cheese

Dinner Divas: Week 15 – 30 Minute Meals

July 28, 2017

30 minute meals. When I ask my people on Facebook what they’d like to see more of, that is the Number One Request. I get it, we are all busy and tired. The thought of standing in the kitchen for an hour after a long work day doesn’t appeal to many people. This week, the Dinner Divas have put together a week’s worth of 30 minute meals.

How it works: Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email. It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare. Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead. I’d love to hear from you & see your creations! Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry! I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.

30 MINUTE MEALS

First up this week is Pastry Chef Online’s Pasta with easy Creamy Marinara (or Vodka) Sauce. This is the perfect way to ease into the week. Check out the secret ingredient in her sauce!

Next is this amazing Korean BBQ Rice Bowl from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen. This is exactly what I crave after a long day. A few minutes the night before to prepare a marinade and the rest comes together in a snap. Bring on those spicy flavors and pickles!

The following day brings us to midweek with One Pan Greek Beef Pasta from The Chef Next Door. I love the flavors in this filling one pan meal!

Next is my Queso Fundido Chicken. Although it might be about 35 minutes from start to finish, I hope you’ll forgive the 5 minutes over the time limit because it’s worth it! Pull out some leftover rice or veggies that are hiding in the fridge and your meal is complete.

Last, but certainly not least is 15 minute Weeknight Pasta from Comfortably Domestic. This is a great recipe to have in your back pocket for those nights when you have very little time or energy.

Finally, we’ve come to the end of the week and that means dessert. This week, we have two incredible sweets to fulfill that craving.

This Salted Caramel Turtle Fudge Swirl Ice Cream is my sweet tooth’s dream. Pastry Chef Online is an ice cream genius.

The last dessert this week are Mini Walnut Cinnamon Buns. These would be a perfect weekend treat, thanks to the Chef Next Door!

Thank you for joining us this week! We hope these 30 minute meals help make the week a little easier… one meal at a time.

The Dinner Divas

Dinner Divas Weekly Menu Plan: Week 13 – Sandwiches

July 14, 2017

Sandwiches are the focus this week. They are a lunchbox staple and the ultimate “to-go” food, but they don’t need to be boring. The Dinner Divas have 5 incredible sandwiches from an open-faced tartine of wine-poached pears and gorgonzola to gorgeous layers of vegetables on hearty bread.

How it works: Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email. It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare. Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead. We’ve got so much good stuff this week! I’d love to hear from you & see your creations! Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry! I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.

Let’s Get to the Sandwiches!

We begin the week with these adorable Mini Crab Rolls from The Chef Next Door. A little light prep on Sunday makes these even easier to get on the table at the start of the week.

Next up this week are my tartines. A tartine is a fancy open-faced sandwich. I have two recipes in one post, so you really get a bonus here! Wine-Poached Pear with Gorgonzola Dolce and Prosciutto, Fig Jam and Parmesan Tartines

Our third sandwich this week is Chicken Salad with Lemon Dill Yogurt Dressing from Comfortably Domestic. Swap the mayo for this zingy yogurt dressing and make a batch of this chicken salad tonight.

Pastry Chef Online has made a Gourmet BLT with Avocado and it is one of my all time favorite combos. If you have never put avocado on a BLT, friends, you are missing out on something delicious.

The last sandwich this week is Girl in the Little Red Kitchen’s Summer Vegetable Sandwich Bar. There is nothing boring about this and the Bulgarian feta?! Yes, please.

Now, it’s time for the extras! We have 2 different desserts this week for you that use the best of summer fruits.

First are these Cherry Hand Pies from Pook’s Pantry (me!). They are small and portable, so they are perfect for little hands and portion controlled for bigger hands, because I need that. Fresh cherry filling and a homemade crust make these the perfect summer treat.

Last up this week is this beautiful Blueberry Galette from The Chef Next Door. Rustic and filled with fresh blueberries, it’s a perfect weekend dessert.

That’s all for this week friends. Thank you for spending a part of your day with us, join us next week as we do breakfast for dinner!

Dinner Divas

Cheese Stuffed Queso Fundido Chicken

July 10, 2017

Queso Fundido is one of my favorite splurge foods when we go out. It is gooey, melted cheese with caramelized onions and strips of roasted poblano peppers. Queso Fundido is literally “melted cheese” and has many variations, but my favorite is the traditional onions and poblano peppers. We eat chicken a few times a week and I’m always thinking of ways to change up the rotation. This dish combines a dinner staple with a restaurant favorite.

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Caprese Eggplant Stacks

May 23, 2017

Caprese eggplant stacks are irresistible. Roasted eggplant brushed with flavorful pesto, gooey, melted fresh mozzarella and perfectly ripe summer tomatoes. It’s a hit with vegetarians and meat eaters alike!

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Idaho®Potato Breakfast Casserole

May 9, 2017

Thank you to Idaho® Potatoes for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I really enjoy making a great spread and sitting around the table for a couple of hours while sipping on coffee and picking on the bountiful feast in front of me. Mother’s Day is next weekend and if I were able to spend it with my Mom, this is what I’d make for her. If you would like to solidify your position as her “favorite”, make this for her and you’ll have it in the bag for good.

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Pork Burger with Hatch Chiles and Pickled Red Onions

May 2, 2017

Hatch Chile Pork Burger | Pook's Pantry It’s Burger Month again and this time, I made a pork burger! If you’ve been around here awhile, you know my deep-seated love for all things pork and that love extends to pork burgers. I wanted to create something that reminded me of pork tacos. I wanted heat, the vinegary bite from pickles, the creaminess of avocado all mixed with the juicy pork burger. I think I nailed it.

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Pimento Cheese Potato Salad with Fried Chicken Tenders on Potato Biscuits

April 25, 2017

Pimento Potato Salad
This post is sponsored by Idaho® Potato, thank you for helping to support Pook’s Pantry. As always, all opinions are my own.

Potato salad gets a spicy makeover when it meets all the components for pimento or pimiento cheese. Paired with fried chicken tenders on a cheddar dill potato biscuit, it makes the perfect picnic lunch.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite places to go was Greenfield Village. It’s like stepping back in time. Everyone is dressed in costume and there are various “shoppes” that make candles, leather goods, etc. It is also home to the Henry Ford museum, which is wonderful. All this cool stuff aside, the reason I really loved going there was the chicken. Seriously. I’d get my box lunch of chicken and potato salad, go sit on a blanket in the grass and I was happy as a clam. (Where did this saying come from? Are clams REALLY happy?!)

If only the younger me could’ve gotten her hands on this chicken tender biscuit sandwich! Oh, that would have been one happy little girl! Drizzled with spicy honey, this sandwich is so dang good! The soft biscuit gives way to the crunchy coating on the chicken and then the spicy honey hits your tongue for one incredible bite. Let’s talk for a minute how we get that coating, shall we?

CHEF’S TIP:

When breading anything, this is the Standard Breading Procedure. Flour, then egg and lastly breadcrumb. Place your breaded items on a cooling rack set inside of a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24. This helps the breading to stick to whatever you are coating, in this case – chicken, instead of falling off during cooking.

This would be the PERFECT menu for hanging out in the backyard with some friends. It also makes a great boxed lunch! Get a few containers, pack them up and you’re off! Does your company do picnic lunches for a day retreat? Wouldn’t this be a better option than a soggy turkey sandwich and a bag of crushed chips?

The spicy honey really make this sandwich go from good to GREAT! If you don’t like too much spice, you can reduce the amount of chilies or pull them out of the honey sooner so they don’t have a chance to infuse as much heat.

See below? These containers are PERFECT!

Potato Salad, how I love thee…

Pimento Cheese Potato Salad with Fried Chicken Tenders on Cheddar Dill Potato Biscuits

2017-04-20 07:18:20

Serves 8

Potato Salad gets a spicy makeover with all the flavors of pimento cheese. It's paired with fried chicken tenders on a cheddar dill potato biscuit for a perfect picnic lunch.

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Prep Time

2 hr 30 min

Cook Time

45 min

Prep Time

2 hr 30 min

Cook Time

45 min

For the Pimento Cheese Potato Salad

• 2 pounds Idaho® Russet potatoes (I used Norkotah), peeled and diced into 1” pieces
• 1 ½ cups shredded habanero cheddar cheese, or other spicy cheddar
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons diced pimento peppers
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried mustard
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Fried Chicken Tenders

• 16 chicken tenderloins
• 1 ½ cups All-Purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese style breadcrumb)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 cups buttermilk + 3 sprigs rosemary for soaking
• 3 cups canola oil for frying

Spicy Honey

• 1 cup honey
• 2 red chili peppers (such as Thai chilies)

Potato Cheddar Dill Biscuits

• 1 - 3.4 oz. package Honest Earth® buttery home-style instant potatoes
• 7 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 large eggs + 1 yolk
• ½ cup light cream + 2 tablespoons for brushing on top
• 1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 tablespoon dill
• ½ cup grated extra-sharp cheddar

For the Potato Salad

Fill a large pot with cold water and add potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for approximately 12 – 15 minutes, or until “fork tender”.
While potatoes are boiling, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
When potatoes are cooked, remove from heat and drain. Lay out on a baking sheet for faster cooling and to allow them to dry a bit before adding to mayonnaise mixture.
When potatoes have cooled to room temperature, toss them in the mayonnaise mixture and grate a few tablespoons of cheese on top.

For the Chicken and Honey

Place chicken tenders in buttermilk & rosemary and refrigerate overnight.
Remove chicken from buttermilk, pat dry and set aside. Discard buttermilk.
In a food processor, pulse both breadcrumbs together until uniform in consistency.
In three separate bowls, set up breading station: In the first bowl - flour, salt, pepper and paprika. In the second bowl - eggs and in the last bowl – the breadcrumbs.
Whisk the ingredients together in the first bowl and then dip the chicken tenders into the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour, then dip in egg and lastly in the breadcrumb mixture.
Lay on a cooling rack set inside of a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before frying. This helps the coating to set.
Heat oil over medium – high heat. Fry each tender for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
In a small saucepan, combine honey and chilies over low heat. Let it barely come to a simmer, you do not want it to boil. Let chilies infuse honey for about one hour, then remove chili peppers if desired. Drizzle spicy honey over chicken tenders for sweet heat.

For the Biscuits

Preheat oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl: combine cream, eggs and yolk. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment: Combine flour and diced butter and let mixer run until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 4 – 5 minutes. Add instant potatoes, baking powder, dill, cheddar, salt and pepper. Mix for a few seconds until it is combined.
Pour cream mixture into bowl of mixer and mix until just combined, do not overmix. Remove bowl from mixer and with a rubber spatula, fold dough from bottom of bowl to the top to make sure all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.
Using a 3 ½ - 4 ounce scoop, portion 8 biscuits onto the sheet pan.
Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if desired.
Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, cool on pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

By Cheryl Bennett

Pook's Pantry https://www.pookspantry.com/

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Pimento Potato Salad, Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tender with Spicy Honey on a Cheddar Dill Potato Biscuit | Pook's Pantry

Weekly Meal Plan – Dinner Divas : Week 1

April 21, 2017

This week is the kick-off to something new around here. I’ve collaborated with a few of my favorite blogger gals to bring you a week’s worth of dinner ideas! How it works: Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email. It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The menus will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare. Getting the meal plan delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead. With all the springtime activities and summer break right around the corner, I hope this weekly meal plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.

Weekly Meal Plan – Week One

One Pot Chicken and Spinach Pasta with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce – Pook’s Pantry

Skillet Pork Marsala with Roasted Asparagus – The Chef Next Door

Chicken Bahn Mi Vegetable and Rice Bowl – Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Crispy Black Bean Burritos – Comfortably Domenstic

Low Carb Chicken Fajita Lunch Bowls – Pook’s Pantry

Smashed Roasted Beets with Pesto and Goat Cheese – The Wimpy Vegetarian

Summer Salad with Roasted Apple Vinaigrette – Pastry Chef Online

Thank you so much for joining us! We look forward to seeing you here every Friday for more weekly meal plans!

One Pot Chicken Pasta with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

February 5, 2017

One pot meals are a lifesaver. Whether it is a special occasion or a busy weeknight, getting dinner on the table quickly, with a minimum of dirty dishes is always a win in my book. This one pot chicken and spinach pasta with creamy sun-dried tomato sauce is a crowd pleaser every single time.

I’m going to come right out and say it: I’m not a big Valentine’s Day person. There. Judge me if you must. I do however, enjoy making a nice meal for the one I love. We always stay in for Valentine’s Day and I’ve done the big, fancy dinners that take hours to prepare and minutes to devour. While that’s lovely and all, I spend half the night in the kitchen. This one pot meal is super delicious and did I mention… ONE PAN to wash? Furthermore, I have better things to do on Valentine’s Day, like eat the entire box of candy.

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Langostino Mac & Cheese with Crispy Bacon and Chives

June 5, 2016

This post is sponsored by Florida Dairy Farmers in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.

Langostino are the perfect compliment to this mac and cheese dish. The saltiness of the bacon and creaminess of the pasta plays perfectly against the buttery seafood.

This week, I am partnering with Florida Milk to talk a bit about what they do as a part of my post. I happen to be a fan of farmers. I grew up surrounded by family farms, so I have an appreciation for them. I am also acutely aware that without them, food would be scarce to say the least.

When I moved to Florida a few years ago, I, like most people, really only thought of beaches or theme parks and not much else. But, did you know there are more than 130 dairy farms here and most of those farms are primarily owned and operated by second and third-generation farming families. They are hardworking men and women who care for their cows and the land, and they are leaders in their communities. Meet some of Florida’s Dairy Farmers here!

I’m celebrating “Dairy Month” with one of my all-time favorite foods: Macaroni and Cheese. It has long been one of my comfort foods. Mac & cheese has been around for hundreds of years, so I’m sure it has been a comfort food for many. When I was a teenager, it was my favorite after school snack. You know the one – the box with the shockingly orange powdered cheese. I hadn’t yet learned how to make mac & cheese from scratch, so to my untrained palate it was gastronomic bliss! I have since learned the delights of real macaroni and cheese. Thankyouverymuch.

LANGOSTINO LOVE

While I still enjoy plain macaroni and cheese (probably more than I should), I wanted to “fancy it up” a bit and add in sweet langostino with a handful of crispy bacon. (Langostino look like tiny lobsters, but are actually more closely related to certain species of crab.) Normally, I use extra-sharp cheddar in my mac & cheese because I like the pronounced cheesiness. However, when paired with the delicate flavor of langostinos, the cheese should complement and not overpower them so I went with a mellow cheddar. Feel free to add in other cheeses. Play around with the recipe, swap out one for another, try different combinations… just make sure you keep the same quantity. Cooking should be fun and creative, recipes like this are a perfect place to start experimenting.

Mac & Cheese is perfection. Pasta mixed with a creamy cheese sauce, topped with a layer of (even more) cheese & breadcrumbs and baked. It’s so simple and satisfying.
Enough talk, let’s get cooking…

Langostino Mac & Cheese with Crispy Bacon and Chives

2016-05-26 13:45:48

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Ingredients

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked according to package instructions
5 TB. unsalted butter
4 TB. AP flour
2 C. whole milk
1 C. Half & Half
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese + 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top
1 1/2 C. langostinos, cooked
1 C. cooked bacon, chopped
2 TB. chives, chopped
1/4 C. seasoned breadcrumbs
1 TB butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375
In a small pot, combine milk and half & half. Heat until warm, cover and set aside.
In a medium pot, melt butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Turn heat up to medium and whisk roux for 2 -3 minutes. Add milk mixture and whisk to combine. Using a rubber spatula, go around the edges of your pan to make sure all of the flour gets incorporated.
Continue whisking frequently until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Add dry mustard, salt, pepper and 2 cups cheddar. Stir continuously until smooth and uniform.
Spray or butter 9x13 baking dish, set aside. In a large bowl, combine: cooked macaroni, cheese sauce, bacon, langostinos and chives. Stir to combine.
Pour into glass baking dish. Stir together 1 TB melted butter, breadcumbs and remaining cheddar. Sprinkle over macaroni and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until bubbly and browned on top. Remove from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Langostinos are most often sold frozen, already cooked.