The New Chef's Journal

This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman , also known as Ree Drummond. Personally, I'm a big fan of her recipes, though she has a fair number of critics. I understand why her personal manner bugs some people, and I recognize that she sometimes uses an almost Paula Deen-esque amount of butter, but she also has some really great recipes. This recipe isn't overloaded with butter and is actually a good, light spring pasta dish. I bought fresh grape tomatoes and spinach from Eastern Market in D.C., which gave the dish a nice bright flavor. Ingredients 1 pound Penne 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Salt And Pepper, to taste 2 Tablespoons Butter 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 4 cloves Garlic, Minced 3/4 cups Dry White Wine 3/4 cups Low-sodium Broth, More If Needed 1 bag Baby Spinach 2 cups Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise 4 ounces Shaved Parmesan Cheese Directions 1. Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside. 2. Cut ...

Mulligatawny is a traditional Indian, curry flavored soup. I first tried it at White Tiger on Capitol Hill, and that's still my favorite version of it. The recipe I used comes from guiltykitchen.com . My version was definitely not as good as some that I've had in restaurants, but it was still okay. I think that that the big mistake I made was the type of coconut milk I used. I accidentally bought some Trader Joe's light coconut milk, instead of the regular stuff. Real coconut milk would have added a bit more thickness, which my version was lacking. If you try this recipe yourself, make sure you get the right stuff. Ingredients: 2 tbsp butter 1 medium onion, diced 2 carrots, peeled and diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1 granny smith apple (or other tart apple), peeled, cored and diced 1″ piece fresh ginger, finely minced 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp tumeric 1 Tbsp curry powder 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp freshly gra...

Sizzling chicken fajitas are simple, but they can be truly spectacular. This recipe gave me an opportunity to use both my new cast iron skillet and my new food processor. The marinade I used is a combination of about a dozen recipes I looked at online. It was a bit of an experiment, and I was very pleased with how it turned out. I used some fresh vegetables from Eastern Market in DC, which is one of my favorite spots to visit on the weekend. Ingredients: Small or medium sized tortillas 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 1 green bell pepper 1 medium yellow onion 2 tablespoons olive oil For marinade: 4 tablespoons olive oil 6 teaspoons lemon juice 4 cloves garlic 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon oregano 2 teaspoons honey Optional toppings: Salsa Sour cream Guacamole Refried beans Shredded cheese Directions: 1. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch strips. Cut bell...

Last weekend my girlfriend and I made dinner for her parents who were visiting DC. Since I don't eat beef or pork, and her mother doesn't eat fish, we settled on chicken. For our main course we prepared chicken breasts stuffed with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. I was excited about this recipe because I love goat cheese (and feta, gorgonzola, bleu cheese and pretty much all other crumbly cheeses.) This recipe comes from Cooking Light, by way of myrecipes.com . On the side we prepared a Giada De Laurentiis recipe for israeli couscous with apples, cranberries and herbs, along with some simple roasted asparagus. The recipes are below, with my notes in italics. For the chicken: Ingredients 1 cup boiling water 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided 1/2 cup chopped shallots, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese 2 tablespoons ch...