Kielbasa, Potato & Cabbage Skillet

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In preparation for all the corned beef and cabbage this weekend, all of the grocery stores around here have cabbage on super sale.  Which means, of course, that we’re eating a lot of cabbage this week.

For seven cents per pound, how can you not?

This dinner has been one of our favorites for a few years now – it’s my go-to way to use up cabbage! We always serve it with cornbread. It’s a simple, comforting dinner and the leftovers are awesome.

Kielbasa, Potato & Cabbage Skillet
(from Eat at Home)
Serves 6

2 T. olive oil
1 package kielbasa, coin sliced
3-4 potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
1/4 c. cider vinegar

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add in the kielbasa and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add the onions and potatoes to the skillet and cook until the potatoes are nearly done.

Add in the cabbage and cover. Let the cabbage cook until wilted, stirring occasionally.  When the cabbage is wilted and the potatoes are tender, stir in the vinegar and serve.


Pizza Cobbler

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Pizza is a Lenten Friday staple. Go into any pizza place around here and there will be a line of people picking up cheese pies.

Now, I love a good pizza but sometimes it’s also good to switch things up. This homey casserole tastes like pizza, but it easier to throw together than making a pizza at home – perfect for a Lenten Friday.

Pizza Cobbler
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
Serves 6

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1   c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. sliced green peppers
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 1/2 c. tomato sauce
1/2  c. sliced black olives
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can (7 1/2 oz.) refrigerated biscuits, separated and cut into quarters

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees . In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the green peppers and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and olives and bring to a simmer.

Grease a 2-quart baking dish and spread the sauce mixture in the bottom. Sprinkle the cheese over and then top with the biscuit pieces. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the biscuits are browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.


Support for Sandy: Biscuit-Topped Chicken Pot Pie

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To say that Superstorm Sandy hit home for me is an understatement. It’s been heartbreaking to see the devastation heaped up places I’ve loved and frequented for years. So many of our friends and neighbors are still struggling – including our parents who are still without power. We were fortunate to get our power back Monday – it’s hard to explain how much of a relief it is to see the lights blink back on after a week in the dark.

It was so comforting to be able to make a nice, comforting meal in my nice, warm kitchen on Tuesday. Food is so comforting, which is why Jenn from Jenn Cuisine and Barb from Creative Culinary have put together Support for Sandy. Today, lots of food blogger will be sharing comfort food recipes and asking people to donate to relief efforts for Sandy.

The image below links to the Red Cross’s donation page for Sandy Relief. A Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund has also been created, to concentrate on recovery within the state.

This was the first meal I made once we got our power back. After a week of soup and fast food, we really needed some comfort food and this hit the spot. It wasn’t a normal weeknight meal for us, but after not really cooking for so long, I didn’t mind the chopping and multiple steps.

I’ve always used a pie crust for chicken pot pie in the past, but we really liked the biscuits on top. Pre-baking them also kept the bottoms firm when added to the pot pie later on. It was just an all-around great one dish meal.

I hope you’ll take the time today to visit the other blogs participating in Support for Sandy and, if you’re able, making a donation to one of the charities participating in the relief effort.

Biscuit-Topped Chicken Pot Pie
(very slightly adapted from Cooking Classy)
Serves 4-6

For the filling:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and diced
1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
1 T. olive oil
1 c. peeled and diced carrots
3/4 c. diced celery
3/4 c. finely diced yellow onion
2/3 c. frozen peas
3 T. butter
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. milk
1 t. lemon juice
1 1/2 t. dried parsley
1/4 t. dried thyme
Salt & pepper, to taste

For the biscuit topping:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. parsley
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
4 T. butter, cold and diced into small cubes
1/2 c. finely shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 c. + 2 T. heavy cream
1 T. butter, melted

Make the biscuit topping: Preheat oven to 450F degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley and cayenne pepper. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Pour in heavy cream and mix just until combine.

Scoop the batter into several large dollops on a lined baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes golden. Remove and set aside.

Prepare the filling: Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add diced carrots, onion and celery and saute for 5 – 6 minutes, until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium, melt butter in saucepan, then whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 20 seconds. While whisking, slowly add in milk followed by chicken broth, lemon juice, parsley, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then slightly reduce heat and allow to cook about 1 minute longer until thickened, whisking constantly.

Remove pan from heat and add sautéed vegetables, frozen peas and diced chicken to sauce, then toss to evenly coat. Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie dish and top with baked biscuits. Brush biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.


Smokey BBQ Chili

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I love meatless meals that don’t feel meatless. Ones that are beefy and hearty and really stick to your ribs. This is one of them.

This is a vegan recipe, but it’s one that non-vegans would enjoy just as much – a perfect option if you’re having vegan or vegetarian friends over for lunch or dinner.

It takes a while to simmer so you have to plan ahead, but it’s totally worth it.

Smokey BBQ Chili
(from Oh She Glows
Serves 6

1 t. extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2.5 T. chili powder, or to taste
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. smoked paprika
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. dry/uncooked black eyed peas
3/4 c. dry/uncooked black beans
6 c. vegetable broth
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes, liquid drained
2 T. tomato paste
1 T. chia seeds
1 c. frozen corn
2 T. your fav BBQ sauce
1/2 t. kosher salt, or to taste
Couple handfuls of chopped spinach, or other greens like collard, kale, etc

Soak the beans in water overnight or for at least 3-4 hours. Rinse and drain beans before using.

In a large pot, add the oil and sauté the onion and garlic over medium-low heat for about 5-6 minutes, until translucent. Add in the pepper and optional jalapeno and sauté for another 3-5 minutes.  Stir in the spices (chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne) and sauté on low another couple minutes.

Add the dry black beans and black eyed peas, broth, and drained diced tomatoes. Stir well. Now stir in the tomato paste. Simmer on low with the lid ajar for about 2.5 hours, checking often to make sure it doesn’t dry out. If it does, add a bit more broth to thin out.

About 15 minutes before it’s done cooking, stir in the chia seeds, corn, and chopped greens. The chia helps thicken the chili. Also stir in the BBQ sauce, starting with 1 tbsp at a time and tasting as you go. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Chicken Spaghetti

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This recipe is from another recipe swap. One of the reasons I’m enjoying these swaps is because it’s making me try dishes I wouldn’t have otherwise – like this one. If I had seen this on a blog, I don’t think I would have given it a second look – Mark’s not a fan of casseroles and I try to cook healthier than pasta drenched in cream soup.

In the spirit of the swap, I made it anyway – and I’m so glad I did. We loved it. It’s a rarity that we both go back for seconds but we did with this dish. It’s a great, comfort food dinner and can be made ahead and frozen.

Chicken Spaghetti
(adapted from Pioneer Woman)
Serves 3-4

1 c. cooked chicken, cubed
1 1/2 c. dry spaghetti broken up into 2 inch pieces
1 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated and divided
1/4 c. diced onion
1/2 t. seasoned salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper
 
Cook to spaghetti al dente. Mix spaghetti with the chicken, onion, cream of mushroom soup, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper and 1 c. of cheddar. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Spread into a casserole dish and top with remaining cheddar.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Linked up with Ingredient Spotlight: Chicken & Pasta at Finding Joy in My Kitchen.


Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry

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Mark’s parents bought me a really beautiful wok for Christmas so we’ve been making a lot of stir-frys lately. They’re really great weeknight meals – one dish, full of veggies and quick.

This was great. I especially liked marinating the pork beforehand; it really helped infuse the flavor. We’ve had a few stir-frys lately that just taste like meat/veggies with sauce dumped over – this felt much more cohesive.

And, tomorrow is the Chinese New Year - a perfect excuse to try this out!
 

Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry
(from Healthy Cooking December/January 2011)
Serves 4

3/4 c. chicken broth, divided
1/3 c. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 t. honey
2 t. garlic powder
1 lb. boneless pork loin chops, cut into thin strips
1 T. canola oil
2 c. fresh broccoli florets
3 medium carrots, sliced
3 celery ribs, sliced
4 c. shredded cabbage
6 green onions, sliced
1 T. cornstarch
Hot cooked brown rice

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c. broth, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and garlic powder. Pour 1/3 c. marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add the pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Drain and discard marinade. In large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry pork in oil for 2-3 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

In the same pan, stir-fry broccoli and carrots in reserved marinade for 2 minutes. Add celery; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add cabbage and green onions; stir-fry 2-3 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Combine cornstarch and remaining broth until smooth; stir into vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Return pork to the pan; heat through. Serve over rice.