Chicken Au Gratin for Easy Dinner

What’s cooking tonight? Chicken Au Gratin.
Here is what you need for this quick semi-home meal.

2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup milk

1 pkg. (10.23 oz.) Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

5 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lb.)

Make It

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine boiling water, milk, Seasoned Potatoes and broccoli in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with chicken. Reserve Cheese Sauce for later use.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken from baking dish; cover to keep warm.
Stir Cheese Sauce into potato mixture; top with chicken.

Serve with as nice side salad and fresh fruits for dessert.

Enjoy!

Egg Fritfata for Dinner

In this economy eggs make a great source of protein, and can be made into various entrees as well. Here is my favorite. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if there are variations or other egg recipes that you like.

Ingredients:

1 12 ounce box egg fettuccine pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg,

Salt and black pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

12 extra large eggs, beaten

2 to 3 Ham Steaks, pan seared for 1-2 min on each side.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add pasta and cook 6 minutes -- to a chewy al dente. Pasta will continue to cook in frittata. Drain and reserve.

Heat a large nonstick skillet with oven safe handle over medium high heat. If all of your skillets have rubber handles, cover handle tightly in foil to protect it. Add oil and butter and melt together. Add cream and reduce for about 3 minutes. Add cheese and nutmeg, salt and pepper. Toss sauce with cooked pasta to coat.

Add parsley and beaten eggs to the skillet and stir gently to combine. Allow the eggs to set up on the bottom of the pan and become firm. Transfer pan to hot oven and bake 10 minutes, until golden. Serve from the pan or transfer to a platter. Serve hot or cold, cutting frittata into wedges and serve with Ham Steaks.

Georgia - "The Cradle of Wine"

Share the passion and beauty of wine from the country of Georgia with the rest of the world. The first historical evidence of wine making is found in Georgia, which is why it is known as "The Cradle of Wine." Here is my favorite one from Teliani Valley.

For those who are more interested testing it, you can visit here.

Fallow my other post to get more details about many other Georgian types of grapes.

Healthy Dinner - Baked Tilapia

Today is going to be an easy fish dinner. My choice is Tilapia, which takes a few minutes to prepare, uses few ingredients, and is flavorful. It is so easy that you do not have to even thaw the fish. Enjoy this meal with salad and fresh French bread. Tilapia is a healthy choice for a low carb diet.

Baked Fish Tilapia with cheese.

1 lb. frozen haddock fillets (Do not thaw.)

2 Tbsp. Zesty Italian Dressing

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 450°F. Place fish in 13x9-inch baking dish; drizzle with dressing.

Bake 25 min.; top with mushrooms and cheese. Bake 5 min. or until cheese is melted and fish flakes easily with fork.

Top off with parsley.

Serve with a nice tomato salad.

Another Georgian Delight - Khinkali

Khinkali is the Georgian version of dumplings or Ravioli. They are filled with meat and spices and boiled in large pot of salted water. The Meat can be substituted with lamb for filling.

For the dough:

4 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt

For the filling:

Mix of 2lbs ground beef and pork
4 peeled and ground onions
1 cup of freshly chopped cilantro
1 cup of freshly chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of ground red hot pepper
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon of caraway
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Start with mixing the ground meat, onions and herbs. Stir in the spices into the meat mixture, add cup of water, salt and mix it thoroughly. Set aside.

One trick making khinkali is to mix flour with warm water. Pour the flour into a basin, sprinkle it with salt, add water and make the dough. Flour the board and roll the dough out not too thin. Cut circles with a help of a glass with 6-8 inches of diameter. Roll each circle out and place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each round. Fold up and wrinkle the edges of the dough like dumplings.

Place them in salted boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes.

Khinkali are served hot, with no garnish other that coarsely ground black pepper. And there is an art in eating them…

Leftovers

No worries for leftovers, since they are better the next day, just fry khinkali in butter with yogurt and enjoy it for breakfast.

Dinner with an Asian influence

Today I feel like dinner with an Asian influence. My crab rangoons and stir fried beef and vegetables are the perfect and easy. For the stir fry, my son loves Broccoli so this is great. If you are not a fan of broccoli then shredded carrots, green beans or bell peppers and onions make great substitute. Remember not to cook the beef too long as the flank steak tends to get tough and chewy. Enjoy!

Crab Rangoon

1 pkg. of wonton wrappers.

¼ cup cream cheese

¼ cup crab meat drained and flaked

¼ teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.

¼ clove of garlic paste Oil to fry

Mix crab meat, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic paste in a bowl. Place a small amount on the center of the wonton wrapper fold over into a triangle, and seal the edges with egg white. Place in a plate covered with a wet kitchen cloth as they tend to dry out. When ready heat oil and fry till golden brown.

Stir Fried Orange Ginger Beef

3/4 pound beef flank steak, cut into strips

2 teaspoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 cups hot cooked rice

1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Place steak strips in medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss to coat. Add marmalade and ginger; stir until well blended.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add steak mixture; stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until steak is cooked through. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Add broccoli, water chestnuts and soy sauce; mix well. Cover; simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.

Serve over rice; sprinkle with peanuts.

Georgian Savory Cheese bread - Khachapuri Recipe

Georgian cheese bread, Khachapuri (Khacho-Cottage cheese, Puri-Bread) is one of the most delightful of all Caucasian specialties. It is made in different shapes and sizes. It varies region to region, but my favorite one is Imeruli Khachapuri, which typically made in most parts of Georgia. Although Georgians are not accustomed to eating out frequently, every little town or village have tiny cafes hot and fresh khachapuri is served everyday.

Ingredients:

2 ½ Cups of self raising flour.

¾ teaspoon of salt.

1 large egg

½ cup full fat plain yogurt.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

2 tablespoons of butter.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, and make a well in the middle. Pour in the egg, oil, and yogurt and stir into the flour, to make a soft dough. Transfer the dough to a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a linen or cotton (not terry cloth) kitchen towel, and let stand for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide the dough into four equal parts. Butter two baking sheets.

On a floured surface, roll out one of the balls to an 1/8-inch-thick square.

Brush the dough with some of the melted butter. Dip your fingers in melted butter and pull the edges of the dough in different directions, stretching it evenly until it is almost transparently thin. Don't worry if the dough tears, as you will be folding it up. With a sharp knife, trim the edges of the dough to form an even square. Fold the square in half, brush the surface generously with melted butter, and fold in half again crosswise, to form a smaller square. It should be approximately 6 to 7 inches. If it isn't, pull it out slightly to fit the dimensions.

Brush the square with butter. Shape one-fourth of the filling into a ball and place in the center of the square. Fold in the corners of the square like an envelope. With your palm, flatten the pie so it is about 1 inch thick. Brush the top with melted butter, and carefully transfer to a prepared baking sheet.

Repeat the procedure with the rest of the dough and filling.

Bake the pies in the middle of the oven until golden brown; about 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Cheese Filling

10 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

8 ounces feta cheese, preferably Bulgarian, crumbled

2 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into small pieces

1 large egg

Salt, to taste .

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the salt and mix well.

Season with salt, if necessary.

Makes 4 pies, to serve 8

Two Quick Meals - Bruchetta and Shrimp Linguini

Today I am going to try a quick meal as I really do not feel the mood to be in the kitchen long. As an appetizer, I am going to make some . I have some day old French bread in the fridge. I am going to do Shrimp Linguini for the main course. And for dessert I am doing Marshmallow fondue. The total cooking time should be less that 20 min. Enjoy!

Bruschetta:
4-5 slices of day old crusty bread.
1 clove of garlic.
Olive oil to drizzle.
1 fresh tomato
2 slices of havarti cheese.
Toast the slices of bread drizzled with olive oil in a preheated oven at 350. Once the slices are toasted about 4-5 min, cut the garlic in half and run on to the hot toasts. Top with slices of tomato and havarti cheese. Place back in the oven till the cheese melts and is bubbly.


Shrimp Linguini:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled, divined
3/4 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup Fat Free Sour Cream
2 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
4 ounces refrigerated linguine, cooked, drained

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
Add shrimp; cook 3 to 5 min. or until shrimp turn pink.
Do not over cook or the shrimp will be tough.
Reduce heat to low; stir in sauce, peas, sour cream and bacon.
Cook until heated through, stirring frequently.
Add hot pasta; toss to coat.
Marshmallow Fondue:
10 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
10 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
48 marshmallows

In a double boiler or a pot on top of a pan with water melt the chocolate, and the cream.
Transfer to a microwavable dish for easy reheating, and serve with marshmallows that have been skewered.

Keeping with the St Patrick’s theme recipe

Today I am trying the following recipe for dinner. It should take about 40 min and sounds like a hearty meal that should be comforting as well as filling. Try it out and let me know what you think. Include any variations that you suggest… Easy Sheppard’s Pie 1 lb. ground beef 2 cups hot mashed potatoes 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed 1 cup beef gravy.

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Brown meat in large skillet about 10 min. Drain excess fat.

2. Mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the garlic until well blended.

3. Stir in the vegetables and gravy into the browned meat.

4. Spread evenly onto 9-inch square baking dish.

5. Layer the top with potato mixture.

6. Top off with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake for 20 min. or until

7. heated through and top is golden brown.

Makes 6 servings.

The brilliance of Georgian cuisine is backed up by famous white and red wines

Republic of Georgia is a country to the east of the Black Sea, most of which is located in the South Caucasus, while a portion of the territory lies in the North Caucasus. Georgia is an amazing cluster of cultures, religions, fascinating landscapes and ancient history.

According to the legend, "When God was distributing portions of the world to all the people of the Earth, the Georgians were having a party and doing some serious drinking. As a result, they arrived late and were told by God that all the land had been distributed. When they replied that they were late only because they had been lifting their glasses in praise of Him, God was pleased, and gave the Georgians that part of Earth He had been reserving for Himself."

Georgian cuisine uses well familiar products but due to varying proportions of its obligatory ingredients such as walnut, aromatic herbs, garlic, vinegar, red pepper, pomegranate grains, barberries and other spices combined with the traditional secrets of the chef 's art the common products do acquire a special taste and aroma, which make Georgian cuisine very popular and unique.

Winemaking

The brilliance of Georgia cuisine is backed up by famous white and red dry wines. Survived historical monuments of Georgia's tangible culture as well as number of records confirm that the winemaking growth level was rather high in Georgia far before Christ (B.C) and, that the wine was exported from Georgia to Europe.

Among which anyone choose wine to one's own taste: "Mukhuzani" with a pleasant bitter taste, golden cool "Tetra" light straw-coloured "Tsinandali" with a crystal sourish touch, dark amber-coloured slightly astrigent "Teliani", rubycoloured "Ojaleshi" with a mildly sweet, emerald-like sparkling "Manavi", garnet-red honey-tasting "Kindzmarauli", and dark ruby-coloured velvety "Khvanchkara", light-green "Gurjaani" dark golden fruity "Tibaani" and many others. If to Georgian wines you add best-brand cognacs, champagne, not to mention remarkable mineral waters and fruit drinks, you can fancy what pleasure Georgian cuisine will to you.

According to quality:
Table wines;
Vintage wines;
Collection wines;

According to types:
Dry wines;
Naturally semidry and semisweet wines;
Semidry and semisweet wines;
Sparkling and carbonated wines;
Special wines;
Flavored wines;

According to color:
White wines;
Pink wines;
Red wines;

St. Patrick’s Day drink

Let’s start with an event coming up St. Patrick’s Day.

On St. Patrick’s Day drink is just as important as food, if not more. So let us raise our glass and toast to good health. Beer and Irish whiskey would be your average no brainer drinks. Here is an awesome twist to your basic beer can that you can dish out to your friends this St. Patrick Day. It called Black and Tan and basically it is a pale ale poured into a glass and then a stout poured on top, slowly drizzling down the concave side of a spoon so as to not to mix the color. Let the stout settle a bit. Raise your glass and drink it up.

Hit me with more drink recipe if you have some and maybe some fun appetizer menu to serve up.

Welcome to Online Cooking Blog

Welcome to my blog!
Complete cooking and recipe resource offering food tips, meal ideas, recipes, and cooking advice, drinks, entertaining tips and more.

More about me…

I love to blog about cooking tips and what to cook for dinner ideas. As most working moms I stare at the refrigerator at 5.30 PM trying to figure out what I am going to serve my family for dinner in the next 40 minutes. I am in no way a professional chef but have learned out of trial and error. I interested in foods from different parts of the world to the table.


If you have questions please feel free to email me here.