Recipe Review from 9/16/2019

Not much to say other than I made a few new recipes!  All of them were a hit.  Enjoy!


The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftover pizza  (S) out
Sun (L) ??  I don't remember... (S) out
Mon (yoga) -leftovers
Tues - BBQ shrimp and Kale
Wed - Sheet pan chicken and potatoes
Thurs - leftover shrimp
Fri - leftover chicken

Lunches - Easy Greek Salad


BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale and Couscous (Eating Well, Sept 2019) gluten free
Easy. Excellent. I subbed Israeli couscous for the regular. I used miso instead of poultry seasoning (something I just learned on the Milk Street podcast!). The rest was made as written. I would make this again in a heartbeat. Recommended!

Serves 4

photo from eatingwell.com

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning (I used miso)
⅔ cup whole-wheat couscous (I used regular, Israeli couscous)
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 cups chopped kale
¼ cup water
1 large clove garlic, smashed
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (26-30 per pound)
¼ cup barbecue sauce (see Tip)


Combine broth and poultry seasoning in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then stir in Parmesan and butter. Cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add kale and cook, stirring, until bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Add water, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Make a well in the center of the kale and add 1 tablespoon oil, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, undisturbed, for 15 seconds, then stir the garlic oil into the kale and season with salt. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are pink and curled, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in barbecue sauce. Serve the shrimp with the kale and couscous.

Recipe Tip: The barbecue sauce aisle has expanded to include any flavor you can imagine—like sweet mustard and even Dr. Pepper—but classic or "original" variety pairs best with the Parmesan couscous. Look for one that doesn't list an added sweetener as the first ingredient.


Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks with Potatoes (Eating Well, Sept 2019) gluten free
My last attempt at a sheet pan supper was met with so-so success, so I was a bit leary about trying another. This one, was a success - with a couple of observations:

• I subbed bone in, skin on chicken thighs for the drummies. Not a fan of drumsticks.
• I grilled this, and then finished the thighs on the grill to crisp the skin. Delish!
• The russet potato didn't quite finish baking when the rest was done, even though everything was the same size.

This was super tasty, it was incredibly easy to pull together, I had time to clean up and sit while it cooked, and clean-up was a snap. Don't skip the "sauce". Very tasty! Recommended.

Serves 4-6 (I used thighs)

photo from eatingwell.com

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium russet potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
¾ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
½ teaspoon salt plus a pinch, divided
2 pounds chicken drumsticks (I used 3 lbs of bone-in, skin on chicken thighs)
3 teaspoons dried herb seasoning blend, divided
6 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss sweet potatoes, potato, onion, oil, rosemary, thyme, ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Spread evenly on the prepared pan.

Add chicken to the bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons herb seasoning, the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Roast the chicken and vegetables on the bottom rack, stirring once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a drumstick without touching bone registers 165°F and the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Move the pan to the upper rack and turn the broiler to high. Broil until the chicken starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, stir sour cream and lemon juice with the remaining 1 teaspoon herb seasoning and pinch of salt in a small bowl. Serve the chicken and vegetables with the sauce.


Greek Salad with Edamame (Eating Well, Sept 2019) gluten free, vegetarian
I made this for lunches for the week and while it was super nice to be able to "grab-n-go", the lettuce didn't hold up so well by day four. Otherwise, I loved the addition of the edamame, I subbed zucchini for the cucumber (I don't like cucumber), and I had some flatbread to go with to sop up any leftover dressing at the bottom. I would make this again, but keep the dressing separate if making it for lunches. Recommended.

Serves 4

photo from eatingwell.com

¼ cup red-wine vinegar (I used white wine 'cause I was out of red)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
8 cups chopped romaine (about 2 romaine hearts)
16 ounces frozen shelled edamame (about 3 cups), thawed (see Tip)
1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
½ European cucumber, sliced (I used zucchini)
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup slivered fresh basil (Whoops! I forgot this!)
¼ cup sliced Kalamata olives
¼ cup slivered red onion (Be nice to your co-workers...)

Whisk vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add romaine, edamame, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, basil, olives and onion; toss to coat.