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Not Your Regular Nachos: Leftover Pantry Nachos

partysugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:16:32 -0700

This week I decided to give myself a nacho challenge. Instead of going to the grocery store to purchase a bunch of ingredients, I would make nachos with items currently in my pantry or refrigerator. Luckily I had leftover chicken, barbecue sauce, and plenty of cheese. The final result was this plate of cheesy, barbecue nachos. I heated the chicken with barbecue sauce and made a simple cheese sauce with low-fat milk, Monterey jack, cheddar cheese, and pickled jalapeños. Sliced black olives and mashed avocado seasoned with lemon juice finished off the dish. A dollop of sour cream was a cooling garnish. While I encourage you to experiment with your own leftover pantry nachos, you can learn how I made mine. To do so, read more.

Leftover Pantry Nachos
Original recipe by PartySugar

Ingredients

1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup low-fat milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheese (use whatever you have on hand, for mine I used orange cheddar and Monterey jack)
salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 cup diced, pickled jalapeños
1 large handful of whole wheat tortilla chips
sliced black olives, mashed avocado, and sour cream, optional for garnish

Directions

Mix the chicken and barbecue sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir to combine. Heat until warmed through, 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the flour, whisk to combine, making a roux, and stir for 1-2 minutes.
Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Cook for 1 minute until mixture is thick and bubbling.
Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and whisk in the cheese one small handful at a time. Whisk in all of the cheese and stir until smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Stir in the jalapeños.
Place a layer of tortilla chips on a serving plate. Top with the melted cheese. Spoon some of the barbecued chicken onto the cheesy chips.
Repeat, topping with more cheese. Garnish with black olives. Dollop the avocado and sour cream in the middle and serve.

Serves 1-2.

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Not Your Regular Nachos: Crab Nachos

partysugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:41:19 -0700

What do you get when you combine crispy, salty chips with spicy, melty cheese and fresh, flaky crab? Some amazingly delicious nachos! Between the newly-picked crab, the homemade pico de gallo, and the pepper-jack béchamel, these nachos are more gourmet than ghetto - who said Mexican food can't be high end?

The recipe calls for blue corn tortilla chips, but any tortilla chip would work. I used frozen corn - make sure it's thawed, you don't want soggy nachos - because fresh isn't in season. These nachos were incredibly tasty and I'm definitely making them again. To look at the recipe, read more.

Crab Nachos
From Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 small can chopped green chiles, drained
1 1/2 cups grated Pepper Jack
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (9-ounce) bag blue corn tortilla chips (8 to 10 cups)
1 pound lump crabmeat
1 cup cooked fresh corn kernels, from about 2 small ears of corn
2 cups grated cheddar
1/4 cup green onions, finely sliced
3/4 cup sour cream, for garnishing
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnishing
Pico de gallo, for serving, recipe follows

Directions

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow the flour to color.

While whisking constantly, add the milk in a steady stream. Add the green chiles and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and bubbly.
Add the pepper jack, salt, and cayenne pepper and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Cover and remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a large, ovenproof shallow casserole or on a large baking sheet, spread half of the tortilla chips in an even layer. Top with half of the crabmeat, half of the corn, and half of the cheddar cheese.

Top with the remaining tortilla chips, crabmeat, and corn.
Pour the hot cheese sauce over the crab and corn, then evenly spread the remaining grated cheddar over the top.
Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the nachos are heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. Garnish with the sliced green onions, sour cream, and cilantro. Serve with the pico de gallo alongside.

Serves 6.

Pico de Gallo:

3 ripe plum tomatoes (about 3/4 pound) or 1(14-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red hot sauce (recommended: Emeril's Hot Sauce)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced

In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until the salsa is of uniform consistency but still slightly chunky, about 7 pulses.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside until ready to serve the nachos.

Makes about 1 cup.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Turkey-Cheese Roll-ups With Red Pepper Sauce

partysugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:03:31 -0800

Making a delicious seasoned sauce doesn't have to take all day. In fact, this dish features a red pepper sauce that comes together in minutes. With the help of a blender, roasted red peppers are mixed with basil leaves, salt, and pepper. The final result is a sauce that is fresh and flavorful. Use it to season turkey rolls filled with cream cheese. Piled on top of orzo, the sauce and turkey rolls make a succulent finish to a long week. For the recipe, read more.

Turkey-Cheese Roll-ups with Red Pepper Sauce
From Good Housekeeping magazine

3/4 cup orzo pasta
1 jar (12 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained
1/4 cup plus 16 large basil leaves loosely packed fresh basil leaves
8 (about 1 pound) thin slices turkey breast, for scaloppini (pounded thin)
1/2 cup chive-and-onion whipped light cream cheese

Heat 2-quart saucepan of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add orzo and cook as label directs. Drain.
Meanwhile, prepare Red Pepper Sauce: place 3/4 cup red peppers in blender. Add 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup basil leaves, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Blend just until pureed but not completely smooth; set aside. Makes about 3/4 cup.
Cut remaining red peppers into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Place turkey scaloppines on sheet of waxed paper. Evenly divide red pepper strips and remaining basil leaves among scaloppines.
Spoon 1 level tablespoon cream cheese on 1 end of each scaloppine. Loosely roll each scaloppine jelly-roll fashion to enclose filling; secure with toothpick.
Heat nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add rolls to skillet; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover skillet and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until rolls are browned on all sides and turkey is no longer pink, turning rolls over once.
Remove toothpicks from rolls. Divide orzo among 4 dinner plates. Arrange turkey rolls on plates with orzo; serve with pepper sauce.

Serves 4.

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Say Cheese! Fresh Mozzarella, Italian Sausage Calzones

partysugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:26:33 -0700

Mozzarella is a widely known, mild Italian cheese that's made from a pulling, stretching, and cutting technique. At one time, all mozzarella was made from water buffalo milk, but now it's commonly made with cow's milk. Fresh mozzarella is packaged in water or whey and has a soft texture and delicate flavor. It's delicious alone, in a salad (like caprese) or melted. To find out how I used my fresh mozzarella boconccini, read more.

My first thought was to make a classic pizza margherita, but since I've never experimented with calzones, I decided to tuck the chunks of mozzarella into a pizza pocket.

This recipe is straightforward and can easily be adapted to your culinary specifications. That being said, I followed the recipe exactly, and it was wonderful! The combination of fragrant sausage, garlicky pesto, sweet peppers, and oozing cheese is utterly sublime. I made the components (roasted garlic, spicy tomato sauce, and pesto) from scratch, but feel free to take help from the supermarket.

Fresh Mozzarella, Italian Sausage Calzones
From Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

1 ball of basic pizza dough (enough dough for 1 pizza)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and white pepper
1/2 cup thick pesto
1/2 cup roasted garlic
1 cup diced Italian sausage, cooked
1 red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and julienned
2 tablespoons chiffonade of basil
4 (1/2-inch) slices of fresh Mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 cup spicy tomato sauce, hot

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Place the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough out to form a 12-inch circle.
Spread the pesto over one half of the dough. Layer the garlic, sausage, peppers, and basil, alternately over the pesto.
Lay the Mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the basil. Fold the other side of the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal the calzone.
Make three slashes across the top of the calzone. Place the calzone on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the calzone with the egg wash.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Spoon the sauce in the center of the plate. Slice the calzone in half and place in the center of the sauce. Alternately, spoon the sauce into a bowl and serve with the calzone.

Serves 2.

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The Basics: Pesto

partysugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:15:17 -0700

When basil is in season, I can't make enough pesto. The classic Italian sauce native to Genoa tastes delicious on everything from pasta to pizza to grilled fish. It's excellent stirred into salads or slathered on sandwich bread. Although store-made pesto is widely available, it's easy to make. Pesto is simply an uncooked paste consisting of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. It can be made with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor. Once you have mastered the basic recipe, you can get creative with other herb, nut, and cheese combinations. To learn the basic technique, read more.

Pesto
From Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 to 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

In a blender or food processor, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until finely chopped.
With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture forms a smooth and thick consistency. Add the Parmesan and pulse until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Makes 1-1 1/2 cups.

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What Would You Make?

partysugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:01:19 -0800

Here's the scenario: you are at home and hungry. You have to cook up something scrumptious for you and your boyfriend/girlfriend/ spouse/child/friend, but the ingredients you have on hand are limited.

You have a bunch of fragrant basil, creamy goat cheese, and marinara sauce. Using these products, along with whatever you currently have on hand in your cupboard and refrigerator, what would you make?

To see what I would make, read more.

I would start by finely chopping the basil. Next I would stir it into the marinara sauce.
I would fill an oven-proof appetizer dish with the sauce and plop a large chunk of goat cheese in the middle.
I would bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Meanwhile I would use whatever bread I have on hand - this week I have regular white sandwich bread - to make croutons. I would do this by cutting it into large one inch crustless cubes and crisping it up in the oven while the cheese and sauce bake.
Finally, I would serve the cheese marinara dip with the croutons and skewers for dipping.

Source and Source

Fast & Easy Dinner: Eggplant and Goat-Cheese Sandwiches

partysugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 06:01:18 -0800

Cutting back on your bread intake is a great way to reduce daily carb levels. Instead of using bread to make a sandwich, get creative by substituting vegetables. In tonight's dinner, thick slices of eggplant act as bread by sandwiching gooey goat cheese. Served on a bed of chunky, tomato-tarragon sauce, this dish is like a deconstructed version of eggplant Parmesan. For the simple and deliciously rewarding recipe, read more.

Eggplant and Goat-Cheese Sandwiches
From Food and Wine magazine

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 28-ounce can)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggplants, peeled and cut to make sixteen 1/2-inch-thick slices in all
4 eggs, beaten to mix
Cooking oil, for frying
1/2 pound mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, cut into 8 rounds

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, tarragon, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Dip each slice of eggplant in the eggs and then in the bread-crumb mixture, coating well. In a large frying pan, heat about half an inch of cooking oil over moderate heat until very hot. Fry the eggplant in the hot oil, in batches, turning once, until golden and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Arrange half of the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put a slice of goat cheese on top of each and then top with the remaining eggplant slices. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Put the sauce on plates and top with the eggplant.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Penne With Mushrooms

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:50:30 -0800

Although some people may think all pasta dishes are loaded with carbs and cheese, this recipe proves them wrong. It's chock full of mushrooms and kale, and combines whole wheat pasta with a rich sauce made from hazelnuts. Most grocery stores carry whole wheat pasta these days; you can find it in the regular pasta aisle. There's no meat, but the mushrooms and nutty gravy give this dish a complex heartiness. To check out this vegetarian-friendly, cheese-free pasta recipe, read more.

Penne With Mushrooms
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
A handful dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups vegetable or mushroom broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
Freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped peeled hazelnuts
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
While the pasta is working, in a small saucepan, soften the dried mushrooms in the broth over low heat.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium heat. Add the portobellos, shallots and garlic and cook until tender, 6 minutes. Add the kale, cover the skillet and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg and toss.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcinis to a cutting board and chop, then add to the kale mixture.
Pour the porcini broth into a bowl or cup, discarding any grit at the bottom of the pan; set aside.
Wipe out the pan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the hazelnuts and rosemary and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the reserved porcini broth and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Toss the pasta with the kale mixture and gravy; season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Almost Meatless Thanksgiving - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:50:06 -0800

If you've got both vegetarians and meat lovers joining you for Thanksgiving, consider serving an almost meatless meal. The only meat dish on the menu is the turkey, but the appetizers and supporting dishes are all veg-friendly. Start with baked brie and toasted walnuts. It's a luxurious way to begin any party and the salty cheese-nut combo will whet guests' palettes.

When you move to the table, serve a sherried kabocha soup with spiced pepitas as the first course. A bay and lemon brined turkey is the main event, while scalloped yukon gold and sweet potato gratin, Brussels sprouts with vinegar-glazed red onions, shiitake mushroom and herb stuffing, and roasted cranberry sauce are the scrumptious sides. To get a look at these savory and seasonal recipes, please keep reading

Mac Attack! Three-Cheese Mini Macs

partysugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:50:10 -0700

Looking for something orange to serve at your Halloween bash on Saturday? Why not make these adorable and delicious macaroni and cheese bites?! This mac gets its vibrant hue from cheddar and American cheeses.

The technique is like a typical macaroni and cheese recipe, but the ratio of cheese to liquid is different. There's more cheese and less milk resulting in a dense, easily-compactable pasta with thick sauce.

Although the recipe calls for five minutes of cool time, I found that these macs, which are cooked in mini muffin pans, need about ten minutes to set. If you try to get them out of the pan too early, the pasta won't hold its shape and instead of mac and cheese minis, you'll just have a mac and cheese mess. To look at the recipe, keep reading.