Cornbread-Chili Casserole

By Paul Briand

I thought this was a brilliant idea -- combining the staples of a chili dinner (chili and cornbread) into one dish.

I saw the recipe in the March 21 issue of Parade magazine in my Sunday newspaper and wanted to give it a try.

It was easy to create, though I think I used a slightly larger casserole dish than what was called for, which meant that my cornbread layer over the top was a little thin. But that actually turned out for the better since the cornbread complemented the chili as opposed to overpowering it.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck (I substituted turkey)
1 1/2 cups bottled salsa (I combined a mild with a medium hot)
One can of corn, drained (I substituted frozen corn)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional
1/4 cup of water
Cumin, chili powder and black pepper
One box of cornbread mix
1/3 cup milk for the cornbread
1 large egg for the cornbread

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the union until soft;
2. Add meat and cook until no longer pink;
3. Discard fat then stir in the salsa, corn, water and cheese;
4. Season to taste with cumin, chili powder and pepper;
5. Pour the mix mixture into a large skillet (recipe recommends 7-by-11 inch) and smooth the top;
6. Prepare the cornbread according to the package instructions, and spread a layer over the chili;
7. Bake in an oven set at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, then let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Guinness Corned Beef

By Paul Briand

I prepared this corned beef dish for St. Patrick's Day. At least that was the hope. The cooking time, given as two and a half hours in the recipe, was closer to three and a half hours. It was late, we were starved, and we pulled a frozen pizza from the refrigerator and had that as our Paddy Day traditional fare.

The recipe came from the Meat House, a regional butcher with a regular email newsletter that contains seasonal recipes. Guinness appeals to my wife Jane's inner Irish and what better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with a traditional corned beef dinner.

Note: I skipped the turnips the recipe called for, simply because I hate turnips. I quartered the potatoes. And it needed a longer baking time than the two and a half hours.

It was a very tasty Day After St. Patrick's Day meal.

Ingredients
4 pounds corned beef
1 cup brown sugar
1 bottle Guinness Irish Stout
8 ounces of carrots cut into chunks
1 medium head of cabbage cut into wedges
8 small white onions
8 ounces of turnip cut into chunks
8-12 Yukon Gold potatoes

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees;
2. Rinse corned beef and pat dry;
3. Place corned beef on rack in large roasting pan or Dutch oven, and completely coat with Guinness then rub completely with brown sugar;
4. Cover and place in oven for two and a half hours (I found it was closer to three and a half);
5. During the last hour, add the vegetables to roasting pan or Dutch oven and cook until desired tenderness.

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Pineapple

By Paul Briand

I know, I know. I've been doing a lot of chicken lately. I promise to move onto something else next week.

This particular chicken recipe comes from the Associated Press and I found the combination of the pineapple/orange juice with the jalapenos/cilantro pretty interesting ... kind of a fusion thing going on here.

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
12-ounce package fresh pineapple chunks (1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions
1. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer on a work surface and cover with plastic wrap. Using a heavy skillet or a rolling pin, pound them until flattened to about 1/2 inch thick;
2. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge both sides of each breast in the seasoned flour;
3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil and butter. Add the chicken breasts and cook until they are well browned on both sides and no longer pink at the center, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer them to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Do not clean the skillet;
4. While the chicken breasts are cooking, drain the juice from the pineapple into a measuring cup. Add enough orange juice to total 3/4 cup. Stir in the cornstarch, then set aside;
5. Return the skillet to the stove over medium-low. Add the drained pineapple and brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the pineapple begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chilies and garlic and stir until the garlic is beginning to color, 1 to 2 minutes;
6. Stir in the reserved juice. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until thickened and reduced slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro, then serve, spooned over the chicken breasts.

Chicken and Peppers in Vinegar Sauce

By Paul Briand

It's back to the reality of home cooking after a week in Florida eating some exquisite seafood. Grouper. Red snapper. Mahi-mahi. Swordfish. It was a delightful smorgasbord of fresh fish.

But coming home means coming back to eating at home and I found this week's recipe from Bobby Flay -- one of my favorites -- in a recent issue of Parade Magazine.

Some notes on this dish: I substituted the skinless chicken thighs in the original recipe with skinless chicken breasts. I halve the breasts before cooking them. Also, as with almost all the recipes I use, I didn't use the salt that was called for.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced
1 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh parlsey

Directions
1. Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven over high heat until it simmers;
2. Pat the chicken dry, season with pepper, and cook in the heated oil, turning, until golden brown on both sides. Set chicken aside;
3. Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about five minutes;
4. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute;
5. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced by half;
6. Add honey and broth, season with pepper and cook for five minutes;
7. Return the chicken and accumulated juices to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot and cook until the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes;
8. Remove the chicken to a platter and cook sauce until slightly reduced, about five minutes;
9. Stir in parsley, pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Cashew Beef with Broccoli and Snow Peas

By Paul Briand

Here's the last, at least for now, of some recipes from the "Flat Belly Diet! For Men," which I've been using less as a diet regimen and more as a guideline for ways to eat better and, with proper attention to exercise, lose some weight.

So far, so good: I've shed five pounds over a stretch of about two weeks that included several days of fat belly eating and drinking with family during a ski vacation in northern New Hampshire.

One thing you'll notice about these meals is that the serving is supposed to be enough to fill that belly you're trying to flatten. This particular beef recipe has 314 calories in a serving. The idea is to have a so-called MUFA (mono-unsaturated fatty acid) included in the recipe to 1) help you feel more full 2) use the properties of the MUFA (in this case cashews) to work its healthy magic.

Ingredients
1 pound extra-lean top round steak, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons of dry sherry
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons black bean sauce
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 cups broccoli florets
1/3 cup water
4 ounces snow peas
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 cup unsalted roasted cashews

Directions
1. Combine the sliced steak with 1 tablespoon of the sherry and 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a bowl;
2. Combine the remaining sherry and soy sauce along with the honey and black bean sauce in a separate bowl;
3. Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat and cook the steak, stirring occasionally until no longer pink. Transfer to a plate and reserve;
4. Add remaining sesame oil to skillet and stir in the onion and cook for one minute;
5. Add the ginger and cook about 15 seconds, until fragrant;
6. Add the broccoli and water, cook 2 minutes, stirring often until broccoli is bright green;
7. Stir in snow peas, carrot and cashews and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often;
8. Stir in the beef and sherry mixtures, and cook until mixture is hot and vegetables are crisp-tender.

Note: When I cooked this, I didn't use the water. There was enough liquid and I was concerned the water would just -- well -- water is all down too much. Also, I added 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms and some sliced carrot for texture and color.

By Paul Briand

Italian Sausage Skillet with Caramelized Onions, Tomatoes and Peppers

Here's one more recipe from the "Flat Belly! Diet for Men" that I've been playing with for a couple of weeks, with some success. Without being on the diet, but eating some of what the diet recommends I've managed to lose a few pounds.

I have to confess to a Fat Belly diet the day of the Super Bowl, which impeded some of the downward progress.

What strikes me about some of the recipes in the diet -- this one included -- is that they're actually pretty hearty, and I wonder how there can be so few calories. This particular recipe of pan-seared Italian sweet sausages with vegetables purports to be only 304 calories per serving. The hard part, as I've said earlier, is keeping it to one serving.

Ingredients
12 ounces Italian sweet sausages
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 green bell pepper sliced
3 cloves garlic sliced
3 plum tomatoes cut into 16 pieces each
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions
1. Pour the water into a skillet over medium heat and add the sausage;
2. Boil the sausage, turning often, until the water boils away, then brown all sides of sausage until thoroughly cooked through;
3. Transfer sausage to a cutting board and let cool;
4. Cut sausage into half-inch thick slices;
5. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat;
6. Add the onions, sugar, basil and oregano. Cook until it begins to caramelize with a nice brown color;
7. Add the peppers and cook another 3 to 4 minutes;
8. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute;
9. Add the tomatoes and cook 3 to 4 minutes;
10. Stir in the sausage, vinegar, salt (always optional with me), and pepper;
11. Heat through and serve.

Makes four servings.

Shrimp, Mushroom and Onion Quesadillas

By Paul Briand

Continuing from last week's exploration of recipes in a new diet that I'm testing out, this quesadilla recipe caught my interest.

I liked what the new book "Flat Belly Diet! For Men" did with the shrimp in this recipe, draping it with onion, mushroom and cheese -- how can you have a quesadilla recipe without cheese?

Yet it still falls within the Flat Belly parameters of not going overboard with calories (this has 401 calories per serving). And it has a so-called MUFA -- monounsaturated fatty acids -- which the Flat Belly diet champions as being an aid to overall good health and a flat belly. The MUFA in this case is the olive oil.

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
12 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp (I bought mine precooked and frozen)
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 8-ounce package of mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 7-inch flour tortillas
2 ounces shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat;
2. Sprinkle the shrimp with chili powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt and add to the skillet, cooking 2-3 minutes until opaque. Transfer to a plate and reserve;
3. Add remaining oil and cook the onions and oregano until the onions soften;
4. Add the mushrooms and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook until the mushrooms start to brown;
5. Stir in the garlic and cook about 2 minutes;
6. Transfer entire mixture to a bowl and reserve;
7. Arrange tortillas on a work surface and build the quesadilla on one half of the tortilla -- add some cheese, then onion/mushroom mixture, then shrimp, then some more cheese;
8. Fold the tortilla over to form a semi-circle;
9. Repeat with three remaining tortillas;
10. Heat tortillas two at a time in the skillet until lightly browned and the cheese is melted;
11. Transfer to a cutting board and cut each tortilla in two.

You end up with eight pieces. The hard part, since it's so good, is not overdo it by two or three of these bad boys at one sitting.