Tag: minced garlic

Categories
Main Dish

Prepare a honey of a meal for dinner this week

Honey garlic chicken is a great combination of just a little sweetness with plenty of savory flavor from chicken thighs, garlic and bell pepper.
Honey garlic chicken is a great combination of just a little sweetness with plenty of savory flavor from chicken thighs, garlic and bell pepper.

One of the most popular questions I get from people when they find out I write a recipe column is whether I have had any food fails when trying new dishes.

The answer is a resounding yes.

And if you were to ask me what the biggest fail of all time was, I would, without hesitation, tell you about a honey lime crockpot chicken I made nearly a decade ago. It still haunts me.

It was so disgusting that Joey and I begrudgingly threw it out. There was no saving it. It tasted like somebody tried to combine candy and chicken into one dish. It was positively awful.

Since that experience, any time I see a recipe that has “honey” and “chicken” in the title, I get a little flashback and wonder if I will be making another huge mistake if I give it a try.

This week, I decided to take the plunge anyway. Thankfully, no chicken ended up in the garbage, and we ended up with a tasty dinner and some leftovers, to boot.

This comes from the blog “Kitchen Sanctuary” by Nicky Corbishley. You can find her original post at https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/honey-garlic-chicken/. I added vegetables and a ton of extra garlic to my version.

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Honey Garlic Chicken

Honey garlic chicken is a great combination of just a little sweetness with plenty of savory flavor from chicken thighs, garlic and bell pepper.
Course Main Course
Keyword bell pepper, chicken thighs, garlic, honey, minced garlic, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
  • 1 large bell pepper diced (any color)
  • 1/2 small yellow onion diced
  • 6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into one-inch strips
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • Cooked rice for serving
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes optional

Instructions

  • Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onions, and saute until they are cooked through.
  • Remove the peppers and onions from the skillet and place them in a bowl to the side.
  • While the vegetables cook, prepare the chicken thighs. Mix the cornstarch, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl, and then add the chicken thighs, tossing until the cornstarch mixture is well distributed.
  • When the veggies are done, add the other two tablespoons of oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken to the skillet, and saute until it is browned on all sides and fully cooked through (165 degrees internal temperature).
  • Turn the heat back to medium and prepare the sauce.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chicken stock, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce.
  • Next, toss the butter and garlic into the skillet, stirring to melt the butter and saute the garlic. Once the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant, stir in the sauce and the peppers and onions. Let the sauce come to a low boil and then simmer for several minutes until the sauce reduces.
  • Serve over rice and sprinkled with sesame seeds and chili flakes.

This had a good savory sweetness that we really enjoyed. If you leave out the chili flakes, it has no spice whatsoever and should be a good crowd pleaser.

I made my white rice with chicken stock instead of water to add a little more flavor, and I even threw in both regular and black sesame seeds and sliced green onions to try to make it look fancy.

I was so glad this wasn’t a horrible sequel to my honey lime chicken experiment. I’m sure I’ll have a major kitchen fail again sometime in the future, but luckily, this wasn’t the time.

This piece first appeared in print April 25, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Chop, chop! It’s time for a fabulous pork dinner

Pork chops in creamy wine sauce looks, tastes and sounds fancy, but it’s actually very simple to make and is a decently quick dinner, too. It’s really good along side mashed potatoes.
Pork chops in creamy wine sauce looks, tastes and sounds fancy, but it’s actually very simple to make and is a decently quick dinner, too. It’s really good along side mashed potatoes.

I was listening to a podcast this week about a scammer who managed to get millions of dollars out of his marks by pretending to be a Saudi Arabian prince.

In one case, he was found out because he ordered a dish with pancetta in it at a restaurant, and since his dining companion knew a devout Muslim would never eat pork, he started becoming suspicious.

I get it. There are certain dishes I think I would mindlessly order, too, even if I were trying to trick someone with a secret identity—especially if it had to do with chocolate. The temptation is real.

I was thinking about that story while I made this week’s recipe, and I can tell you this should be on your “must try” list, as long as you are able to eat pork products, because it was amazing and super easy to make.

This comes from the blog, “What’s In The Pan?” You can find the original post at https://whatsinthepan.com/pork-chops-in-creamy-white-wine-sauce/. I added a bunch of seasonings and extra garlic to my version.

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Pork Chops in Creamy Wine Sauce

Pork chops in creamy wine sauce looks, tastes and sounds fancy, but it’s actually very simple to make and is a decently quick dinner, too. It’s really good along side mashed potatoes.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, basil, boneless pork chops, chicken broth, chicken stock, garlic powder, heavy cream, lemon juice, minced garlic, onion powder, oregano, parsley, pork chops, thyme, white wine

Ingredients

Pork Chop Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 boneless pork chops
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Sauce Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • leftover flour mixture from pork chops
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine I used pinot grigio
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 to 1 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 1/2 heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • On a plate or in a bowl large enough to fit a pork chop, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper.
  • Dredge each pork chop in the flour mixture, making sure to get a solid coating on both sides and the edges. (Don’t toss the flour. You’re going to use it for the sauce.)
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the pork chops. Cook them on each side for about three or four minutes until they’re nicely browned and the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and cover them to keep them warm while you make the sauce.
  • For the sauce, melt butter over medium heat and add the garlic. Saute until it’s lightly browned and fragrant and stir in about one tablespoon of the flour mixture from the pork chops, or enough to soak up all the butter. Saute for one to two minutes to cook the flour, and then slowly whisk in the wine, 1/2 cup chicken stock and heavy cream, along with the lemon juice and seasonings. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens to your liking. If it gets too thick, loosen it up with a little more stock.
  • When the sauce is how you want it, reduce the heat to low and add the pork chops and any accumulated juices back to the pan, dousing them with the sauce. Once the pork chops are heated back through, serve immediately.

We enjoyed our pork chops along with mashed potatoes, and the wine sauce was amazing poured over the whole dish. I also added fresh basil to my sauce, because I happened to have some on hand, so if you want to kick yours up a notch, I highly recommend that, too.

The sauce was creamy and really flavorful, and I will absolutely make this again—hopefully soon. It’s one of those dinners that feels like it was a lot more effort than it really was. In all, I probably had dinner on the table in 30 to 40 minutes.

If you’re in the mood for something that looks fancy without being a pain to cook, make sure you keep this recipe on hand. Just remember not to make it in the case of certain scams you may be pulling; you don’t want to end up the subject of a podcast.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 8, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Say ‘oky gnocchi’ to trying this creamy pasta dish

Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.
Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.

International cuisine website “Saveur” features an article called “Pasta’s Predecessor: The History of Gnocchi,” that I found really interesting when trying to figure out how the little potato dumplings came to be.

As with all traditional foods, there is controversy about where in Italy the dish originated, as well as when it was first developed, but according to the article, there are references to gnocchi all the way back to the Renaissance, which is pretty neat.

Historical gnocchi was made with a variety of ingredients, and if you start searching, you’ll find modern chefs love to play with it, too.

I really like cooking with gnocchi, because it is incredibly easy to prepare and adds some great, soft texture to a pasta dish.

That’s why I had to give this week’s recipe a try when I spotted it online. It looked like the perfect cool-weather dinner meal to sample.

This comes from the blog “Salt & Lavender.” You can find the original post at https://www.saltandlavender.com/ground-beef-gnocchi/. I added extra seasonings in my version.

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Ground Beef Gnocchi

Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword basil, diced tomatoes, easy dinner, garlic, gnocchi, ground beef, heavy cream, minced garlic, one-pan dinner, one-pot dinner, oregano, parmesan cheese, parsley, potato gnocchi, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 14- ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth or water
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 pound potato gnocchi uncooked
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a large skillet with a lid, saute the ground beef and the onions over medium heat, crumbling the beef as it cooks.
  • Once the ground beef is fully cooked and the onions are soft, drain of any excess grease from the pan.
  • Stir in the garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper, and saute for just a couple of minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
  • Pour in the can of diced tomatoes, broth/water and heavy cream, and stir until combined. When the mixture begins bubbling slightly, stir in the gnocchi.
  • Place the lid on the pan, turning the heat to low-medium, and let it simmer for five minutes.
  • Remove the lid and stir again, letting the sauce reduce a bit for a few minutes.
  • Once the sauce is as thick as you like it and the gnocchi is soft, stir in the parmesan and serve immediately.

This was creamy and delicious. It was basically impossible to avoid getting seconds. All of the Italian seasonings melded with the richness of the gnocchi and the light saltiness of the parmesan to create a fabulous meal.

I’m guessing the use of store-bought tomatoes and dried herbs wasn’t quite what the originators of gnocchi had in mind when they first created the dumplings, but I’d also wager they would be pretty happy with the outcome if they gave it a taste.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 2, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Cook up all the ‘gourd’ things for fall weather

Fall chicken and vegetables features all the flavors of the season with sweet butternut squash, earthy Brussels spouts and plenty of garlic, along with cheesy tortellini and paprika-seasoned chicken.
Fall chicken and vegetables features all the flavors of the season with sweet butternut squash, earthy Brussels spouts and plenty of garlic, along with cheesy tortellini and paprika-seasoned chicken.

Early to mid-October is one of the harder times of year for me to decide what to cook.

Since the Kansas weather can’t make up its mind, I’m never sure if it will be a day where I’m happy to heat up my kitchen by firing up the oven or if I’ll regret raising the temperature in our house.

Despite that, I’m never wishy-washy about all of the fall vegetables that start to hit the grocery store shelves. I could subsist almost completely on squash and sweet potatoes, and I’m always excited to get to cook with them again each year.

So, on a day this past week when I was pretty sure it was going to be an “oven day,” I grabbed some squash and Brussels spouts and hurried home to whip up my first official fall meal so I could share it with all of you.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Julia’s Album.” You can find the original post at https://juliasalbum.com/autumn-chicken-dinner-roasted-vegetables/. I added extra spices and garlic to my version.

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Fall Chicken and Vegetables

Fall chicken and vegetables features all the flavors of the season with sweet butternut squash, earthy Brussels spouts and plenty of garlic, along with cheesy tortellini and paprika-seasoned chicken.
Course Main Course
Keyword autumn recipe, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cheese tortellini, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, fall recipe, garlic, minced garlic, paprika, thyme

Ingredients

  • 3 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 12 ounces Brussels spouts halved
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 9 ounces cheese tortellini
  • 1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into strips
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up.
  • Add the squash and Brussels sprouts to the baking sheet, and then pour on two tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the vegetables with a spoon or your hands until everything is evenly coated. Spread the vegetables out as evenly as possible, and bake for 30 minutes or until fork tender. (Stir them around a bit after about 20 minutes in the oven.)
  • While the vegetables are roasting, cook the tortellini according to package instructions, drain and set aside.
  • For the chicken, place the strips into a bowl and season with the paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir the chicken with a spoon or your hands until the spices are evenly distributed onto all the chicken.
  • In a large skillet (go big; you’re adding the vegetables and pasta later), heat the other two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken and saute for about five minutes on each side until the chicken is browned to your liking and has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside for now.
  • Add the butter to the skillet. When it’s melted, add in the garlic. Saute for about two minutes, until the garlic is lightly browned a fragrant.
  • Add the tortellini to the skillet and toss to coat it in the butter/garlic mixture.
  • Add in the chicken and any accumulated juices and the roasted vegetables and toss again to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Add more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot.

This was delicious. I definitely went back in for another helping, and it made a lot of food. I will say it was not quite as good when reheated as it was the first night we had it, but the leftovers were still pretty tasty.

The flavor profile for this is quintessentially fall, which I was excited to experience.

And even if the weather keeps dipping back and forth on the temperature gauge, I’ll keep this recipe around and ready for the rest of October and November.

I’m ready for some autumn flavors, even if Mother Nature is not.

This piece first appeared in print on Oct. 19, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Make a great Asian dish like you’ve never had ‘beef’ore

Mongolian beef features delicious seared steak with a sticky, yummy Asian-inspired sauce that goes great over a bed of rice.
Mongolian beef features delicious seared steak with a sticky, yummy Asian-inspired sauce that goes great over a bed of rice.

I was so glad this week that the smoke detector in my kitchen isn’t particularly sensitive.

As I sauteed thin slices of steak on my stovetop, the room filled with a fine smoke that my exhaust fan just couldn’t keep up with.

I am normally really nervous about cooking anything on high heat. I think it goes back to the first place I moved into when I left home. The cooktop in my rental got extra, extra hot and led to my first experience with a grease fire, despite having the temperature set to what should have been a normal one for frying. (Always remember to smother a grease fire with a lid, and do not to try to put it out with water!)

My current oven is newer and behaves itself, though, so despite putting off a little smoke, my dish turned out absolutely delicious.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Dinner at the Zoo” by Sara Welch. You can find it at https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/mongolian-beef/. I added veggies and extra seasoning in my version.

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Mongolian Beef

Mongolian beef features delicious seared steak with a sticky, yummy Asian-inspired sauce that goes great over a bed of rice.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword bell pepper, brown sugar, flank steak, fresh ginger, green onion, minced garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, top round steak

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pounds flank or top round steak sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil I ended up needing more than this
  • 2 bell peppers any color, cut into strips
  • 1/2 cup green onions cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced (I used ginger paste)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • rice or rice noodles and sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

  • Cut the steak into one-inch-wide strips and add it to a plastic bag with 1/4 cup of cornstarch. Seal the bag and shake to evenly coat the strips.
  • Prepare a plate by lining it with a paper towel and set it aside.
  • In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil on high heat.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the strips of steak in a single layer. Saute for a few minutes on each side until the meat is browned. Remove the strips from the skillet and place them on the paper-towel-lined plate.
  • Continue in batches (adding more oil if it’s sticking) until all the meat is browned.
  • Turn the heat down to medium-high heat, add a bit more oil if necessary and add in the bell peppers and green onions. Saute until they reach your desired level of doneness. Toss in the garlic and ginger and saute for about 30 seconds to a minute.
  • Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, water and brown sugar to the pan, making sure to scrape the bottom for any good, browned bits from the steak and the veggies. Let the mixture come to a simmer, stirring regularly.
  • In a small bowl, combine the other two teaspoons of cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture is starting to thicken, reduce the heat to low, and stir in the steak. Make sure to mix well to evenly coat everything.
  • Add salt and pepper as desired (I didn’t have to add any salt at all, thanks to the other seasonings. It’s better to taste the sauce first.)
  • Serve over prepared rice or rice noodles and top with sesame seeds.

This was amazing. In fact, I have already made a second batch of this one in the time since I first tried it. The sauce is sticky and has tons of great flavor without being cloyingly sweet. This also reheats super well as leftovers, so be sure to make some extra rice or noodles so you have pre-made meals for later in the week.

And pay attention to your own stovetop’s “high” setting when you try this. Some are more sensitive than others—as are some smoke detectors. But as long as you get a good sear on your meat, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

This piece first appeared in print on July 6, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Side Dish

Flex your cooking ‘Brussels’ with a new summer side dish

Brussels sprouts with bacon and pesto pasta is a light, summer side dish that is best served warm. It features bright flavors from pesto and fresh lemon juice, which makes it a crowd pleaser.
Brussels sprouts with bacon and pesto pasta is a light, summer side dish that is best served warm. It features bright flavors from pesto and fresh lemon juice, which makes it a crowd pleaser.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself searching the Internet every summer for new side dishes to take to barbecues.

Joey is really, really not a mayonnaise fan, so the traditional offerings like potato salad and coleslaw are mostly out of the question.

But then you also have the problem of how to keep a cold side dish cold while you’re hanging out in 90-degree Kansas weather. Instead, I prefer a dish that can be warm (or at least room temperature) and still be delicious.

This week’s recipe definitely ticks that box.

You can find it on the blog “Recipe Runner” at https://reciperunner.com/brussels-sprouts-and-bacon-pesto-pasta/. I added extra garlic and red pepper flakes in my version.

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Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Pesto Pasta

Brussels sprouts with bacon and pesto pasta is a light, summer side dish that is best served warm. It features bright flavors from pesto and fresh lemon juice, which makes it a crowd pleaser.
Course Side Dish
Keyword bacon, barbecue side dish, basil pesto, Brussels sprouts, garlic, lemon juice, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, picnic side dish, summer side dish

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces pasta shells
  • 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 12 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons pesto
  • Juice of one lemon about 2 tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded (plus more for topping)

Instructions

  • Boil your pasta according to package directions.
  • While it’s cooking, wash and trim your Brussels sprouts and slice them thinly. Set them aside.
  • In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it’s crispy, and then remove it from the pan to a paper towel to drain.
  • Remove all but about one tablespoon of the bacon grease from the skillet, and add in the sliced Brussels sprouts, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes or until the Brussels sprouts are as tender as you like them.
  • Stir in the garlic and saute for about one more minute or until it is lightly browned and fragrant.
  • Add in the rest of the ingredients (drained pasta, too), and stir to combine. Add more seasoning if necessary, and serve warm with some extra cheese on top.

We ate this hot the first time, and it was amazing. We ate it cold as leftovers, and while it was still good straight out of the fridge, we both agreed we liked it better at least warm.

The flavors married well and were bright and perfect for a summer side dish.

The next time we’re hosting (or invited to) an outdoor summer meal, this will be on my short list of dishes to take. It’s tasty, easy to make, and there are no ice packs or other contraptions needed to keep this dish cold throughout a get-together.

With the heat outside rising, if I can at least find some relaxation through not worrying about my cooking, I’ll be very happy.

This piece first appeared in print on June 22, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Put a little pep in your pasta with veggies and feta

Roasted red pepper pasta comes together easily in a blender with fresh vegetables, feta cheese and a touch of honey to create a delicious sauce.
Roasted red pepper pasta comes together easily in a blender with fresh vegetables, feta cheese and a touch of honey to create a delicious sauce.

I have to confess that I have never been much of a cyclist. I finally learned how to ride a bike—mostly because I was embarrassed that my younger sister was (literally) riding circles around me.

We would go out riding occasionally, and I rode a bit when I was in college, but it has never turned into a full-blown hobby, partially because my lack of height means I can barely touch the ground while on the seat, and it always freaks me out just a little bit.

I keep thinking I need to get over my fears and ride more, though, not only for my health but also to save some gas money here and there.

With the Bike Across Kansas folks coming through our area this week, I’ve been thinking a bit about it, although I’m certain you’ll never see me sign up for such an ambitious trek.

I keep thinking the benefit for those folks is they likely can eat whatever they want on their way across the Sunflower State. Carbo loading is probably a must to keep up.

So, if you’re like me and not planning on biking across our great state but would still like to eat like it, I have a great pasta dish to share with you this week.

This recipe comes from “Sweet Cindy’s Honey.” You can find her on Pinterest @sweetcindyshoney or on her website at https://sweetcindyshoney.com/. I added onion and garlic to my version below and changed up how the peppers were roasted.

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Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Roasted red pepper pasta comes together easily in a blender with fresh vegetables, feta cheese and a touch of honey to create a delicious sauce.
Course Main Course
Keyword feta cheese, honey, minced garlic, pasta, pasta sauce, red pepper flakes, roasted red peppers, vegetarian, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 large red bell peppers
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 8 ounces dried pasta I used medium-sized shells
  • 1/2 small yellow onion diced
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Wash and dry your bell peppers, and drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of oil over the peppers, using your hands to coat them thoroughly. Place them on the baking sheet, and turn the broiler in your oven on high.
  • Let the peppers char on each side under the broiler, checking on them every few minutes until the outsides of the peppers are blackened on all sides.
  • Remove the peppers from the oven and transfer them to a large bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of the dish.
  • Cook your pasta according to package directions. When it’s done, save about 1/3 cup of the pasta water in case you need to thin your sauce.
  • In a skillet, heat another 1/2 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add in the diced onions. Saute until they are soft and toss in the garlic. Saute for just a couple minutes until the garlic is fragrant and just starting the brown. Remove from heat.
  • In a blender or food processor, add the other two tablespoons of olive oil, the onion/garlic mixture, feta cheese, honey, chili pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
  • Carefully remove and discard the skin from the charred peppers, discard the seeds, and then rough chop the peppers before adding them to the blender.
  • Blend the mixture until it is smooth. If it is still thicker than you like, blend in a little pasta water until you reach your desired consistency. (If the sauce got a bit cold, add it to your skillet, along with the pasta, to reheat it a bit.)
  • Serve immediately with the cooked pasta.

You can easily add a protein, too. We sauteed some shrimp to add to the mix, but it would also be delicious with chicken or even a rope sausage. You could also wilt some spinach into the sauce, if you wanted to.

The flavor of the sauce was fabulous, and it reheated really well, too. It was kind of nice to do something other than tomato sauce with pasta for a change.

This was definitely a nice, filling dinner. Now I need to get back on my bike so I can justify making it again.

This piece first appeared in print on June 15, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Side Dish Snack

‘Eggs’plore a new treat with Mayak Gyeran

Mayak eggs are marinated soft-boiled eggs that take on a ton of flavor from sauces and vegetables. In Korean cooking, they are traditionally eaten as a side dish over rice.
Mayak eggs are marinated soft-boiled eggs that take on a ton of flavor from sauces and vegetables. In Korean cooking, they are traditionally eaten as a side dish over rice.

I have made a lot of dishes over the years that are extremely recognizable to many Midwesterners.

From cornbread and biscuits to casseroles and pies, I haven’t made too many recipes that scared folks off.

This week, though, I’m afraid that I may have upped the fear factor for some of you who aren’t overly adventurous with your palates.

Honestly, I was pretty unsure of trying this recipe when I first found it, too. While this is a very popular Korean side dish of marinated eggs, it conjured visions of grocery store shelves with jars of pickled orbs, floating in mysterious pink liquid, to my mind, and I was a little scared.

I didn’t need to be, though. These, while definitely different than any egg preparation I have ever tried, were pretty darn good. The name of the recipe in Korean is “Mayak Gyeran,” which translates to “drug eggs.” The good news is, there’s nothing addicting outside of the flavor, though.

This comes from the blog “What Great Grandma Ate” by Jean Choi. You can find the original post at https://whatgreatgrandmaate.com/mayak-eggs/. I added extra garlic in my version and did not follow the original recipe’s way of making this soy and gluten free. See her blog post for those ingredients.

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Mayak Eggs

Mayak eggs are marinated soft-boiled eggs that take on a ton of flavor from sauces and vegetables. In Korean cooking, they are traditionally eaten as a side dish over rice.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Korean
Keyword chile peppers, drug eggs, green onions, honey, jammy eggs, marinated eggs, Mayak eggs, Mayak Gyeran, minced garlic, sesame seeds, soft-boiled eggs, soy sauce

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 4 green onions chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 chili peppers red or green, chopped (I used serranos)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Fill a saucepan large enough to fit all of your eggs about three-quarters full with water. Add in the vinegar and salt. Bring the water to a boil.
  • Once the water is boiling, carefully add the eggs and let the water continue to boil for six minutes.
  • While the eggs boil, prepare a large bowl with cold water and lots of ice. After the six minutes, carefully transfer the eggs from the boiling water to the ice bath, and let them cool for at least five minutes. Carefully peel the eggs and return them to the ice bath while you prepare the marinade.
  • Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot, add in the sesame seeds, stirring them regularly, until they are lightly browned. Remove them from the heat.
  • Choose a container (with a lid) that will fit all the eggs and let them be fully submerged in the marinade. In that container, combine the toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, water, honey, onions, garlic, chili peppers and salt. Stir well to combine and add the eggs.
  • Seal the container and refrigerate at least eight hours.
  • These can be eaten on their own, if you desire, or more commonly, over rice, along with some of the marinade as a sauce.

We ate these in two ways: once by themselves and once on top of some toast, slathered in fresh avocado. Both were good, and I think we’ll make these again to eat over rice or added to some garlic ramen.

It’s tough to explain the flavor of these eggs. The soy sauce ends up taking on a less strong flavor, thanks to the other additions, and despite the spicy peppers, there was no heat to these at all. Also, because you only boil the eggs for six minutes, you end up with a soft-boiled, jammy egg that adds a nice texture.

This might cause a few folks in your household to raise an eyebrow when they open the fridge, but if you can convince them to give it a try, they might stop thinking you’re crazy and start thinking you’re a genius. At least, that’s always the hope.

This piece first appeared in print on June 8, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish Soup

This creamy chicken soup was fabulous, ‘gnocchi’dding

Chicken gnocchi soup is a creamy, Italian-style soup that features tons of flavor from fresh vegetables, lots of garlic, chicken and soft, pillowy gnocchi.
Chicken gnocchi soup is a creamy, Italian-style soup that features tons of flavor from fresh vegetables, lots of garlic, chicken and soft, pillowy gnocchi.

This past weekend, Joey found whole chickens on sale and proceeded to put three on his smoker.

I told him I wanted to try a different way to make stock from the bones, once he was done pulling the meat, and he graciously put the pieces into my large crockpot for me.

Normally, we make stock on the stove, but after seeing several people online make it in their crockpots, I wanted to give it a shot, especially since the last time we made stock, our entire kitchen felt a bit like a sauna from all the boiling liquid. That’s a less-than optimum feeling when you’re staring at May on the calendar.

So, I covered the bones in water, snapped on the lid, and let everything cook on high for four hours. Then I set it to low and went to bed.

When I tell you that I woke up to the most beautiful stock I have ever seen, please believe me. It was dark and flavorful and amazing.

I immediately knew that a soup was in order, so I decided to try a recipe I had my eye on that uses lots of fresh veggies—all of which just happened to be in my fridge.

This comes from the blog, “Tornadough Alli.” You can find the original post at https://tornadoughalli.com/olive-garden-chicken-gnocchi-soup/. I added tons more garlic and some other seasoning in my version.

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Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Chicken gnocchi soup is a creamy, Italian-style soup that features tons of flavor from fresh vegetables, lots of garlic, chicken and soft, pillowy gnocchi.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Italian
Keyword black pepper, carrots, celery, chicken, chicken broth, chicken stock, creamy soup, garlic salt, gnocchi, minced garlic, onion, parsley, spinach

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 3 to 4 medium carrots diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 16- ounce package potato gnocchi
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 teaspoons dried parsley
  • garlic salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pound chicken cooked and shredded
  • 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

  • In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
  • Once the butter is melted, add the onion, carrots and celery, and saute until the onions are translucent.
  • While your veggies cook, boil the gnocchi according to package instructions, drain it, and set it aside.
  • When the vegetables are cooked through, add in the garlic and saute for just a couple of minutes.
  • Stir in the flour, and let it cook for about a minute before adding the chicken broth and milk to the pot, stirring well. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get any stuck-on goodies mixed in.
  • Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring regularly. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low to keep it at a simmer, and add in the seasonings, chicken, spinach, gnocchi and corn starch mixture. Stir well, and keep stirring occasionally until all the ingredients are heated through and the soup is just slightly thickened.
  • Serve.

This was creamy and flavorful and had lots of great textures between the chicken, gnocchi and vegetables. It also made a nice, big pot of soup, so we were able to put some leftovers in the freezer for another night.

And the best part is I still have eight cups of stock in my refrigerator, ready to go into another creation. After seeing how well my crockpot worked out, I’m not sure if I’ll make stock the old way ever again.

This piece first appeared in print on May 4, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Main Dish Snack

It’s time to pig out on rolls from across the pond

Sausage rolls are a popular fast food for groups from the British to the Irish to Australians. They feature seasoned ground pork, baked in a flaky, delicious puff pastry. They’re great for dinner or an appetizer.
Sausage rolls are a popular fast food for groups from the British to the Irish to Australians. They feature seasoned ground pork, baked in a flaky, delicious puff pastry. They’re great for dinner or an appetizer.

I have always loved British entertainment.

Lately, my obsession has been with a British podcast called “Off Menu.” It features comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster, and the premise is really simple. They ask guests to join them in their fictitious “dream restaurant,” and then they go course by course through the guest’s dream meal.

It’s a fantastic basis for great conversation, and it has not only left me pondering what I would choose for my own best meal, but I have also found myself looking up recipes for a variety of dishes they discuss.

So far, I have tried one: sausage rolls. While it isn’t fancy at all—it’s really just something you grab on the go—after hearing about the concoction several times, I decided I had to give it a try.

The recipe I used for this comes from the blog “Australia’s Best Recipes” by Greer Worsley. You can find the original post at https://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipes/french-onion-sausage-rolls-recipe/68pmwql0. I added extra seasoning in my version and changed the measurements to U.S. standards.

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Onion sausage rolls

Sausage rolls are a popular fast food for groups from the British to the Irish to Australians. They feature seasoned ground pork, baked ina flaky, delicious puff pastry. They’re great for dinner or an appetizer.
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Keyword catsup, dijon mustart, French onion soup mix, ketchup, minced garlic, onion soup mix, puff pastry, quick appetizer, quick dinner, sausage roll, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix 1 ounce
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons spicy brown or dijon mustard
  • 4-6 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 sheets puff pastry 17.3 ounces, defrosted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 390 degrees. Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, soup mix, ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix it well with a spoon or with your hands until it’s well combined.
  • Roll out the pastry sheets to about nine inches wide, and cut them each into three, even, long strips (there should be a fold seam to guide you).
  • Divide the pork mixture evenly between the six strips, forming a long log down the center of each strip.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk together and, using a pastry brush, lightly brush the mixture the entire length on either the left or right side of the meat mixture on each strip. Roll the pastry, starting with the side you didn’t brush, to create a very long tube, surrounding the meat mixture. Press the seam to seal it, and then, using a sharp knife, cut the roll into about six pieces. (You can do fewer pieces if you’d rather have larger sausage rolls.) Place the rolls about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
  • Serve with mustard for dipping.

I know that I would need to take a trip across the pond to get “real deal” sausage rolls, but these were really yummy. Cutting them into the smaller pieces also makes them perfect for an appetizer table, but we ended up just eating a few for dinner, and they were filling and delicious. The flavor profile actually reminded me just a bit of bierocks—without the cabbage, of course.

The puff pastry was also a great touch, making the rolls awesome and flaky. I highly recommend giving them a try.

If I were challenged to create my dream menu, I don’t think sausage rolls would make the cut—I have had way too many great dishes, I’m afraid. But I do think I’ll make these again sometime. They were a nice change of pace, an easy dinner, and it finally satisfied my craving. Win-win-win.

This piece first appeared in print on March 23, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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