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Fast & Easy Dinner: Saucy Beans and Eggplant

partysugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:45:21 -0700

During the Summer it's important to take advantage of the bounty of fresh vegetables. In this vegetarian dish, the pure flavor of eggplant is highlighted. The simple recipe combines canned beans with a garlicky pasta sauce and breaded, sautéed eggplant. Salty feta cheese is a lovely garnish to this delicious dinner.

This recipe is a must make, so get it now when you read more.

Saucy Beans and Eggplant
From Better Homes and Garden

Ingredients

1 small eggplant (about 10 to 12 ounces), cut in 8 slices
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
1 cup instant brown rice
Sliced green onion (optional)
1 15-oz. can navy or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 26-oz. jar roasted garlic pasta sauce
Crumbled Feta Cheese (optional)

Directions

Brush eggplant lightly with half the oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Coat in bread crumbs.
In 12-inch skillet cook eggplant in remaining oil over medium-high heat 5 minutes per side. Turn frequently.
Cook rice according to package directions; stir in green onion if using.
In another saucepan combine beans and pasta sauce; heat through.
Serve eggplants with rice and beans. Top with feta and black pepper.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Skillet Chicken Stew

partysugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:39 -0800

You don't need all day to make a flavorful and rich chicken stew. This quick-cooking skillet comes together in under an hour. The chicken is coated in flour before being flash-seared. The flour helps thicken the sauce which is a mixture of chicken broth, mushrooms, scallions, and yogurt. Although the recipe says to serve the saucy meat on a bed of cooked rice, feel free to pair it with your favorite stew side, be it mashed potatoes or egg noodles. For the simple yet scrumptious recipe, read more.

Skillet Chicken Stew
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, plus more for seasoning
Salt and pepper
4 chicken leg quarters, split at the joint to separate legs
1 tablespoon butter
One 8-ounce package cremini or white mushrooms, halved
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced separately
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
Cooked rice, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, paprika and 2 pinches each salt and pepper. Coat the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess.
In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken to the pan, skin side down. Cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until the skin is golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add the mushrooms and scallion whites to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes.
Stir the yogurt and scallion greens into the pan sauce; season with salt, pepper and paprika. Stir to coat the chicken with the sauce.
To serve, mound some rice on each of 4 plates and top with the chicken.

Serves 4.

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It's Time to Get Saucy!

partysugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:50:47 -0800

If you followed this season of Top Chef, you'll know that Carla was an expert at making perfect sauces. Although I may not be a classically trained chef like her, I'd like to think I know my sauces.

How about you? Since March is National Sauce Month, it's a great time to test your knowledge of the wonderful world of sauces. I'll list the ingredients and you tell me the sauce. Sound like fun? Get started!

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Take the quiz

Saucy PETA Campaign Links Vegetarianism to Virility

YumSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:00:07 -0700

Animal-rights organization PETA is known for its head-turning campaigns, and its latest one is no different. PETA Asia Pacific's newest ads feature model-actress Alicia Mayer in a lingerie set holding a suggestive banana, provoking, "Eating meat got you down? Get it up! Go vegetarian." PETA states:

A man who stuffs his belly full of dead pig flesh in the kitchen might end up delivering dead wood in the bedroom. High cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, prostate cancer and inflammation, and hormonal imbalances cause the vast majority of all cases of impotence. The good news is that medical science has proved that all of these conditions can be virtually eliminated with a low-fat vegan diet.

My guess is that this campaign is part of an effort by PETA to turn more guys into vegetarians. After all, masculinity has long been associated with eating meat. While I find the ad entertaining, I'm not sure it will be enough to convert insecure men. Do you find the tagline amusing or offensive? And could you see it converting more males into vegetarians?

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Off to Market Recap: Gravy Boat

partysugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:30:25 -0800

This year my obsession for the perfect Thanksgiving gravy was completely out of control! Not only did I research countless recipes, but I also decided to invest in a new gravy boat. I asked you to help me find one by heading off to market in search of the perfect gravy pourer. You bookmarked the boats in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag, Gravy Boat. This crystal gravy boat discovered by jenhead is elegant yet practical. It can be used on Thanksgiving or at any special occasion throughout the year. For more saucy finds, check out the widget below.

Interested in bookmarking? Read geeksugar's explanation of this feature and learn how to participate.

'Wich of the Week: Navajo Taco

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:00:04 -0800

Countless sandwiches are native to America, but the Navajo Taco is a Native American sandwich in the strictest sense of the word. Made by piling New Mexican taco fixings onto traditional Navajo frybread, this scrumptious sandwich is a specialty of Arizona, so on a recent trip to Phoenix, I stopped by The Fry Bread House to do some firsthand research.

My first question, of course, is why a Navajo Taco - also called an Indian Taco - is considered a sandwich rather than a taco. The crucial distinction is that tacos are made with tortillas and sandwiches are made with bread - in this case, Navajo fry bread, which tastes like a cross between a thick fried pita and funnel cake without the sugar. Indian tacos are typically filled with beans, ground beef, or a combination of both; I opted for refried beans, flavored with strips of New Mexico green chiles. Salivating yet? For the juicy details and a recipe, read more.

The taco arrives swaddled in paper, tidily tied up at the top. But undo the paper, and the enormous sandwich spills open to reveal a bouncy cushion of fry bread about the size of a frisbee, coated with smooth red salsa, beans and onions, iceberg lettuce, and shredded cheddar cheese.

I thought about eating it with a knife and fork, but I'm glad I didn't, because the fry bread only gets tastier when folded around the filling, deliciously deflated of air as it soaks up the saucy mess. In this case, the toppings weren't anything special: I kind of wished the cheddar cheese were melted, and I added a healthy helping of hot sauce.

But the main selling point is the fresh-from-the-pan fry bread, and it did not disappoint. I devoured the whole enormous lunch in spite of my promise to myself that I wouldn't.

Tewa Tacos (aka Indian Tacos)
Modified From Food Network

Ingredients

For the tacos:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup refried beans
6 round fry bread pieces, recipe follows
1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated
1 head lettuce, shredded
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Salsa, optional
1 (3-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
For the fry bread:
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry milk solids
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lard, cut into 1/2-inch bits, plus 1 pound lard, for deep frying

Directions

Make the fry bread: Combine the flour, dry milk solids, baking powder, and salt, and sift them into a deep bowl.
Add the lard bits and, with your fingertips, rub the flour and fat together until the mixture resembles flakes of coarse meal.
Pour in the water and toss the ingredients together until the dough can be gathered into a ball. Drape the bowl with a kitchen towel and then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 2 hours.
After sitting, tear the dough into 6 equal pieces. Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball into a circle about 4 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. With a small knife, cut 2 (4- to 5-inch) long parallel slits completely through the dough, down the center of each rolled piece, spacing the slits about 1-inch apart.
In a heavy, 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt the remaining pound of lard over moderate heat until it is very hot but not smoking. The melted fat should be about 1-inch deep; add more lard if necessary.
Fry the rolled dough, 1 at a time, for about 2 minutes on each side, turning them once with tongs. The bread will puff slightly and become crisp and brown.
Drain the Navajo fry bread on paper towels and serve warm.
To make the tacos: Brown the ground beef in a saute pan. At the end, add refried beans to heat.
Divide equally onto 6 fry bread rounds. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, green chiles, onions, and salsa, if desired.

Makes 6 4-inch round tacos.

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The Amazing Rice: Cilantro-Lime Rice

partysugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:15:52 -0700

In many cases, white rice is served alongside a saucy dish. When this happens, the rice is normally overlooked. However, white rice doesn't have to be boring, it can be delicious! Especially if you jazz it up with a simple stir-in of cilantro and lime juice. This recipe is incredibly easy - almost as uncomplicated as making white rice. Cilantro, garlic, and lime juice is blended with olive oil before being mixed into the cooked rice. If you don't like cilantro, get creative, white rice would be divine with a basil-lemon or parsley-orange oil folded in. To learn the technique, read more.

Cilantro-Lime Rice
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice
Coarse salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil.
Add rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until water is absorbed and rice is just tender, 16 to 18 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a blender*, combine cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water; blend until smooth. Stir into cooked rice, and fluff with a fork.

Serves 4.

*I used a food processor instead of a blender.

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Rachael Ray Parody Hits Shelves Sept. 3

YumSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:45:16 -0700

Celebrity chef and media mogul Rachael Ray may be penning a poignant memoir, but a sarcastic someone is about to beat the star to the punch in publishing a book about herself. Every Freaking Day! With Rachell Ray by Elizabeth Hilts ($12.99) will parody the media mogul's monthly magazine, Every Day With Rachael Ray.

The 64-page book is full of saucy lines, such as, "Hey kids! If 30-minute meals are good, wouldn't 30-second meals be even better?"

The guide, "Rachell," played by a model who is a dead ringer for Ray, provides "super-caffeinated" commentary along with recipes. Hilts, a bestselling author, explained:

She's very easy to parody. She has a lot of very recognizable mannerisms: talking with her hands, singing to the food, referring to food as an almost-human entity.

What does the real Ray think of the parody? According to her publicist, she hasn't seen it yet. No doubt come September, we'll be checking this out. Do you think this book will fly off shelves to Rachael fans and foes alike?

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