  Add to your salad bowl.  Toss with sugar.  Add the shredded chicken, cilantro, mandarin oranges, almonds, sesame seeds, salt and pepper and noodles, if you are using them.

Vinaigrette:

1 tbsp of dijon mustard
1/2 tsp of low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp of sesame oil
1/4 c of canola oil or peanut oil
1 tsp of sugar

Combine them all in a jar with a lid or tupperware container and shake until blended.  Top the salad and enjoy.

 

 

— Knead to Cook

Greek turkey meatloaf.

by Filed Under: Ground Turkey 1 Comment

I love this meatloaf recipe.  My grandmother used to make it when I was very young.  She would sun-dry her own garden tomatoes outdoors and can them.  They were so flavorful.  She didn’t use feta cheese but I’ve adapted this recipe to suit my family today.  I still think it holds a great representation of the original 🙂

Ingredients:

1 lb of white meat ground turkey
1/2 c seasoned panko bread crumbs
1/3 c fresh parsley or 2 tbl of dried
1/2 c of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c of olive oil
1 tsp of Greek Oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In your mixing bowl with the paddle attached, blend all of the ingredients together.  Avoid over-mixing.  Blend until incorporated.  Then take your loaf pan and spray it with a non stick oil spray or your mister.  Pour the mixture into you pan and spread evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  I normally bake it for about an hour (I like it with a bit of a crust on it).

Remove from the oven, I drain off the fat if any has collected and tent it with foil for 8-10 minutes.  Then slice and serve.

 

— Knead to Cook

Valentine sweetheart cake.

by Filed Under: Desserts, Holiday, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian 7 Comments

This cake is so much fun & quite the surprise for your Valentine!  My daughter helped me make this one and it turned out great.  I’m not a baking connoisseur but I think this is quite fitting for tomorrow’s big day ♥.

I admit *gasp* that I used a boxed cake mix but I did make my own icing.  I was more concerned with form than taste (function).  🙂  I normally never cut corners when cooking but I was more stressed with getting this right.

I did take a photo tour of the how-to.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

First you need two boxes of white cake mix.  I made one box to start according to directions.  From there I removed about 60% of the batter from my mixing bowl and reserved it for later.  The 40% I dyed with crushed strawberries (3) but you can use food coloring (pink or red).  Mix it well until fully colored.  I then poured this into a 9×9 square pan lined with parchment paper (or you can spray it with non stick spray).  It won’t be a lot of batter in the pan but you don’t need it super thick.  Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let this fully cool.  Once cooled, insert your heart cookie cutter into the cake.  Cut as many hearts out as you can.

Now set all of those hearts aside and take a loaf pan and spray it with nonstick spray.  Pour the 60% of the white cake batter into the bottom of the pan.  Then line the hearts up down the middle butting up against one another.

Then make the second box of cake mix.  Pour that on top of the hearts and the other batter anchoring them down.  Try not to overfill or you will have spillage when baking.

Bake according to the package.  I did notice that I had to add about 12-15 extra minutes to the baking time. Just keep a watchful eye on it.  Once a toothpick inserted comes out clean, it’s done.  Remove it and let it fully cool.

I trimmed any irregularities off the cake and then prepared the icing.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons warm water
16 oz confectioners’ sugar

Add to your mixing bowl and beat until fluffy.  I added additional strawberries for color but you can use food coloring.

Ice the cake and decorate.  Slice and enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Roasted garlic & lemon herb chicken.

by Filed Under: Chicken Leave a Comment

 

The quintessential Sunday dinner.  And that is exactly what this was for us today.  I served this beautiful bird with baked sweet potatoes and fresh asparagus.

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tbl of olive oil
1 tsp of rosemary
1 tsp of thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, sliced in half

Blend in your food processor until it resembles a paste.  Rub onto a washed and dried chicken roaster.  Squeeze both halves of the lemon on top of the chicken.  Then place the lemon halves in the cavity.  Fill the bottom of your roasting pan with 1 c of tap water.  I normally cover my chicken with foil until the final hour of cooking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.  Depending on the size of the chicken, this can take 2-3 hours.  Once it reaches the internal temperature of 180, remove and tent with foil for 10 minutes to let the juices return back to the meat.  Afterwards, carve and enjoy!

 

— Knead to Cook

Homemade granola.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Snacks, Vegetarian 2 Comments

I LOVE homemade granola!  This has been my hand’s down favorite recipe.  We make this every other month (kept in an airtight container) it is perfect!  I make half the batch with dark chocolate and half without (hubby is allergic).  It does make a lot of granola I promise, it won’t last long 🙂  Perfect for yogurt parfaits for breakfast.  Top ice cream for dessert or just eat a handful when you need a snack.  This is also a wonderful gift idea for friends or during the holidays.  Totally addictive!

Ingredients:

8 c of rolled oats
1.5 c of wheat germ
1.5 c of oat bran
1/4 c of chia seeds
1/4 c of flax seed meal
1 c of sunflower seeds
1 c of slivered toasted almonds
1 c of cashews
1 c of chopped walnuts
1 tsp of sea salt
1 1/4 c of maple syrup
1 tbl of raw honey (or processed honey or agave)
1 c of vegetable oil
1 tbl of ground cinnamon
1 tbl vanilla extract
2 c of dried tart cherries (or blueberries, raisins or craisins)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Combine the oats, wheat germ, flax, chia, oat bran, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, walnuts and salt in a very large bowl.  In a separate bowl (or you can use your sauce pan) combine the maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon and vanilla.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Whisk until completely blended.  Then remove from the heat and pour over dry mixture.  Mix well and then spread on 2 baking sheets.  Make sure you have one layer in each pan. You can bake additional cookie sheets as needed.

Bake until crispy and toasted brown.  1 hour and 20 minutes.  Cool and then add your mix-ins.  Chocolate, dried fruit etc.  Store in an airtight container or ziploc baggie.

 

— Knead to Cook

Chicken noodle soup.

by Filed Under: Chicken, Soups 2 Comments

My teenage daughter is sick & requested chicken noodle soup.  I was all over it because I haven’t made it in so long – it’s just one of those comforting foods that you can’t wait to eat.  I also made some baguettes to accompany the soup and it was just what she needed.  Warms your from the inside out.   And perfect on a cold winter day.

Ingredients:

2-3 pound roaster chicken
2.5 quarts of water
3.5 tsp of salt
3 tsp of chicken bouillion or granules
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pepper to taste
1/4 tsp of marjoram
1/2 tsp of rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 lemon, juice
6 carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
Whatever pasta you would like to use – cook according to package directions.

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, place the chicken roaster.  I cook this for about 2 hours and then remove.  I debone the chicken and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.  I skim any fat that has risen to the surface and then return the chicken back to the broth as well as every other ingredient except for the pasta.  I cook the pasta separately and store it that way as well.   Before serving, remove the bay leaf and sample to ensure the seasoning blend is correct.  Adjust according to your taste.

Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Triple chocolate pancakes.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Today my youngest daughter is having some teeth extracted and I wanted to make her a super special, yummy breakfast to load her up with some calories before her procedure.  These, although look over-the-top, indulgent, aren’t as bad as they could be 🙂  I like these for a special birthday breakfast or on a snowy morning.  They are always well-loved.

Ingredients:

1 c of chocolate low fat almond milk or regular low fat milk works well
1 egg
2 tbl of I can’t believe it’s not butter
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 c of all-purpose unbleached flour
1/3 c of unsweetened cocoa (I used Wilbur)
1/4 c of sugar
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 c of chocolate chips
Powered sugar for dusting

Directions:
In a bowl combine milk, egg, vanilla and butter.  Whisk until blended.

In your mixer bowl with the paddle attachment on, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt.  Mix that for about a minute.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and blend until incorporated but avoid over mixing.  The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Get your sauté or griddle pan nice and hot and spray with a nonstick spray or place a pat of I can’t believe it’s not butter in the pan.  Once melted, add the batter.  Once bubbles appear on the pancake –  flip.   This should take 1-2 minutes or so.  Watch closely to avoid burning.

I topped these with a dusting of powdered sugar and Chobani Vanilla with chocolate chip yogurt for added protein.  Let your imagination run wild with toppings 🙂

Enjoy!

 

— Knead to Cook

My big salad with chili lime rubbed chicken.

by Filed Under: Salads 2 Comments

I adore farmer’s markets!  All of the veggies make me crave making my “big” salad and feeling like Elaine from Seinfeld.  The options are endless and the health benefits are just as impressive!  The downfall to any salad, is the dressing.  Remember to be mindful of what type you use and how much.  I prefer a splash of fresh lime or lemon juice without all the guilt.

Okay the salad is pretty much up to you.  Use what you love and what you have on hand.  Today I used:

2 heads of Romaine
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 c of alfalfa sprouts
Garlic stuffed olives
1 head of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/4c of raw pepitas

Optional items:

Dried or fresh fruit (i.e. raisins, cherries, strawberries, pears, apples)
Any nut pretty much works on a salad.
Sesame sticks.
Asian noodles.

I added some chili lime chicken to my salad for protein.  The rub recipe is:

2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 serrano chili, seeded and minced

Combine together in a bowl and set aside.  Add the chicken to the rub and toss to coat.

Heat your sauté pan over a medium flame with some olive oil in the pan.  Once hot, add the coated chicken and cook until no longer pink.  Remove from the heat and slice into bite-sized pieces.  Add to the top of the salad and serve.

 

— Knead to Cook

Olive tapenade.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, No bake/cooking required! Leave a Comment

 

I love olives!  They are my biggest weakness… I made this yesterday for our Super Bowl party that we were having.  It is always a hit and leftovers only get better the next day!

I take a baguette and slice it on the bias (fairly thin).  Spray with olive oil and broil until golden brown.  Keep a watchful eye because it will burn quickly.  Remove and flip – repeat on the other side.  Set the bread aside.

In your food processor add olives (about a cup but this recipe doesn’t have to be exact).  I use pitted kalamata & green olives stuffed with a garlic clove.  3 garlic cloves peeled and left whole.  1/4 c of olive oil.  1 tbl of capers. 1 tbl of fresh parsley.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Process until finely chopped.  You can add extra olive oil if needed.  You can either top the bread slices with the tapenade or serve in a bowl along side the bread.

— Knead to Cook