Coming soon - Halloween Recipes!!

Our next meeting is October 20th so prepare yourself for spooky Halloween treats!

Recipes from Rachel Ray

Lyra, Janna, & Jaime

Glory & Sarah

Madlelynne, Lyra, & Janna

Madelynne Brown - Fillet a la Veracruzana  

•  4 fillets of chicken or fish (snapper or tilipia)
• Salt and pepper
• Flour to dredge
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 large Spanish onion, sliced
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into half-inch slices, lengthwise
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large plum tomatoes, cut lengthwise into eight wedges
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado, pit removed and sliced

Preparation

Season the fillets with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Shake off any excess.

Heat 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the floured fillets and cook until golden on one side. Flip the fillets and cook until golden on the other side.

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan and add the onions, peppers and garlic. Cook until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and capers and heat through. Add the lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.

Remove fillets to plate and top with vegetables. Serve with Yellow Rice - Arroz Amarillo and garnish with a slice of avocado.

Lyra Hollinger - Vegetable Kebabs on Rosemary Skewers

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 slices
1 pint cherry tomatoes, washed and tops removed
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 & 1/2 TBLS balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 sturdy stems of fresh rosemary, 6 inches in length
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat grill pan over high heat.
Combine zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes in bowl. To make the dressing, use a small bowl to combine the lemon zest and vinegar, then whisk in the olive oil.
Thread veggies on rosemary stems, threading from the bottom upwards. Place vegetable herb skewers on the hot grill pan. Baste liberally with dressing and season with salt and pepper. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, turning and basting occasionally. Transfer to a serving plate. Cut lemon in wedges and squeeze juice over skewers when served. 


Jaime Horsley - Chimchurri Chicken Bites 

• 1 rounded tablespoon sweet paprika
• 3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, a couple of handfuls
• 3 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• 1/2 small white onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 3 splashes
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds chicken tenders

Directions

Preheat a grill pan over high heat.

In a food processor combine paprika, parsley, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, onion, garlic and cayenne. Finely chop the mixture by pulsing.

Heat oil in a small pan over medium low heat. When oil is warm, stir herb and garlic mixture into oil and heat 3 to 5 minutes, then remove from heat. The oil will become infused with the flavor of the herbs and garlic. Transfer to a bowl and stir in vinegar and salt. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Cut chicken tenders into thirds and place in a shallow dish. Wash hands.

Spoon half of your chimichurri over the chicken and coat completely and evenly. Using tongs, transfer the bites to the hot grill and cook 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Transfer bites to a serving plate. Serve with party picks and reserved chimichurri sauce for dipping.

Janna Mathews - "Smoky Sweet Potato Chicken Stoup (yes, stoup)"

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, peeled
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 large onion, peeled and halved
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 to 2 chipotle chili in adobo, finely chopped, plus a spoon of sauce from the can
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme, eyeball it
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dry white wine, eyeball it
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 large sweet potato
• 3/4 to 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
• 4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, a generous handful, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish, optional

Directions

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 turns of the pan.
While soup pot heats, chop carrots in half lengthwise then slice into thin half moons. Add the carrots to the pot while it heats, stirring to coat the carrots in the oil. Chop and drop in celery and onion, chopping as small as you can, but don't make yourself crazy. Add the garlic, chipotle, and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Season the veggies with salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook the veggies together 1 minute. Add the wine and reduce a minute. Add the stock to the pot, cover the pot, and raise heat to high. Bring the stoup to a boil, remove the cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into quarters lengthwise, then thinly slice into bite size pieces. Add the cut chicken and sweet potatoes and simmer 5 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn the heat off and add the scallions and cilantro. Serve each portion of stoup with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Glory Rascon - Arroz Amarillo

• 1/2 cup achiote oil*
• 1/2 cup Sofrito
• 1/2 cup alcaparrado (marinated olives, capers and pimentos, found in jars in the international foods aisle) or coarsely chopped pimento-stuffed olives
• 2-3 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups long grain white rice
• 4 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned, plus additional if needed

*Achiote Oil:

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 tablespoons achiote (annatto) seeds

Heat the achiote oil in a heavy, 4-5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Stir in the sofrito and cook until most of the water is evaporated. Add the alcaparrado or olives, salt, cumin, pepper and bay leaves, then stir to combine. When the mixture is bubbling, add the rice, stirring to coat. Pour in enough chicken broth to cover the rice by the width of two fingers. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid until the broth reaches the level of the rice.

When the broth and rice are level, stir the rice once, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, without opening the pot or stirring.

After 20 minutes, gently fluff the rice up by scooping the rice from the bottom to the top. Serve hot.

*Achiote Oil:
Heat the EVOO and annatto seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until the seeds start to give off a lively, steady sizzle. (Don't overheat the mixture or the seeds will turn black and the EVOO will turn a nasty green color). Once they're sizzling away, pull the pan from the heat and let it stand until the sizzling stops.

Strain as much of the EVOO as you are going to use right away; store the rest for up to four days at room temperature in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Sarah Wright - Mini Pecan Ice Cream Pies

• 1 cup pecan halves
• 4 mini, individual graham cracker pie shells
• 1 pint butter pecan ice cream
• Caramel sauce, for sundaes
• Whipped cream, canister

Directions

Toast pecans over moderate heat then reserve. Place pie shells on a small tray. Soften ice cream in microwave on high for 20 seconds. Fill pie shells with ice cream, mounding each shell up. Smooth edges of the ice cream pies and freeze 20 minutes to set. Remove lid of the caramel sauce and warm it, 1 minute on high. Top pies with caramel sauce and lots of toasted pecans and whipped cream.
 
Graham Cracker Crust (I made mine since I had the ingredients and didn’t want to make another trip to the store)

1.   In a small saucepan or the microwave, melt 10 T. of butter.

2.   Place about 24 graham crackers in a plastic bag. Roll with a rolling pin until finely crushed.

3.   Measure 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs into a medium bowl.

4.   Add 1/4 cup of sugar and a dash or two of cinnamon to the graham crackers.

5.   Add the melted butter.

6.   Stir or blend together with your hands.

7.   Press into individual ramekins.

8.   Bake for 6 to 8 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F. oven.