A Little Taste of Spain

I've been wanting to make Paella since we got back from Spain, so almost a year! There are some specialty ingredients that I haven't been able to find, so I used that as an excuse for quite a while. I finally decided to just order them online, starting with a legit Paella pan. This was the hardest item to decide on. I'll include links of what I bought below - 

Paella pan - There were cheaper options available, but my number one requirement was that it had to be made in Spain. I didn't want any Chinese crap. I also wanted it to be big, so I can make enough for a lot of people or to freeze some leftovers.

Spanish Chorizo - I'm sure there's somewhere I can find this. There has to be a specialty store that has it. This time, Amazon saved me, but I'll keep looking. This isn't anything like Mexican Chorizo, so definitely don't try to go that route. This was really good, and I was pleased with it, but it wasn't hot, even for a whimp like me.

Bomba Rice - I've read that you can substitute arborio rice. I may try that once I run out of this, just to see, but this rice turned out perfect. 

Spanish Paprika - This time, I used the smoked paprika. Next time, I may try a different one, or maybe I'll blend the smoked and hot.

* I already had Saffron that we brought back from Spain - though it will only make it through another 2 recipes before I'll have to get more *

I realize that some of these ingredients are crazy expensive. I wanted to make the paella as authentic as possible at least the first time around, to make sure I had found the right recipe. I have definitely found the right recipe, so now I'll start to look for cheaper options locally. 

Now, for the recipe...

I looked at tons of recipes online before I decided to give this one a shot. Some had random ingredients that I never saw in any paella in Spain (and we ate a LOT of paella), some had too many canned items, etc. This one just looked the best, so I decided to go for it! The only thing I changed was the chicken. I didn't add any, because I didn't have any thighs and I didn't want to put breasts in it. It would have added more meat, which would have made it more filling, I suppose. It was very delicious without the chicken and I don't feel like any flavor was lacking. I may add chicken next time. I left out the lemon because I didn't have any and it was't worth going to the grocery store. I left off the Parsley because I didn't want to taste Parsley. I used a frozen seafood mix that had shrimp, squid, clams and mussles. It worked great.

Recipe and instructions below, but the original page has lots of other useful information.

Ingredients

• 2 medium, ripe tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
• 16 large shrimp (about 12 ounces), peeled and deveined
• 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika(pimentón dulce)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
• 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large pinch saffron threads
• 2 cups paella rice (about 1 pound), sometimes labeled bomba or Valencia
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the shrimp and chicken
• 4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
• 16 mussels, manila clams, or a combination, scrubbed
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 medium lemons, cut into 8 wedges each, for serving

Instructions

1. 1
   Core and halve the tomatoes. Grate the flesh side of each half on the large holes of a box grater set over a medium bowl, stopping when you get to the skin. Discard the skins. You should have about 3/4 cup of tomato pulp and juice; set aside.
2. 2
   Place the shrimp in a medium bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon of the paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and refrigerate.
3. 3
   Place the chicken in a medium bowl and season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
4. 4
   Heat an outdoor grill to high (about 450°F to 550°F). Place a 15-inch paella pan on the grill, cover, and heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add the chorizo to the pan, close the grill, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is starting to brown and the fat is rendered, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a large bowl; set aside.
5. 5
   There should be a thin layer of rendered fat in the pan. If there’s not enough, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the seasoned chicken to the pan in a single layer, close the grill, and sear, stirring occasionally, until both sides of the chicken pieces are golden brown, about 6 minutes total. (You will need to rotate the pan occasionally on the grill to evenly distribute the heat.) Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the bowl with the chorizo; set aside.
6. 6
   Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, close the grill, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed on a gas grill or moving the paella pan to a cooler part of a charcoal grill so that the onions don’t burn. Add the garlic, remaining 3/4 teaspoon paprika, and saffron, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
7. 7
   Add the reserved tomato pulp and juice and cook until the mixture has slightly darkened in color, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and measured salt and stir to coat in the tomato mixture.
8. 8
   Add the broth and stir to combine. Arrange the rice mixture in an even layer. Distribute the reserved chorizo and chicken over the rice, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl. (Do not stir the rice from this point on.)
9. 9
   Close the grill and bring the mixture to a lively simmer. Continue to simmer, checking occasionally, until the rice grains have swelled, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice begins to make a crackling sound, about 12 minutes. (Make sure to rotate the pan occasionally to evenly distribute the heat, and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a lively simmer.)
10. 10
    Arrange the reserved shrimp and the shellfish (hinge-side down) in the rice, nestling them slightly. Close the grill and cook until the shellfish have opened, the shrimp are just cooked through, and the rice is tender but still al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes.
11. 11
    Remove the pan from the grill, cover with foil, and let stand for 5 minutes. Before serving the paella, discard any unopened shellfish and sprinkle the dish with the parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Potroast Mac-n-Cheese

I have 3 favorite comfort foods...Potroast (specifically, Beef Bourguignon, but potroast is so much easier to say and it's basically the French version of potroast on steroids, so I call it potroast anyway), Chicken and Pastry and Mac-n-Cheese...usually in that order. Sometimes Chicken and Pastry loses to Mac-n-Cheese, but a good potroast is always on top. 

A while back, I was at Houlihan's and they had Potroast Mac-n-Cheese as a special. My thoughts were that it could either be amazing or horrible. I decided to give it a shot. Ummmmm...amazing for sure!!!

I made Beef Bourguignon late last week and I had some leftovers. I decided to give the Potroast Mac-n-Cheese a shot at home. I don't regret it one bit. We had it for dinner last night and I probably just had a little bit more for lunch. 

Anyway, I like this meal so much because you really can make it your own. Use your favorite of each recipes and just marry them. Here's what I do...

For the Beef Bourguignon, the only difference I make is I leave the frozen pearl onions out and I add more regular onions. I made it with the pearl onions the first time I ever tried this recipe. While I will admit that it was prettier, I did not enjoy biting into the pearl onions. This recipe is a little labor intensive, but you get to catch stuff on fire, so it's totally worth all the effort. It makes a fair amount, so you'll probably have leftovers anyway. It does freeze well, so you can always freeze half for later!

For the mac-n-cheese, I don't really use a recipe. I have a recipe in mind, but I don't measure the cheese. I just keep adding until it tastes the way I want it. This is the recipe I keep in mind. The mustard adds a little extra tang that I love. 

When I'm making potroast mac-n-cheese, I do things slightly different. I like to warm the potroast in the microwave then add it to the cheese sauce. I add that to the pasta and stir it all in. You can top it with panko and bake it, but last night I was lazy and hungry, so after I mixed it all in, we ate it as is. It was still amazing. 

*** Note - One thing I do keep consistent with mac-n-cheese - I use Rotini. I love how the cheese oozes inside the little corkscrews. I'm not hating on elbows, they're just fine...they just don't hoard the cheese like rotini does. ***

Corn Waffles Smothered in Chili Scrambled Eggs

This morning afternoon, I was trying to figure out what to cook for brunch. I started with just scrambled eggs, then I was going to put some chili and onions in the scrambled eggs because it seemed like the right thing to do. Next, I thought about putting those chili scrambled eggs over some french bread. Then it hit me that it would be much better over cornbread than french bread. Duh. 

I grabbed a box of Jiffy and noticed a recipe for pancakes or waffles on the side. Cornbread waffles smothered in chili scrambled eggs, salsa, sour cream and avacados? Ummmm...where have you been all my life?!?

First, I sauteed the onions for the scrambled eggs. Then I decided to put half of those (and some cheese) in the corn waffles themselves. Jalapenos would have been amazing as well, but I obviously didn't plan this meal ahead, so I didn't have any. 

Next, I added the scrambled eggs (I used 3 - next time I would probably either use 2 or add some additional seasoning), some cilantro and a can of no bean Hormel chili.

While the scrambled eggs were cooking, I made the waffles. 

On a side note, I've had my waffle maker for probably 6 or 7 years and I've recently gotten addicted to it. It probably has something to do with the fact that Josh JUST realized waffles are delicious. SO glad!

Back to the waffles. SO easy:

- 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1 egg

- 2 tablespoons butter or shortening (I used butter flavored Crisco)

This made 3 waffles for me.

To top the waffles off, I added pepperjack cheese, the chili scrambled eggs, salsa, sour cream, avacado and cilantro. It was SO good! I will absolutely be making these again...with some peppers added to the waffles!

Smothered Chicken

This is a recipe I have made a couple of times and I'm loving it! I love how versatile it is! I plan on making this many more times in the future. This is my inspiration for the recipe. I have changed it up a little each time I have made it.

Smothered Chicken

- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

- Spicy Brown Mustard

- 3 large peppers (any color you prefer)

- Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning (or any seasoning you like)

- Montreal Steak Seasoning 

- 1/2 cup cheese of choice

- Bacon grease (if you don't have any, you can use vegetable or olive oil)

Instructions

- preheat your oven to 350

- Preheat the bacon grease to medium/high in a cast iron skillet

I love cooking meats in cast iron. It just has such a unique flavor that I love. Feel free to feel whatever cookware you have handy. Same goes for the bacon grease. I realize it's not the healthiest option, but it gives great flavor. When we cook bacon, we pour the grease off into a glass container and keep it in the fridge for times like these!

- Pound your chicken breasts out to about 1/2 inch thick. You could skip this step if you like, but it will tenderize your meat and make sure it cooks uniformly. I like to buy my chicken at Wegman's in the club packs. It's the same price that I would buy it for at BJ's, but it's already individually wrapped. I can just pound them out before I open the package.

- Season the chicken on both sides with your choice of seasoning. I used Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning this time, but just salt and pepper is absolutely fine. Cook the chicken almost all the way through. Make sure you have a nice crust on each side, but you will finish cooking in the oven.

- While the chicken is cooking, cut your peppers into strips.

- Remove the chicken from the pan and let cool just a little

- Scrape the pan and add more grease if needed. You can leave the little bits of chicken, they will just add more flavor for later. Add the peppers and cook until they're slightly charred. Season with Montreal Steak Seasoning (or any other seasoning you would like to try). You can use any peppers you like. This time, I used a mixture of red, yellow and orange peppers.

- While the peppers are cooking, cut the chicken breasts into strips and cover in spicy brown mustard. I didn't measure, but I probably used around 1/4 cup. 

- Once the peppers are nice and charred, mix them in with the chicken and mustard mixture. Cover with cheese and bake for 30 minutes. 

I like to serve mine over white rice, but feel free to try whatever sounds good to you. You can use onions, mushrooms, any color of peppers that sounds good. For a Southwest mix, you could add in corn and/or black beans with some Mexican flavorings. I think I'm going to try a Southwest version next time. You really can do whatever you like with this recipe. You could even substitute the chicken for other meats. Maybe a Philly Cheesesteak version? Or even smothered squash and zucchini for a vegetarian option! 

Let me know if you try any other combos that are delicious!

Sesame Chicken with Fried Rice

I'm trying to make sure we're eating healthier, but I don't want Josh to feel like we're on a diet. Sometimes, especially on the weekends, I like to treat us to a slightly healthier version of a guilty dinner. Josh has been wanting Chinese all week but I know the calories are through the roof. I decided to make Sesame Chicken, one of his favorite Chinese dishes, at home! I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and made a few tweaks...nothing major. Here's my version below.

Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

- 2 tablespoons water

- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil

- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 quart Canola oil for frying

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

For the sauce:

- 1 cup chicken broth

- 3/4 cup brown sugar

- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

- 2 tablespoons soy sauce

- 2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- dash of hot sauce

- 1/4 cup cornstarch 

- 1/2 cup water

Directions

1 - Sift flour, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder into a bowl. Pour in low-sodium soy sauce, water and roasted sesame oil; stir until smooth. Coat chicken with batter, cover, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

2 - Bring chicken broth, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce and garlic to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Dissolve 1/4 cup cornstarch into 1/2 cup water and whisk into boiling sauce. Simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce thickens and the sauce is no longer cloudy. Reduce to low and keep warm.

3 - Heat canola oil to 375 in a deep fryer or large saucepan.

4 - Drop in the battered chicken pieces in small batches and fry until they turn golden brown and float to the top of the oil. This should take no longer than 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Top with sauce and sesame seeds. 

I served this over fried rice. I found this recipe at Slender Kitchen and adapted it a little. 

Fried Rice

Ingredients

- 2 cups cooked, cold rice (day old if possible)

- Nonstick cooking spray

- 2 teaspoons roasted sesame oil

- 1/2 cup Egg Beaters

- Dash of pepper

- 1 large carrot, grated

- 1/2 cup sweet peas

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

1 - Heat pan over medium high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and scramble egg beaters, adding pepper. Remove from pan.

2 - Add the sesame oil, carrots, sweet peas and garlic to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.

3 - Add the rice and cook for 2-4 more minutes, stirring constantly, until the rice begins to crisp a little.

4 - Add the soy sauce and egg. Stir together and cook for 1 more minute.

It was very good. The fried rice was delicious! The chicken was very good too, but I think it may have been better with peanut oil.

Mashed Caulifower

I first saw this recipe a while back and I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it. I'm a huge potato person, so I didn't think cauliflower would satisfy my craving for mashed potatoes. Well, recently I've been trying harder to eat healthier and cut down on carbs a little bit. So, I decided I would give this recipe a shot. It's actually really good! While I wouldn't always use this as a substitute for mashed potatoes, I would do it on occasion. I made this one night and I didn't tell Josh what it was. I asked him what he thought about it and he said it was good. I asked him if he knew what it was. His response..."mashed potatoes?". I don't think it tastes just like mashed potatoes...but it's pretty close! I first saw this recipe on Meredith's blog over at Newlywed McGees. I stuck to her recipe for the most part. I did substitute sour cream for the half and half/cream since this is what I do for regular mashed potatoes and that's what I had on hand.

Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 T butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
- salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
- chives (I had dried on hand, so I used those)

Directions
- Roughly chop the cauliflower and boil for about 10 minutes, until soft enough to mash with a fork.
- Add cooked cauliflower to a bowl and break up the pieces with a fork. Use an immersion blender to puree the cauliflower. Add the sour cream and butter. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in shredded cheese. Serve immediately.

Healthy Sweet Potato Skins

I know it's been FOREVER since I've posted a recipe. I found this recipe for Healthy Sweet Potato Skins on Pinterest and I decided to give it a shot. I'm SO glad I did! I wasn't sure I would like it, but I had a can of chick peas I needed to use, so I went for it. I'm sorry, but I don't have any pictures, I didn't realize my camera was dead until I tried to turn it on. 

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, minced

1 bag of fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup sour cream

2 ounces cream cheese

1 cup chickpeas

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1) Bake sweet potatoes at 350 until fork tender

2) Cut sweet potatoes in half and let cool. Saute shallots with butter over medium heat until translucent. Add spinach and heat for a few minutes. Set aside.

3) Hollow out the sweet potatoes, leaving a small layer with the skin. Place the skins in the oven for about 5 more minutes. Mash the sweet potato with softened cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in Spinach and shallots. Mash chickpeas and add to mixture (I did this because I don't particularly care for the texture of whole chickpeas...and Josh doesn't like them so I was trying to hide them from him).

4) Remove skins from oven and re-fill with mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 

I made a few minor changes from the original recipe. I didn't have light cream cheese or sour cream so I used regular. I didn't add any salt or pepper, I used less butter to saute the shallots and spinach, and I didn't oil the potato skins. I also used slightly less sour cream. 

I really really liked this recipe and I'll be making it again. Josh got really excited at first because he thought I put crab in them (which I may try at some point!). I have no idea why he thought this, but he did. I told him I would tell him what was in them after he told me if he liked them. Bad idea. I should have just let him think it was straight sweet potatoes. He was a bit turned off when he found the leftover chickpeas, but he was a good sport and tried them anyway. He said he didn't mind them but he couldn't look at them objectively since he knew they were in there. I'm personally not a fan of chickpeas either. I don't like them whole, I don't even like hummus. If I tried these without knowing what was in them, I would never be able to guess, so even if you think you won't like them, this recipe is worth a shot. 

This recipe is from Pinch of Yum, and I'm so glad I stumbled upon this blog. There are lots of other tasty looking recipes I just can't wait to try! Umm...Crab and Avacado Nachos, Skinny Chicken Enchiladas...YES PLEASE!

Farfalle di Pollo al Sugo Bianco

I got this recipe from this great cookbook I picked up from the library. It has a healthier version of lots of recipes from different recipes. This one is from Macaroni Grill. I'll definitely be making it again!

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce

2 cups skim milk

1/4 t Chicken bouillon powder

1 C shredded low-fat Parmesan cheese

3 oz fat free cream cheese, softened

1 T cornstarch

Pasta

4 T diet margarine

1/2 c diced red onion

1/2 c chopped pancetta (I just used bacon)

1 T chopped garlic

3/4 c chopped green onions

12 oz grilled chicken, sliced (I actually made this without the chicken, but I'll try it with next time)

12 oz farfalle, cooked

1/2 c skim milk

1 T chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1) For cheese sauce, heat 1 1/2 c of skim milk in a medium saucepan. Whisk in chicken bouillon powder and cheeses just as the milk starts to boil. Stir in the cornstarch and the remaining 1/2 c milk and whisk. Let mixture thicken and remove from heat.

2) In a large skillet, melt the margarine and saute the onion, pancetta and garlic. Let simmer until the veggies are just softened. Add green onions, grilled chicken and the cooked pasta. Stir in the 1/2 c milk and add the cheese sauce. Stir to blend all the ingredients.

3) Serve the pasta sprinkled with the parsley. 

Serves 4. Each serving is 635 grams. The original Macaroni Grill version has 1,310 calories per serving. I didn't use all the suggested low calorie options, so mine was probably somewhere in between. 

Pumpkin Pancakes

I mentioned that we bought some extra pumpkin to add to our Pumpkin Ale. We didn't want to add the whole can, so we had some leftover. I've been trying to figure out how to use the leftovers. I decided I would try Pumpkin Pancakes. It was also the first day of October, so it was perfect!

Ingredients

- 1 Cup Pancake Mix

- 3-4 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Mix

- 1/2 Cup Cinnamon Chips

- Water

 Don't worry if you don't have cinnamon chips. They will still be yummy. I have been looking for these FOREVER. I finally found them and didn't know exactly what to use them for. I couldn't resist putting them in here!

Just prepare the pancake mix per package directions. Add the pumpkin and cinnamon chips. Stir in and cook.

I also happened to have some Cinnamon butter. I put that and some syrup on these...DELICIOUS!

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

This is yet another amazing recipe from Pioneer Woman. She has more pictures and more in depth instructions than I do, but I think mine can get the job done. I knew I had to try this when I saw it, I just needed to wait until we had visitors since Josh basically hates blueberries. My sister was visiting this weekend so I decided to make them! They are SO good. My sister thought they were a little to lemony, but I thought they were perfect. I was going to make a blueberry syrup to go with them, but I ran out of blueberries.


Ingredients
1-1/2 cup Cake Flour (I used THIS recipe instead)
1 Tablespoon (additional) Cake Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1-1/2 cup Evaporated Milk 
1 whole Lemon
1 whole Large Egg
1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
Zest From 1 Lemon
1 cup Heaping Blueberries


Directions
Mix evaporated milk, lemon juice and lemon zest together, let sit for 5 minutes.


Heat skillet to medium-low heat. 

While waiting, mix the cake flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together.

Add egg, vanilla and melted butter to wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.

 Fold in blueberries. 

Melt butter in skillet, spoon in mixture about 1/4 cup at a time. Brown on both sides.

Smother in extra butter and syrup...ENJOY!

Chicken Spaghetti

I recently finish reading Pioneer Woman's book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. I loved it BTW! In the book, she mentions Chicken Spaghetti. I was interested so I looked the recipe

up on her blog. She has a detailed step by step on her blog, so you can check that out if you like. I made one change (I used Chili Powder instead of Cayenne Pepper, because I didn't have any Cayenne). 

Ingredients

 - 3 cups dry Spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces 

(While breaking these I discovered that Bailey likes dry pasta)

 - 2 cups Cooked Chicken, (I used leg quarters)

 - 1/4 cups each of Diced Green Pepper and Diced Onion (I added Diced Red Bell Pepper too) For the peppers, I used frozen, because I have a TON of them in my freezer

 - 1 4 oz jar Diced Pimentos, Drained

 - 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

- 1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder

- 1/8 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper

 - 1 can Cream of Mushroom

- 1 can Cream of Chicken

 - 2 cups Shredded Cheddar (reserve 1 cup for topping)

Cook pasta in chicken broth (either reserved from cooking your chicken or from a can). I used the broth left over from cooking the chicken. Strain pasta.

Mix all the ingredients together and pour in casserole dish. Top with remaining cup of Cheddar Cheese. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. Cover if your cheese starts to burn. I served this with little crusty french bread rolls. It's delicious!

This was quite time consuming (I shredded my own cheese, so it could be faster if you used the pre-shredded stuff) but it was worth it. I made a double batch and froze the second one. PW says you can freeze it for up to 6 months, but it definitely won't last that long around here! Since this is a time consuming dish, I definitely recommend making a double batch.

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta

I just realized it has been forever since I've posted any food! I have still been cooking, but I haven't been experimenting as much. I've mostly been cooking reliable dinners I know we like that I can throw together quickly. I saw something like this on the menu at TGIFridays. I wanted to try it sometime, but I didn't want it then. I decided to throw my own version together. It was easy and delicious! 

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta
- 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 T Olive Oil
- 1 T Minced Garlic
- 1 t salt
- 1 t pepper
- 1 T Dried Oregano
- 1 T Dried Basil
- 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Pasta (I used thin spaghetti this time)
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- Fresh Basil (for garnish)

Mix 1/2 cup of Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil. Season with Minced Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Basil and Oregano. Marinate chicken for a few hours. I put mine in the refrigerator overnight, but a few hours is probably just fine. Bake in oven at 350 until done.

Cook pasta, add the can of diced tomatoes and toss with Balsamic Glaze.

Balsamic Glaze

- 1 cup Balsamic Vinegar

- 2 T Sugar

Combine, bring to a simmer and reduce. I probably let mine reduce to about 75%, but it's a matter of preference

(Disclaimer...this stuff is strong. Your whole kitchen will smell like vinegar)

Bruschetta
- Roma Tomatoes
- Fresh Basil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Minced Garlic

I don't really measure anything when I make my Bruschetta. I just throw everything together and season to taste. It's best after it's been refrigerated for a few hours, this way all the flavors have time to blend together.

Bruschetta is great for all sorts of things. It's amazing on a hamburger with mozzarella cheese!

I served this with grilled zucchini...YUM!

Carne Asada Burritos

For  Cinco De Mayo I wanted to make a yummy Mexican dish. I found this recipe and decided to give it a try. Of course, I tweaked it a little. I had a flank steak on hand, so I just sliced it & used it rather than searching for Carne Asada beef.

Ingredients:
(Ingredients with a star are my additions) 

- 1/2 c EVOO

- 2 T Lime Juice (I used fresh limes but feel free to use Real Lime)
- 1/2 t Ground Cumin
* 1/2 t Chili Powder
- 1/4 t Kosher Salt
- 1/4 t black pepper
* 1 t Cilantro
- 1/2 c Chopped Onion
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 lb Flank Steak, sliced
- Tortillas

Directions:



Combine EVOO, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, onion, garlic and cilantro. Pour over flank steak and marinate for at least 1 hour. I let mine marinate for about 2.

Add about 2 T Vegetable Oil to a grill pan and heat to medium. Cook meat about 3 minutes on each side. Let rest then cut into thin strips.

I decided to make a platter with all the toppings so we could make our own burritos. I used the meat, guacamole, Bush's Refried Black Beans, Mexican/Spanish rice that I threw together, and a mixture of corn, red bell peppers and onions. We also had cheese and sour cream. This was SO good! We had enough leftovers for lunch one day and for breakfast burritos another day. For the breakfast burritos I just added scrambled eggs and salsa.

For the rice, I didn't measure anything. It was something I decided to make last minute so I didn't really use a recipe. I just used a cup of rice. I cooked it in chicken stock. I added some chopped onion & garlic, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, leftover tomato from the guacamole and a little bit of crushed red pepper. I added the juices from the meat after it was finished cooking for a little more flavor. I was actually very pleased with how it turned out :-)



I'll definitely be making this again!

Sweet Potato Rolls

I found this recipe for sweet potato rolls not long before Easter. It does seem like more of a Thanksgiving recipe but I had to try them. They were SO good! 

Ingredients

- 2 c self rising flour

- 3 T brown sugar

- 1/4 t ground cinnamon

- 1/8 t ground allspice

- 1/4 c butter

- 3 T shortening

- 1 c mashed sweet potatoes

- 6 T milk

- 2 T butter, melted (for brushing on biscuits)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon & allspice in a bowl. 

Cut in 1/4 cup of butter & shortening with fork until blended & crumbly. 

Add mashed sweet potatoes and milk, stir until dry ingredients are moist. (Don't do what I did here and add the melted butter too...you will have to play around and add even more flour to make the dough workable. The melted butter is for brushing over the biscuits.) 

Turn out on a lightly floured surface (I used a cookie sheet to make cleanup easier) and knead a few times. Roll out to about 1/2 thickness.  Cut with a 2 inch cookie or biscuit cutter. Place on un-greased baking sheet and brush with butter. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  

Enjoy!

I apologize for the lack of pictures. I intended on doing step by step photos. I just got into the zone I guess :-/

Grasshopper Pie

I saw this recipe a while back on Pioneer Woman's blog. If you haven't checked her blog out yet, you're really missing out. I was in the mood for something minty & it was green so I decided to make this for St. Patrick's Day. I'm SO glad I did...although it's a little messy. I was originally going to take step by step photos. I made such a mess & I only remembered to take 2 pictures during the process. If you want step by step pictures, PW's blog has them.

I will say, unless you have a tight fitting lid for your pie dish, I don't recommend transporting it very far. I made 1 full sized pie for work & 2 mini pies for Josh and I. I just put foil over my pie dish & it leaked in the back seat. It was an absolute pain to clean up. Speaking of the mini pies. I got these mini baking dishes from the Dollar Tree! They also have them in red (I grabbed a few of those too!) & blue. I was super excited to find these so cheap. They're oven, microwave & dishwasher safe. SCORE!

Ingredients

• 16 whole Oreos
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• 24 whole Large Marshmallows (or Container Of Marshmallow Fluff)
• ⅔ cups Half-and-half
• 2 Tablespoons Creme De Menthe Liqueur (more To Taste)
• 2 Tablespoons Creme De Cacao Liqueur
• Drop Or Two Of Green Food Coloring
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Extra Cookie Crumbs, For Sprinkling

Directions

Throw the cookies and melted butter into a food processor and pulse until the pieces are broken up & uniform. Set aside.

Heat marshmallows and half-and-half in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. As soon as it’s all melted and combined, place saucepan in a bowl of ice to cool down quickly. (Stirring occasionally will hasten this process.) Once cool, add creme de menthe and creme de cacao. Taste and add more creme de menthe if needed. Add one to two drops green food coloring (optional!)

(***I didn't put my pan in ice...it can warp your pan and I'm quite fond of mine. I just let it cool to room temperature then put it in the fridge for a while to cool...I wasn't in a hurry. You could also transfer it from the pan to a mixing bowl. I thought of doing that but I didn't want to wash the extra dish.***)

In a mixing bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff. Pour cold marshmallow mixture into the whipped cream and fold together gently.

Pour filling into crust. Sprinkle extra chocolate crumbs over the top. Place pie in the freezer and freeze until very firm, at least two hours.

Remove from freezer ten minutes or so before you want to slice and serve.