maria antonietta's tortilla espanola

I'm including this picture because it captures an integral part of pulling off this recipe: the flip.

MARIA ANTONIETTA'S TORTILLA ESPANOLA

5 medium white tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
6 large eggs
salt
pepper

Peel and chunk the potatoes. Cook them in 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat until they're soft. Use a whisk to beat the eggs, liberally sprinkle salt and pepper into the mixture. When the potatoes are done, pour the egg mixture over the potatoes. Once the bottom seems to have cooked, place a plate on top of the skillet and flip both rapidly. The still-runny side will be on the plate and the cooked side facing up. Then, after drizzling a little oil into the skillet, slide the tortilla back into the skillet (see picture), runny side down. Allow it to cook for a few more minutes, cut into pie-shaped slices and serve.

white wine chicken breasts

I got this one from a recipe swap a few years ago. It's tasty with a capital T. And as an added bonus, it leaves you with almost an entire bottle of white wine to polish off.

WHITE WINE CHICKEN BREASTS

6 chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cup Pepperidge Farm Stuffing

6 slices swiss cheese

3/4 cup white wine

1/2 stick butter

Clean chicken and place in baking dish. Pour a mixture of white wine and soup over the chicken. Place swiss cheese on top of mixture, then stuffing, then butter on top. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Cover with foil for the first half hour.

v-8 lasagna

The V-8 keeps everything nice and MOIST. Hate that word, love this lasagna.

V-8 LASAGNA

1 1/2 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1 T olive oil
12 oz lowfat ricotta cheese
8 oz tomato sauce
1 lb lasagna noodles
2 eggs
1 large can stewed tomatoes
1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup mozzarella
2 envelopes spaghetti sauce mix
2 12 oz cans V-8
parmesan cheese
parsley

Cook meat in a skillet with the oil. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, sauce mix and V-8. Bring to a boil, simmer 10 minutes. In a separate bowl mix ricotta, eggs & 1 cup mozzarella. Cover bottom of greased 9 x 13 dish with a layer of meat sauce. Add uncooked noodles, cheese mixture. Repeat layers, ending with sauce. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove foil, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and return to the oven until cheese melts. Remove and let stand for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

tuna steak tacos

A fresh take on one of my favorite meats. A bit tex-mexy, but so yummy that I pretend it's authentic.


TUNA STEAK TACOS

2 small tuna steaks
6 corn tortillas
olive oil
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup fresh salsa (like Jack's)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 small onion, chopped
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
3/4 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Drizzle olive oil over tuna steaks then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on medium heat until they're cooked all the way through. Let them cool slightly then cut into slices.

While the tuna is on the grill, barely cover the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil. Place the tortillas in the oil, one by one, and allow them to slightly brown on each side. You want them to stay soft - don't let them get crunchy like a chip. Place them to dry on doubled paper towels.

To assemble the tacos: place shredded cheese directly onto the tacos, heat under the broiler or in the microwave until cheese is melted. Cover the cheese with shredded lettuce, sliced tuna, salsa, sour cream, chopped onions & cilantro.

bbq chicken nachos

I have always been a fan of finger-foods for appetizers. There's something about sticking my toothpick into a big vat of cocktail wieners that just doesn't ring my bells.

BBQ CHICKEN NACHOS

1 batch Shredded BBQ Chicken
1 cup Stubbs' Spicy BBQ sauce
1 cup sour cream
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 bag large, round, yellow corn tortilla chips
1-2 jars jalapeno slices

In a small bowl, combine the BBQ sauce and sour cream. Scoop the mixture into a ziploc bag and cut a tiny bit off of one of the corners. You'll use it like an icing bag.

On your serving platter(s), spread your chips in a single layer (with none overlapping). Place a spoonful of shredded chicken in the center of each chip, flattening it out a bit with the spoon.

Using the makeshift icing bag, drizzle the BBQ sauce/sour cream mixture on top of each chip. I like to make a pattern, such as an X or a squiggle. Top each with a few cilantro leaves, and then finish it all off with 1-3 jalapeno slices, depending on your taste.

I usually fix these immediately before serving. If you must prepare ahead, you could heat them in the oven briefly before drizzling the sauce.

shredded bbq chicken

Now that I'm working 12 hour shifts, we are going to be enjoying crock pot meals at least 3 times a week. I don't know what I would do without it.

SHREDDED BBQ CHICKEN

4 large chicken breasts
3/4 to 1 cup spicy BBQ sauce (we like Stubbs')
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
1 small onion, diced

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low for at least 6 hours. About 30 minutes before dinner, stir to shred the chicken and allow it to soak up the remaining sauce.

Serve however you like it. We typically do baked beans & cole slaw.

szechuan noodles

The sauce on this is so delicious - I will dip anything in it. Double the sauce and save 1/2 to put on lettuce wraps, drizzle over a salad or lick off of your bare fingers.

From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999).

SZECHUAN NOODLES

6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup good soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 pound spaghetti
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
4 scallions, sliced diagonally (white and green parts)

Place the garlic and ginger in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the vegetable oil, tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry, sherry vinegar, honey, chili oil, sesame oil, and ground peppers. Puree the sauce.

Add a splash of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook the spaghetti al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, place it in a large bowl, and while still warm, toss with 3/4 of the sauce. Add the red and yellow bell peppers and scallions; toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature. The remaining sauce may be added, as needed, to moisten the pasta.