Category Archives: Main Dish

Sirloin Tips with Butter Sauce

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

 

There are times when I want to prepare a tender cut of beef,  but using our gas grille is not feasible (it’s raining outside, or too cold); or I do not want to use the oven or broiler ( it’s too hot to turn on the oven).  That’s when I turn to this recipe.   You can prepare a very delicious steak, or any other tender cut of beef very quickly.   I particularly like sirloin tips, but I’ve made it with Hanger steak, and with a sirloin steak, and they have all been wonderful.  This requires only  a few ingredients.

In addition to the meat of your choice, have ready:

  • 1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped fine
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Preheat a large fry pan to very hot.  Do not spray or oil the pan.  A hot pan is required to quickly sear the surface of the meat and seal in the juices.  Add the steak to the dry pan, and cook 4-5 minutes/side.  Turn once only. Cooking time is dependent on your preference for rare, versus more will-done.

Remove meat from pan to a platter.  Season with salt and pepper, and cover with foil to keep warm.

Into the hot pan add chopped shallots, and the butter.  Saute, and scrape up browned bits.  Add the lemon juice, chopped parsley, and any juices which have drained from the hot steak.  Warm through, pour over steak, and serve.

SOURCE:  Cook’s Illustrated

Spicy Tilapia Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

One day last week I was confronted with this situation–which happens rather frequently around here.  Mr. D. needed to work late, then go directly to a meeting before coming home for dinner.  Meanwhile, I needed to have my dinner on the early side, then go to a dance class in the evening.  My dilemma?  How to provide each of us with a nutritious meal which could be eaten at two separate times.  Are you familiar with this scenario?   I’d love to hear from you about the kinds of meals you serve when this happens.

My solution on this particular day was to make a tasty salsa that could be served with spice-rubbed tilapia, quickly cooked as needed; and served in a toasted corn tortilla.  I also prepared a tossed green salad to round out the meal, dressing to be added when eaten.

Here’s how it went together:

AVOCADO-MANGO SALSA

  • 1 cup diced peeled avocado
  • 2/3 cup diced peeled ripe mango
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together all the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl, and set aside for flavors to meld.  This is a delicious salsa that I make often in warm weather.  I love salsas made from fresh ingredients, don’t you?

SPICY FISH FILLETS (TILAPIA)

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced fine
  • 1 pound fish fillets  (we are partial to tilapia)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 8 Corn tortillas  (6-inch)
Combine the first 5 ingredients ( thru garlic ).  Rub well over both sides of fish fillets.  These can be prepared in advance up to this point.  Refrigerate, and have ready for cooking as needed.
Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the vegetable oil to pan, swirl to coat.  Add fish;  cook 2-3 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fillets.  Remove to a platter and keep warm.
Warm corn tortillas in hot skillet, about a minute per side to warm and soften.
YIELD:  SERVES 4


Umami Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with , , , ,

Have you been reading or hearing the word Umami a lot lately?  I have, and no, it does not mean an asian vegetable, fish or any other kind of food.  It is the “fifth taste”, say many food writers; to be added to salty, sweet, acidic and bitter.  Umami is a rich deep flavor such as that  of cooked mushrooms, for example, or aged cheese.  There is lots of umami in this dish what with the mushrooms, tamari and sesame oil.  The dish goes together very quickly, once you have the vegetables sliced and ready.  Purchase precooked shrimp from the market, and save even more time.

UMAMI SHRIMP AND VEGETABLE STIR FRY

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons tamari ( reduced sodium soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • dash pepper
  • 1/2 pound cooked shrimp
  • 1 small head broccoli  florets
  • cooked noodles
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Salt lightly and add raw broccoli.  Cook broccoli florets to crisp tender and remove with a skimmer to a plate.  Use the same water, and cook noodles as package directs.  As pictured here, I used Angel Hair pasta, but any thin pasta will do fine.
  2. While broccoli and pasta are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large shallow skillet, over high heat.  Add the mushrooms, stir-fry until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
Transfer mushrooms to a plate.  Add more oil to pan, if needed.  Add the green onions, and stir-fry 1 minute.
Add the 1/2 cup chicken broth, tamari, sesame oil and  pepper to taste.  Heat to boil.  Stir in 1/2 pound  cooked shrimp and cooked broccoli, and reserved mushrooms.
Heat until hot.
Drain noodles, and serve with shrimp and vegetable mixture over the top.

Serves 2

Adapted by Carolyn from a newspaper article.

Mexican Fiesta Chicken

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , ,

Tomorrow  being Cinco de Mayo I thought you might enjoy this colorful and tasty recipe.  In case you were wondering  what to have for dinner  there’s still plenty of time to prepare a festive meal in honor of this Mexican holiday, with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. 

  • 8 chicken drumsticks or 4 chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 1   12oz. jar chunky red salsa
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup tortilla corn chips
  1. Rinse the chicken pieces. and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. In a 10-inch skillet cook the chicken in hot cooking oil, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until chicken is light brown, turning occasionally so chicken browns evenly.  Drain off the fat.
  3. Pour the salsa over the chicken in the skillet.  Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork.
  4. Transfer the chicken and salsa sauce to a serving platter.  Sprinkle with the cheese.  Serve with the tortilla chips tucked in among the chicken pieces for a nice presentation.

I like to serve this dish with Spanish Rice, guacamole, and additional tortilla chips on the side.

Source:  This clipping has been mounted in my recipe notebook for many years.  I do not remember where it came from.

Chicken Provencale

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish and tagged with , , , , ,

This is a wonderful one-dish meal that I came across several years ago.  I prepare if rather often, because it is easy, very tasty, and makes enough for a second meal.  The ingredients are ones you probably already have in your storage pantry.  It contains all the food groups recommended for a well-balanced meal, especially if served with a side salad and a crusty  bread to soak up all the juices.

I have served this entree when I entertain, and people always comment on the tender chicken and flavorful beans.  Any leftovers reheated seem to taste even better because all the seasonings have more time to “marry’.

Chicken Provencale

  • 1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut up; or any combination of chicken parts to equal 3-4 pounds
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can ( 15 1/2 oz.) Great Northern beans
  • 1 can (15 1/2 oz.) Black beans, both cans rinsed and drained
  • 1can  (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 3 medium carrots, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, brown the chicken in oil, a few pieces at a time.  Do not crowd the pan as the chicken will not brown nicely.  Remove to a platter and set aside.

Saute onion and garlic in drippings remaining in skillet until transparent.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Spoon into a large baking dish. 

Arrange chicken pieces on top.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 65-75 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Making Homemade Pizza

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Main Dish, Quick Meals, Snacks and tagged with , , , , ,

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like pizza.  Do you?  But it’s hard to please everyone as they all have their favorites.   Well, with my family I have pretty much solved this problem.  I make pizza at home, and everyone can choose their own topping.  Depending on what I have on hand, I present them with 3-4 choices, and we go from there.

Today, I am going to share with you the three most commonly chosen pizzas at my house.  They all start the same way with the basic crust. Depending on how much time I have to prepare, I use one of the following types:

  1. Made from scratch pizza dough.( Please see separate post for my dough recipe)  Again, I rely on my bread machine to make a basic dough, which produces about  2 pounds.  I do this periodically, and freeze it in 1 pound balls.  Defrost at room temperature, stretch to fit your pan, and you’re ready to build your pizza.
  2. Frozen dough from the grocery store.  Defrost and use as described above.
  3. Preformed pizza shell like BOBOLI.  This gives you the option of making one 10″ pie, or choose a package with 4 smaller individual pies.

Always prepare your pan in advance.  This can be a pizza pan, a pizza stone, or large baking sheet.  Mist or brush with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with corn meal. This is optional, but it gives the crust a nice crunch.  Roll or stretch the dough to fit the pan.  Note:  yeast doughs like to fight you; the more you stretch them the more they seem to shrink back. To  win this fight, take it slow.  Stretch a little, wait, let it rest.  Stretch some more,wait, let it rest.  Be patient, and you will win.   Try to have as uniform a thickness as possible.  There will be some air bubbles throughout. They are what give lightness to your crust.  Before layering on the toppings, mist or brush the crust with olive oil, especially the outer margin, so it will brown nicely.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pizza Deluxe

  • 2-3  links Italian Sausage, hot or sweet, casings removed
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into strips
  • 1 large onion, cut in half, then into wedges
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup basil pesto
  • 1  cup marinara sauce
  • 1 cup shredded cheese ( pizza blend is good, or any combination you prefer)
  1. In a large skillet crumble the sausage and ground beef together, and cook until browned.  Remove meats to a bowl, and drain pan, leaving a small amount of drippings.
  2. Place peppers and onions in skillet over medium heat and saute until beginning to soften.  Add mushrooms. and cook 2-3 minutes more.  Remove from heat.

.

3.  Spred the basil pesto evenly over the dough. Top with the marinara sauce.

4.  Add the cooked meats over the sauce.

5.  Top evenly with the vegetables.

6.  Before topping with the cheese, I like to sprinkle a little dried oregano, and red pepper flakes over the vegetables.

      Top with cheese(s).

7.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Kickin Chicken Pizza

  • 5-6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained and broken into small pieces
  • 1 tesp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup barbeque sauce–your choice
  • 4 oz. pepper-jack cheese
  •  1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded.  (Rotisserie chicken is good here)
  • 8 oz. Mexican cheese blend
  • 1/2 tesp. red pepper flakes, optional
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Follow directions given above for pan preparation.  Mist dough crust with olive oil.  Set aside.
  2. Heat a medium skillet on med-high, cook bacon, drain and crumble.  Reserve 1 teaspoon bacon drippings, add 1 teaspoon olive oil, swirl to coat pan.  Saute onions and peppers until tender crisp, add garlic and continue sauteing for 40-45 seconds or until garlic is aromatic.
  3. Remove from heat and set aside.  Spread BBQ sauce over crust, leaving a small margin at edges. Layer ingredients in the following order:  pepper-jack cheese, shredded chicken, onion-pepper mixture, Mexican cheese blend, top with crumbled bacon and red pepper flakes, if using.
  4. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.

Hawaiian Pizza

  • 1 cup Alfredo Sauce with Cheese  (like Classico)
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 cup cooked ham steak, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple, in chunks
  • 3 slices bacon, cooked crisp, and broken into small pieces

 Prepare pizza crust and pan as directed above, misting with olive oil, especially the edges.

1. In small sauce pan, heat Alfred0 Sauce, thinning with 1/4 cup milk.   Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and mix until smooth.

2. Spread Alfredo Sauce mixture on pizza crust, leaving a small margin at the edges.

3. Top with ham pieces, pineapple chunks and bacon pieces.

4. Sprinkle on remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until browned.