I get home too late to cook most nights so I cook large batches of things on the weekends and eat them throughout the week. Tonight I'm cooking Chicken with Artichokes and Olives, Shrimp Pad Thai, Tomato-Lentil Soup, and green beans. I wanted to use some of the staples I've collected in past shopping trips, such as the yummy grilled artichokes, Calamata Olives and Sun-dried Tomato pesto I got from Whole Foods. I'll use those along with some canned tomatoes, fresh basil and feta cheese to make a delicious and healthy chicken dish (see recipe below). I have some leftover frozen shrimp, and a box of Pad Thai rice noodles that I'll thow together with some julienned red peppers, carrots, snow peas, and scallions, and top with some mung beans, crushed peanuts and fresh cilantro. My "new" recipe tonight is combining two recipes I have for pureed tomato soups to create a third option. I'll take the red lentils and spices (cumin and coriander) from one, and use it in place of the potato in the other. I'm also substituting a leek for the celery the recipe calls for (only because I have a leftover leek, but no celery). Most of the time my substitutions and "creative" changes to recipes make them even better, but sometimes they don't. I guess we'll have to see in this case.
Chicken with Artichokes and Olives (my own version)
2 lbs boneless, skinless breasts, trimmed and cut into 4-oz portions
salt, pepper and Tony Chacheres creole seasoning
2 tsp olive oil
1 small vidalia onion (or large shallot)-chopped
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto, or 1/4 c. finely chopped sundried tomatoes
2 tsp balsamic or other good vinegar (eg. sherry or red-wine)
1 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1 package fresh grilled artichoke hearts (or 1 can or jar of artichoke hearts). coarsely chopped
1/2 c. pitted halved calamata olives
4 oz package reduced fat feta cheese
1/4 c. fresh shaved or shredded parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and creole seasoning and place in a fairly large baking pan.
In a saucepan saute onion in olive oil until soft, add tomatoes, and sundried tomato(s) pesto and cook for 2 minutes, add vinegar and cook for another 3-4 minutes until reduced. Pour or ladle sauce over the chicken then sprinkle with the artichoke hearts, olives, and feta cheese. Top with light sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
My favorite things
Sitting on the porch thinking about what Len was saying...that i should write a blog about food or cooking. I don't think i want to be limited to that, though, so I've decided to write about the things i love (besides him)...cats, birdwatching, and great food...the things I'm truly grateful for in life.
My covered porch is my favorite place to be. I can listen to different birdsongs, or the wind rustling in the trees, or the rhythmic buzz of the cicadas, or the persistant bellows, squeaks and pips of frogs at night. My eyes take in the verdant green of the trees, the brilliant colors of the petunias, impatiens and lantanas in my flower pots, and the golden sheen of my cats' fur as they lay sleeping or gazing out at the birds that visit our various feeders. The birds rival any blooms for color. Cardinals, Chickadees, "Canaries" (my nickname for the Goldfinch), Ruby-throated Hummers, Bluejays, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, crimson-hued Housefinches, Brown-capped and White-breasted Nuthatches, Song Sparrows, Carolina Wrens, Mockingbirds, and Tufted Titmouses are all regular diners at the Frantz family "restaurant". All are beautiful, interesting and fun to observe. Over time i have learned to recognize different specie's voices and flight patterns, and each species has it's own unique characteristics. Sometimes i can even recognize individual birds. We are separated from the feeders by a screen (but my chair sits less than 6 feet from some of them), and our porch is 17' off the ground nestled in the trees like an open-sided tree house. The birds are very aware of our presence, but after scoping us out for awhile (and realizing the cats can't get to them) they seem relaxed and curious. I wonder if they enjoy having a meal with a strange "zoo" to watch. This "zoo" includes two pale-skinned humans and 4or 5 cats of varying sizes and shapes, all in a state of pleasant repose.
My covered porch is my favorite place to be. I can listen to different birdsongs, or the wind rustling in the trees, or the rhythmic buzz of the cicadas, or the persistant bellows, squeaks and pips of frogs at night. My eyes take in the verdant green of the trees, the brilliant colors of the petunias, impatiens and lantanas in my flower pots, and the golden sheen of my cats' fur as they lay sleeping or gazing out at the birds that visit our various feeders. The birds rival any blooms for color. Cardinals, Chickadees, "Canaries" (my nickname for the Goldfinch), Ruby-throated Hummers, Bluejays, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, crimson-hued Housefinches, Brown-capped and White-breasted Nuthatches, Song Sparrows, Carolina Wrens, Mockingbirds, and Tufted Titmouses are all regular diners at the Frantz family "restaurant". All are beautiful, interesting and fun to observe. Over time i have learned to recognize different specie's voices and flight patterns, and each species has it's own unique characteristics. Sometimes i can even recognize individual birds. We are separated from the feeders by a screen (but my chair sits less than 6 feet from some of them), and our porch is 17' off the ground nestled in the trees like an open-sided tree house. The birds are very aware of our presence, but after scoping us out for awhile (and realizing the cats can't get to them) they seem relaxed and curious. I wonder if they enjoy having a meal with a strange "zoo" to watch. This "zoo" includes two pale-skinned humans and 4or 5 cats of varying sizes and shapes, all in a state of pleasant repose.
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