Lemon Rosemary Chicken Skillet

At long last warmer weather is here, and the sun has decided to shine enough to allow me to plant the herb garden I've been itching all winter to have.  So, in celebration of not having to pay upwards of $5 every time I need some fresh herbs, I decided to cook something "herby"!  Technically, this recipe could and should feed 4, but my boyfriend and I both love chicken so much we each had 2 hearty pieces to ourselves.  Plus with a 4 pack of chicken breasts on sale for $2, how could we not?!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
• Kosher salt
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

*This dish has an estimated 415 calories per serving, which is not bad for a delicious home cooked meal!

Korean BBQ Beef

While passing by the Asian foods aisle during my latest grocery shopping trip, I decided to step outside of my usual pasta and steak box and make something fun.  This is what I came up with!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ribeye steak, cut into 1/4" strips
1/2 cup Kikoman teriyaki sauce with sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 green onion, diced
rice of your choice

First, combine steak strips, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and green onion in a bowl.  Marinade in the refridgerator for 10 minutes.

Next, discard marinade and place steak strips in grill pan preheated on high.  Cook 1-2 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

Finally, serve cooked beef strips over rice and enjoy!

Baked Tortellini with Smoked Mozzarella and Parmesan

Once again, surrounded by a world full of snow and no chance of escaping the dull confines of duplex life to dine out, I decided a rich, one-pot meal was in order.  After digging through lists of "try this" and "this looks delicious" recipes, I settled on a recipe from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes, and set out to make it my own and perfect for my boyfriend and I.  Here's what followed...

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 cup marinara sauce
1/6 cup mascarpone cheese
1/8 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 (8 oz.) refrigerated tortellini 
1 ounce smoked mozzarella (If you don't like smoked cheeses, regular mozzarella will be fine) 
Grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a circular baking dish.

Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend.

Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes and drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat.

Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with thin slices of the smoked mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan.

Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melts, about 30 minutes.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dish up and serve with some crusty bread.  Delicious!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*This recipe would work with any sort of filled pasta, and would also be great with some Italian sausage or other fillings added in.  Be creative!

Easy Spicy Chicken Alfredo

In a saucepan combine:

1/2 jar alfredo sauce

1/2  can of diced seasoned tomatoes

1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 package tyson precooked chicken strips

Dash of red pepper flakes

Simmer sauce for 10 minutes and pour over penne pasta!

Gorgonzola Butter Ribeyes

Alas, after watching the sparkling snow fall from the sky all day long, my boyfriend and I decided that eating out was probably not the best option.  I decided with the frigid weather, that nothing would be better than a delicious hot steak with some mashed potatoes.  Being a poor college student though, pricey cuts of meats such as filets were out of the question.  Recalling a recent episode of Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking, I decided to make a dressed up version of a more affordable cut of meat, and make gorgonzola butter ribeyes.  What followed was a delicious and romantic dinner that both myself and my boyfriend enjoyed greatly.  Here's the recipe:

The first step is to make the marinade for the steaks.

In a bowl, combine:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce

2 tablespoons port wine

1 tablespoon steak seasoning of your choice (I used McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning)

Next, take 2 ribeyes of the size of your choice, mine were 12 ounces each, and poke holes all over both sides of them, so that the marinade can penetrate into the meat.  Pour the marinade over the steaks, taking care to coat both sides.

Next we make the gorgonzola butter:

With a fork, mash together 4 tablespoons of butter with 4 tablespoons gorgonzola.  (Any blue cheese could be used here, I just personally prefer gorgonzola.)

Finally, line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, place the steaks on the lined sheet, and broil on high about 7 minutes per side or until 160 degrees for medium.

And voila, you will get a delicious, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth affordable steak dinner for two.

*Things that I will try differently next time:

Cooking these steaks reminded me why I hate broiling so much.  On top of setting off smoke alarms and warping bakeware, it just doesn't produce the kind of crust I desire on my steaks.  Next time, I will sear each side of the ribeyes in a pan for a few minutes on each side, and then finish off baking in the oven.  Overall though, this was a very delicious meal!

Welcome to La Table Pour Deux (Table for Two)

Hello all! This blog is all about making delicious food for just two people! If you're like me, you love to cook for your significant other or friends, but hate all the leftovers that end up going to waste! I am going to show you some of my favorite recipes, some borrowed, some created, that I have specifically adapted for couples cuisine. Bon appetit!