As summer ends, school begins, and we get back into our fall routines, here is something a little different for a healthy weeknight meal. The lightness of the poached fish is great with the grainy texture of the quinoa, freshness of the apple and crunchiness of the almonds. It’s also very filling.
Fish
Directions
When a friend is in need or having a hard time and I want cheer him or her up, the one thing that I turn to in helping out is bringing food. It’s the one thing I know that I’m good at and that they will appreciate. Recently, I made a big pan of chicken enchiladas to take to a pal. I put my own spin on a recipe and it turned out amazing.
This dish is great to take to a pot luck or to prepare for a Tex-Mex themed party. Everyone will love these. Just add some sides of spanish rice, black beans, chips, salsa and guacamole and you’ll have a wonderful night of noshing with friends.
Ranch Chicken Enchiladas
ingredients:
3 cups, cooked, shredded chicken (Buy a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store deli to make this easy recipe even easier.)
2 cups chicken broth
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
12 whole corn tortillas
1 Large Onion, diced
3 4 oz. cans diced green chilies
1 whole Jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Sour Cream
3 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cilantro, chopped
Salsa and Guacamole to serve on the side
directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas about 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 of seasoning packet. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.
In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add the other half of the seasoning packet. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Pour ranch cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.
Serve with salsa, guacamole and sides (and maybe a Margarita).
Christy Turnipseed is Birmingham born and raised. She’s a vintage jewelry designer for Lil’ Seeds. She’s a foodie, art and music lover and blogs at al.com and lifeofaturnip.com. She’s on twitter@cturnip.
Mardi Gras is around the corner and I happen to love Cajun food — all of it. I love seafood and spicy food, so what could be better? For this Cajun-inspired recipe I decided to combine two of my favorite foods — Cajun shrimp and risotto. Yes, I know you’re thinking that cooking risotto is hard, but this is a one pot dish, making things a bit easier. It’s great for a quick weeknight meal and takes less than an hour from start to the dinner table. Plus if you’re only cooking for two you’ll have plenty of leftovers to work the next day. (And it’s even better the next day.
Enjoy and Happy Mardi Gras!
Cajun Shrimp and Pea Risotto
ingredients:
4 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning, or more to taste
¾ pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined (you can use frozen shrimp here too if you want)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
¼ cup white wine
3 cups chicken broth (plus more if risotto is dry)
1/2 cup frozen peas
Juice of half a lemon
Hot Sauce to serve
- In a small bowl, toss shrimp in 2 tbsp. of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven (or large stockpot), add the shrimp and cook on medium high heat until they’re opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and place shrimp and juices in a bowl. Set aside.
- In the same pot, add 2 more tbsp. of olive oil and cook the onion and garlic until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and slightly toast the outside of it, stirring constantly. Gently add the white wine and cook it down until most have been absorbed by the rice, about 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Then add the chicken broth, bring to a boil while stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook for another 15 minutes, until the rice is creamy, tender and has a bite to it.
- Add the peas, stir to combine, then add the shrimp. Season with cajun seasoning, to taste.
- If the risotto seems too dry and not creamy, add more chicken broth, ¼ cup at a time, until you achieve the right consistency.
- Juice half a lemon on top of the risotto before serving, then stir to combine.
- Serve hot with hot sauce if desired and store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container
Christy Turnipseed is Birmingham born and raised. She’s a vintage jewelry designer for Lil’ Seeds. She’s a foodie, art and music lover and blogs at al.com and lifeofaturnip.com. She’s on twitter @cturnip.
BLT Pasta — this dish is a simple one, however, with a little bit of love it becomes something amazing. It takes some time to roast the tomatoes, but on a cold night, this dish is very comforting, especially if you love bacon.
I love bacon. I mean, I really really love bacon. I really could write an entire love letter to bacon, pork, and BBQ but that’s another day.
What’s great about this dish is that you probably already have all the ingredients on hand. Cook this up with some garlic bread, grab your Snuggie and curl up on the couch with your DVR or favorite book.
BLT Pasta
Ingredients
1 TB extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. thick applewood smoked bacon, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 lbs. cherry tomatoes, slow roasted (see note) with juices
1 lb. dried spaghetti or linguine (any pasta you like, really)
8 oz. fresh spinach, mixed greens or arugula (whatever is in season)
1/2 cup freshly shredded pecorino Romano cheese
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously.
2. While the water is heating, warm the olive oil in a large pan placed over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute stirring frequently for 10-12 minutes or until the bacon begins to render its fat and turn somewhat crispy. When the bacon is done, carefully drain the fat leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Return to heat and stir in the cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes or until the tomatoes are heated through. Turn off the heat and cover the sauce to keep it warm.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir to separate the noodles, and cook according to package or al dente. Drain the cooked pasta in a colander, but reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
4. Transfer the pasta to the pan and toss the pasta and sauce to combine thoroughly, adding a splash or two of the cooking water to loosen the sauce (I had to eventually use the whole cup). Add the greens by the handful and continue to toss for a minute or so until the greens are wilted. Transfer the dressed pasta to shallow bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.
5. NOTE: To make slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, heat oven to 275 degrees. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and arrange them in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over the tomatoes, then scatter two cloves of garlic, thinly sliced, over the tomatoes. Season with fine sea salt and pepper and roast 2-3 hours, or until the tomatoes have shriveled a little but are still moist. Let cool and use immediately or can be stored in a tightly lidded container in the fridge up to one week. Bring to room temperature before using.
Christy Turnipseed is Birmingham born and raised. She’s a vintage jewelry designer for Lil’ Seeds. She’s a foodie, art and music lover and blogs at al.com and lifeofaturnip.com. She’s on twitter@cturnip.
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Happy New Year, See Jane Write fans! As amazing as 2013 was, I am excited to start fresh and begin a new chapter. I hope you will continue to join us ladies of See Jane Write Magazine throughout 2014! Remember we care about you as much as we care about your writing. So you can turn here not only for articles meant to help advance your career, but for recipes to help you eat right on a writer’s budget and with a writer’s busy schedule.
Let’s open our arms to the new year with something simple, something delicious, but something that’s also a great first start to clear ourselves of those holiday feasts. If you want to “detox” a little this coming month to help get over the garbage we’ve filled ourselves with in December, and ring in the new year with a clean body and mind, here’s a start.
Like I said, the beauty of making this meal is its simplicity. If you’re not into Brussels sprouts, use kale or collards, or any dark greens. I also added some easy steamed crab claws just to have another protein, but you don’t have to be fancy like me.
Happy 2014!
Brussels Sprouts with Fried Egg and Curry Spiced Yogurt Salad
- Whisk yogurt, curry powder, and lemon zest, in a medium bowl to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set spiced yogurt aside.
- Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add brussels sprout leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and edges are dark brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Add shallots; cook until onion is just soft, about 1 minute. Add 2 tsp. vinegar and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired.
- Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Gently fry eggs until whites are cooked through (turn over briefly if you like your eggs over easy). Season with salt and pepper. Divide curry spiced yogurt between plates. Top with sautéed brussels sprouts and eggs. Garnish with hot pepper sauce.
Christy Turnipseed is Birmingham born and raised. She’s a vintage jewelry designer for Lil’ Seeds. She’s a foodie, art and music lover and blogs at al.com and lifeofaturnip.com. She’s on twitter@cturnip.
By Christy Turnipseed
Now that the most exciting football games of the season are here, hosting friends and family can be somewhat intimidating. I love being a hostess to any type of gathering — game night, movie night, or dinner party — but sometimes it can be a challenge to know what to make for people who are being social but still glued to that television watching their team play on the field.
Sometimes you just can’t escape the classics, those recipes you simply crave at certain times of the year thanks to memories of family get-togethers or thoughts of party food. Football games are one of those things in the South. Hot dips in the fall are certainly one of those classics for me and this hot creole crab dip is definitely in that category. Canned crab is great on a budget, but if you want to splurge on the lump crab meat, trust me, I’m not stopping you. The crab is the star ingredient melding with the cheeses and they both shine thanks to its simplicity.
Whichever team you root for, your friends and family will enjoy this simple yet elegant dip this season.
Ingredients:
8 oz. crab meat, claw or lump
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
4 tablespoons minced green onion, white and green parts
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon fresh parsley for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Drain crabmeat if necessary and pick through any shells or cartilage. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the crab meat, cream cheese, greek yogurt, parmesan, green onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot sauce, and Old Bay seasoning. Adjust seasoning to taste (and hot sauce). Top with crumbled goat cheese and Panko bread crumbs and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden on top. Serve hot with hot sauce on the side, crackers or slices of baguette. Makes 10-12 servings.
Christy Turnipseed is Birmingham born and raised. She’s a vintage jewelry designer for Lil’ Seeds. She’s a foodie, art and music lover and blogs at al.com and lifeofaturnip.com. She’s on twitter@cturnip.
]]>By Christy Turnipseed
When the month of August rolls around here in the South, no one wants to even think about turning on their ovens and being in the kitchen. Lately I’ve been making a lot of “no cook” dinners that involve simple, fresh summer ingredients without having to even turn on that oven knob. It’s a great time to use up all that fantastic summer produce found at your local farmers markets and enjoy the bounty of summer before it’s gone.
This recipe is a great side to anything you put on the grill and is the perfect dish to take to a barbecue potluck. It’s also great as a lunch salad to pack into a mason jar to take to work the next day. Simple and fresh, it’s like summer in a bowl.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons fig infused vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 ears fresh corn, husked
2 cups red grape tomatoes, halved (about 1 pint package)
1 bunch scallions (white and parts of the green), thinly sliced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves
Directions
Whisk the vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil in a steady stream, to make a smooth dressing.
Shear off the corn kernels with a sharp knife over a large bowl. Toss in the tomatoes, scallions, and mozzarella. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours. Before serving, slice the basil into strips and add to the salad and stir.
Christy Turnipseed is Birmingham born and raised. She’s a vintage jewelry designer for Lil’ Seeds. She’s a foodie, art and music lover and blogs at al.com and lifeofaturnip.com. She’s on twitter@cturnip.
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By Christy Turnipseed
Oh the joys of summer! One thing I love about summer is the start of all the great local produce that comes in season and I love visiting the wonderful local farmers markets. I’m so glad that my city of Birmingham, Ala., has an abundance of local farmers markets so I generally stock up with fresh produce every week and plan my weeknight dinners based on what I bought. How can you not take advantage of such great goodness?
One summer dish that I love to make is panzanella. It’s quick, easy and perfect for al fresco dining on your back patio. It’s great to make for a summertime dinner party for a crowd, a potluck barbecue, or simply a weeknight dinner for two. It was a cinch to make and brightly-colored, flavored and textured. You can prepare it ahead of time as well. I had all the veggies, croutons and the vinaigrette in separate bowls, so that they were all prepared when you’re ready to serve. If you wanted to add protein, grilled shrimp would be a nice addition to this summer feast.
Summer Panzanella
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
2 large, ripe tomatoes, diced and seeds removed
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and cut in 1/2 –inch slices
1 yellow bell pepper, diced and seeds removed
½ red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into 1-inch cubes
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF degrees. Spread the bread pieces on a baking sheet, sprinkle olive oil on top and toast until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Stir once or twice as they’re toasting. Set aside to cool.
- For the vinaigrette, whisk together the ingredients.
- In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow pepper, red onion, mozzarella, basil and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to combine.
Christy Turnipseed is Birmingham born and raised. She’s a vintage jewelry designer for Lil’ Seeds. She’s a foodie, art and music lover and blogs at al.com and lifeofaturnip.com. She’s on twitter@cturnip.
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