Nic in the Kitchen

Viva Madrid Spanish Chicken

2011-09-14T13:04:00.004-05:00

Aye, aye, aye was this delicious!!! Even with all of the onions & dates, P still tried this dish and loved it. It was fun to make and didn't take long at all. I'll definitely be making this again!

Here is the link for the recipe. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/viva-madrid-spanish-chicken/detail.aspx The only changes I made was I didn't mince the garlic, I just pounded it out with a knife and I didn't have thyme. It was still delish!

This is not diet food

2011-09-10T15:32:00.006-05:00

Zucchini, Mushrooms and Tagliatelle. Mama Mia!

P-Man (I was asked by him to be called something other than hubby- lol) and I have decided to have 2 vegetarian meals a week. Tonight was veggies with pasta in a rich cream sauce. I don't think this was the right way to go for our first "healthy" meatless night. Oh well, we have one more day this week. I'll try to make it right.

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Butter

2 Small Zucchini, julienned

1 Small Pkg of your favorite mushrooms, sliced

1/2 Onion, Minced

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream (or use Laughing Cow triangles for a low-fat sauce)

4 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper to Taste

1 Pkg Tagliatelle Pasta, cooked as directed on pkg

Directions:

1. Heat Oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini and mushrooms and saute until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Add onion and garlic to the pan and saute until golden brown. Stir in Cream and boil until sauce is reduced.
3. Add noodles, zuchhini, 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese, salt & pepper to taste to the cream sauce. Toss until heated through. Serve with additional parmesan cheese.

Enjoy! And be ready for bed afterwards!! :)

Where Have I Been?

2011-09-10T06:52:00.003-05:00

Hiya! I'm back! I can't belive it's been 2 years since I've posted. We have just moved to Sevilla, Spain so I KNOW I'll have lots to blog about. Stay tuned!

Cheesy Pork Chops

2009-08-04T22:07:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's almost been a year since I've blogged. There is so much to tell, but that is a whole other blog in itself. In May I officially became a Homemade Gourmet consultant and am loving it! So, of course I will be posting my creations. :)

Cheesy Pork Chops (and I forgot to take a picture!)

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Pork Chops
1 Can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 Cup chicken broth
1 Bell pepper, sliced
2 Large potatoes, thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons Homemade Gourmet Grandmother's Sunday Roast
1 Cup shredded cheese (colby or whatever you like)

Pre heat oven to 350. Layer potatoes and bell pepper in a large casserole dish. Place pork chops on top of potatoes. In a bowl, mix cream of mushroom, broth and Sunday Roast seasoning. Pour on top of pork chops. Bake for about 45 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top of pork chops and place under the broiler for a few minutes until cheese is bubbly.

Yes, I Love Brussel Sprouts!

2008-11-13T01:08:00.002-06:00

This is pork chops with polenta and brussel sprouts on the side. I actually just wanted to give the recipe for the brussel sprouts. They were the best I've ever had! I have NEVER liked brussel sprouts and was quite surprised when I scarfed these down.

Ingredients:
20 big fresh brussel sprouts, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, smashed with a knife
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter (or more if you like)
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil and butter in medium sized frying pan. Add garlic and cook for around 3 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan. Add sprouts, cut side down. Add salt & pepper to your liking. Top with garlic and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until the sprouts are tender. These are GREAT!

Roast Beef Sub

2008-11-13T00:58:00.002-06:00

I made a pot roast on Sunday. Instead of having the traditional "pot roast dinner", I made hoagies instead. They were so good! I added some provolone on top and melted it before I served them. The pot roast is so juicy that you don't even need condiments.

Ingredients:

Chuck roast- 2.5 lb.

Approx 10 garlic cloves

Olive oil

1 can beef broth

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Cut small slits on the chuck roast and slip 1/2 garlic clove into it. I usually make about 10 to 15 slits total (I love garlic!). Rub olive oil all over the roast then add salt & pepper. Brown each side of the roast in a frying pan for about 3 minutes on each side. Once you put the roast in a roast pan, pour the beef broth over it and add additional salt & pepper. Cover and cook for approx. 3 hours on 325.

Some What Cobb Salad

2008-11-13T00:53:00.002-06:00

Well, this is just about the only way to get my other half to eat salad. With all of the extra ingredients and dressing, it probably has a TON of calories.... but it's oh so good.

I'm sure by the picture you can see all of the ingredients. There is some avocado in there, just in case you can't see it ;) Delish!

Bow Tie Pasta with Chicken

2008-10-16T15:22:00.004-05:00

I know my last post was with bow tie pasta. I just can't get enough!!! I was bored so invented the cream sauce which turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. ;) I don't know how to cook for 1 or 2 people so this recipe made enough for about 6 peeps. lol Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 box bow tie pasta, cooked al dente

1 box frozen spinach, thawed and dried

3-4 chicken breasts, cubed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pkg lite cream cheese

4 tablespoons butter

1-2 cups milk (I used 2%)

Splash of dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons dry basil leaves

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Saute chicken in a bit of olive oil, add garlic and cook until chicken is browned (about 3-4 minutes). Remove chicken from the pan so that you can make the sauce. Add butter to the saucepan. Once it melts add the cream cheese until smooth. Add milk until you get the consistency you would like. Add a splash of wine and the juice of one lemon. Let this simmer for a few minutes. Add the basil leaves and chili flakes. Add spinach and chicken and simmer for a few more minutes to warm the spinach and chicken. Salt & pepper to taste. Once the sauce is done, transfer to the pot with the pasta. Serve with lemon. Delish!

Bow Tie Pasta w/ Turkey Sausage

2008-10-01T11:49:00.003-05:00

Since Patrick has been out of town I have been eating all kinds of food with tomato sauce. :) I made this dish last night and it was so delish! It's very easy, took about 20 minutes and I even had left overs for lunch. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 box bow tie pasta, cooked
1 pkg turkey kielbasa sausage, chopped
1 pkg spinach
1 jar marinara sauce
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Black olives, sliced
A few dashes red pepper flakes

Fry sausage and garlic in a bit of olive oil until sausage has browned. Add spinach and cook for a few minutes. Add marinara sauce and olives and simmer for about 10 minutes. Mix the marinara sauce in with the bow tie pasta, add red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese to taste. Top with additional parm cheese if desired.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-24T19:10:00.001-05:00

My Mom just left this weekend. We had a wonderful time while she was here. Last week we celebrated our 2nd anniversary. We all got dressed up and went to Anthony's restaurant for a 4-course meal. It's a beautiful restaurant, right by the bay. I had shrimp cocktail, clam chowder, salmon cakes and chocolate mousse. We also went to Olive Garden and had their shrimp risotto. Omgosh, it is sooo good! So.... this week I'm going to try my own version of salmon cakes and I can't believe it- Olive Garden posted their receipe for the shrimp risotto, so I'm making that as well. We are going camping Friday (two weekends in a row) so I will only post until Thursday. If I make anything interesting on our camping trip I'll be sure to post it.

Sunday we had 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken. Once again it was super! I love Ina Garten's recipes. Well, I hope everyone has a great week!

For more receipes and meal ideas please visit our host Laura at http://www.orgjunkie.com/

Monday
Salmon Cakes*

Tuesday
Cobb Salad

Wednesday
Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
Camping!

*Salmon Cakes

Ingredients:

1/2 red pepper, grated
1/2 cup red onion, grated
1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
juice & zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
1 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs
2 (6 ounce) cans boneless salmon filet
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
A few dashes tabasco sauce

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, combine red pepper, green onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, seasoned salt and cayenne pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Stir in egg, well-drained salmon and 4 T of the bread crumbs. Divide and form mixture into 6 to 8 balls. Roll salmon balls in remaining bread crumbs and flatten into cakes. Fry salmon cakes in olive oil and melted butter in skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with rice and green salad.

Spaghetti Carbonara

2008-08-13T16:41:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

1 pkg diced proscuitto

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Dash or two of crushed red peppers

1 cup chicken stock

2 large egg yolks

1 cup pasta water

1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1 Zuchinni

Parsley, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Noodles of your choice (I use linguini)

Directions:Cook noodles as per package. Saute zuchinni in a bit of olive oil for about a minute. Add proscuitto and let it brown. Add additional olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for around 2 minutes. Add stock to the pan and reduce the liquid by half. Beat egg yolks then stirl in ladle of pasta water. Drain pasta, and add to pan with proscuitto and garlic. Remove from heat. Add egg mixture, cheese, parsley, salt & pepper and toss until sacue is absorbed. Adjust to taste and serve immediately.

Saucy Chicken

2008-08-12T01:37:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness- this chicken was so good! It only took around 15 minutes to make. I will definitely make this again soon. I even snuck some veggies in there- the P man ate every bite. :)

Saucy chicken
Courtesy: Nicole

Ingredients:
4 Chicken breasts, pounded
1 can cream of mushroom
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 garlic cloves, minced
handful of chives, chopped
1 tomato, chopped

Directions:
Mix cream of mushroom, sour cream and chicken broth together. Brown chicken breasts on each side for about 2 minutes each side. (Add garlic when you flip the chicken) Add sauce- thin if needed using chicken broth. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, add chives and tomatoes. Salt & pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-10T21:34:00.003-05:00

I've been out of the loop with menu planning. I never realized how much money planning saves! Anyhoo- my Mom is coming to visit for a week and a half. I can't wait to see her! (smile) Here is our menu for the week. This weekend we will be in Seattle and the San Juan Islands so I will post some restaurant reviews too. Have a good week! For more menu plans and recipes visit our host Laura at http://www.orgjunkie.com/.

Monday
Spaghetti a la Carbonara*

Tuesday
Chicken with vegetables*

Wednesday
Hamburger helper (that's right- dinner from a box!)

Thursday
Enchiladas and rice

Friday
Taco night

Saturday
Seattle

Sunday
San Juan Islands

Spaghetti a la Carbonara

Ingredients:
1 pkg diced proscuitto
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Dash or two of crushed red peppers
1 cup chicken stock
2 large egg yolks
1 cup pasta water
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Parsley, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
Noodles of your choice (I use linguini)

Directions:
Cook noodles as per package.
Saute proscuitto in a drizzle of oil until it browns. Add additional olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for around 2 minutes. Add stock to the pan and reduce the liquid by half. Beat egg yolks then stirl in ladle of pasta water. Drain pasta, and add to pan with proscuitto and garlic. Remove from heat. Add egg mixture, cheese, parsley, salt & pepper and toss until sacue is absorbed. Adjust to taste and serve immediately.

Crockpot Creation

2008-07-29T15:24:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted. I promise I'm getting back into the swing of things. I've made a dish kind of similar to this before, but we both liked this one much better. It's easy and delish!

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts, cubed

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

1 pkg. cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 pkg italian dressing mix

1 pkg egg noodles

chopped parsley (i'll add this next time)

Add all ingredients (except cream cheese and egg noodles) in crock pot and cook on low for 5 hours. Add cream cheese and cook for an additional 30 min - 1 hour. Serve over egg noodles. I sauteed spinach with garlic and served it on the side. :)

Heaven in a bowl

2008-06-16T17:30:00.002-05:00

A good friend of mine gave me this recipe years back. I was going through my recipe cards the other day and found it. I was so excited to make it for Patrick. This, my friends, is just about the easiest and yummiest dessert ever! You can make it as low-fat as possible and it still has tons of flavor. Enjoy!

Chocolate Eclair Cake

1 Box graham crackers

1 Squeeze bottle Chocolate Syrup (low fat)

1 Package White Chocolate Pudding (fat free)

2 Tubs Cool Whip (low fat or fat free)

Make pudding and chill for 30 minutes. Layer in a pan; Graham Crackers, hershey's syrup, pudding, cool whip until the top of the pan. Cover and refridgerate over night. Before serving cover the top with cool whip and serve. YUMMO!

Pineapple Pork Roast

2008-06-13T17:19:00.004-05:00

I'm not a big fan of pork. Actually, I can't stand the taste of it sometimes. I found a pork roast on sale at the grocery store. What to do with it? I had heard of people making pineapple roasts, so I gave it a go. We had a back up plan- give leftovers to the dogs over the week and head for Arby's if it turned out gross. BUT- to my surprise, it was heavenly. The meat just fell apart (as you can see). I tried to slice it so it would make a pretty picture, but no luck. Anyway, below is the recipe. You have to try this roast. It is so good and super easy!

Pineapple Pork Roast

1 pork roast
salt & pepper
1 (16 ounce) can crushed pineapple
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil

Set crockpot to low. Place the pork roast in crockpot. Combine all ingredients and pour over roast. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Delish!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-06-08T23:55:00.005-05:00

I've taken a break from blogging lately. Not because of my so called busy life, just cause I haven't really felt like being on the computer after work. Anyway- I'm back on track and excited about the new receipes I'll be making in the next few weeks. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week! For more recipe ideas please visit our host Laura at www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday
Salmon with artichoke hearts

Tuesday
Parmesan Pork chops

Wednesday
Italian sausage with Polenta

Thursday
Grilled chicken breast sandwich with brie

Friday
Date night

Saturday
Ham & cheese paninis

Sunday
"Thick Thighs"*

Big, Thick, Hearty Thighs........
Courtesy Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt & pepper
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock or broth
3 medium to small red bliss potatoes, cut in half and then thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Crusty bread

Preheat a large skillet or wide soup pot over medium-high heat and add the EVOO. Season the chicken thighs liberally with salt & pepper. Add the chicken in the skillet and brown on both sides for 3 minutes. Scoot the browned thights to the edges of thepan, making some space in the center of the skillet. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

Add the wine and chicken stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring the mixture up to a simmer. Add the potatoes and stir everything together. Cover the pan with a lid or a piece of aluminium foil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the peas, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley, and cook for 1 more minute to just head the peas through. Serve with crusty bread.

Seafood Alfredo

2008-06-02T18:08:00.002-05:00

This Seafood Alfredo recipe is a lighter verison and honestly I prefer it made this way. It was a super easy dish to make and the P man kept coming back for more! The only ingredient I substituted was the lump crabmeat. I used the canned crabmeat which was just as tasty to us!

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped green onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled
1 pound sea scallops
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
8 cups hot cooked fettuccine (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Melt butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté 1 minute or until tender. Add shrimp and scallops; sauté 3 minutes or until done. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add half-and-half, salt, pepper, and crabmeat; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly (do not boil). Gradually sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over seafood mixture, stirring constantly; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Combine pasta and seafood mixture in a large bowl. Top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese and 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley.

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
writeNutrient();
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 438(30% from fat); FAT 14.8g (sat 7.7g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 38.5g; CHOLESTEROL 160mg; CALCIUM 257mg; SODIUM 747mg; FIBER 2.2g; IRON 3.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38g
writePublicationAppearance();
Cooking Light, JANUARY 2002

Menu Plan Monday

2008-05-04T16:24:00.004-05:00

I'm not quite sure what happened last week but I ended vearing off of the menu plan. Well, I do know. I was kind of lazy and didn't make it to the store until Wednesday. Hopefully I'll have some pictures of the new recipes for this week. I hope everyone has a great week!

For more menu plans please visit our host Laura at www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday
SOS (from last week)

Tuesday
Potatoes n' Kielbasa

Wednesday
Angel Hair Pasta Chicken

Thursday
Baked Salmon

Friday
Date Night

Saturday
Bourbon Chicken

Sunday
Roast Beef Sandwiches

Menu Plan Monday

2008-04-27T19:59:00.004-05:00

Last week was filled with great recipes. I created a cheesy meatloaf, made some herbed pork chops from an Ordinary Mom and even ventured out into the baking world. This week will be a little bit more low key. For some reason I'm worn out and am down in the dumps. I think I'm just home sick. Anyway, I hope everyone has a great week! Eat Well!

For more menu ideas please visit our hostess Laura at www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday

Soft tacos

Tuesday

Herbed cornish hens

Wednesday

Fried Chicken* family recipe

towards the end frying, sprinkle a bit of sugar on top

Thursday

Sour cream chicken

Friday

Date night

Saturday

Warm steak & potato salad

Sunday

USMC SOS

Herbed Pork Chops

2008-04-27T19:52:00.002-05:00

This week I tried this herbed pork chop recipe. I just tweaked it a bit since I only used what we had on hand. They were great!

Creamy Herbed Pork Chops
4 boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash seasoning
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon basil
2 teaspoons flour
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons water

Trim fat from meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet cook chops in margarine or butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn chops and add carrot and garlic. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes more or till no pink remains. Remove chops, reserving drippings,carrots and garlic.
For sauce, stir parsley, flour, basil, Mrs. Dash (or whichever herbs you like), bouillon cube and pepper into drippings and carrot. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Stir in water. Return chops to skillet and heat through.

Cheesy Meatloaf

2008-04-27T19:39:00.003-05:00

Ok, we can all safely say I'm not the best at taking food pics. lol Not the greatest pic of meatloaf, but it was the best I've ever had. The P man ate it up too. I will always make my meatloaf like this from now on. Believe me- so will you! Yummmm!

Cheesy Meatloaf
Courtesy Nicole

Ingredients:
1 pkg lean ground beef
1 roll sausage (I used hot)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound Colby cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a bowl, mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a loaf pan. Bake for around 45 minutes. Let it sit for around 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Banana Bread Muffins

2008-04-27T19:33:00.004-05:00

I'm not much of a baker, but it's growing on me. We had about 5 bananas that were going to go bad soon so I thought I'd put them to use. I found this recipe and tweaked it a bit. As you can see I made them into muffins instead of a loaf. They were delicious! The only thing I didn't like was how dense they were. I'd like to make another banana bread that is lighter. So if you have any suggestions, bring them on! Thanks!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons allspice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
5 mashed overripe bananas

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, allspice and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs, vanilla extract and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-04-20T17:12:00.003-05:00

Last week I forgot to post my Menu Plan. I had a nice menu planned but ended up experimenting most of the week instead. I made this chicken and last night made this pot roast which was sooo good. I added carrots, garlic powder, onion powder and bell pepper to this recipe. It added so much flavor. Here is the menu for the week. Just a side note- we do eat healthy sides with our meals. I just put the main item on the list. (Just so my Mom will know I'm eating my veggies) lol I hope everyone has a great week! For more meal plan ideas please visit our host Laura at www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday
Chicken Suiza Enchiladas*

Tuesday
Mini cheese meatloaves

Wednesday
Salmon wrapped in parma ham

Thursday
Creamy herbed pork chops

Friday
Date night- we found a casino that has all you can eat Seafood (we have coupons) yay!

Saturday
Grilled steaks with chimichurri sauce

Sunday
Funky Chicken w/Sesame Noodles

Chicken Suiza Enchiladas:
You can also use leftover turkey or chicken. (Suiza is Spanish for Swiss)

8 corn tortillas, stacked and wrapped in foil
1 1/4 green salsa (salsa verde)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 chopped cilantro
11/2 cups (8 oz) diced cooked turkey or chicken
6 oz. reduced-fat Swiss cheese, shredded
1 jar (7 oz) roasted red pepper, sliced

1. Place tortillas in oven. Heat to 425F. Have a shallow 2 to 2 1/2 qt baking dish ready.
2. Mix salsa, sour cream and cilantro in a medium bowl. Spread 1/2 cup over bottom of baking dish. In another bowl, combine chicken, 1 cup cheese and roasted peppers. Remove tortillas from oven.
3. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up; place seam side down in baking dish. Pour remaining salsa mixture over top.
4. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes until bubbly. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Jalapeno Mustard Chicken

2008-04-20T16:59:00.003-05:00

All I can say about this chicken is YUMMO! On my way home from dropping my nephew off last week I stopped by one of those fruit stands on the side of the highway. (I love those places!) I bought a bunch of junk snack food and a jar of jalapeno honey mustard. Well, well, well... this stuff is just about the best mustard ever! It's sweet and hot all in one bite. That night I tenderized some chicken breasts and basted a sauce using this mustard over them. It was soooo good! I served it with Salvadorean rice that I learned to make from one of my best friends. Enjoy!

Sauce:
Jalapeno honey mustard, about 5 tablespoons
Olive oil, a few drizzles
Lemon juice, zest included
salt & pepper
balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons

I can't remember exactly how much I used of each, but you can adjust to your taste. Stir in the olive oil to the mustard, then the vinegar & lemon juice & zest. Salt & pepper to taste.

I floured the chicken breast after tenderizing them. Then pan fried then in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Brush the mustard sauce on each side as you turn the chicken. I cooked the chicken for about 10 minutes. The chicken was very juicy and tender. Delish!

Salvadorean rice:
1 cup rice
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons oil

In oil saute bell pepper, onion and tomato until onion is translucent. Add rice and cook for about 5 minutes, until the rice gets light brown. Add chicken bouillon cubes. Add water until rice is covered (I'd say about 1 1/2 cups). Salt & pepper to taste. Cover, and cook on simmer until water has evaporated. Serves around 4 peeps. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-04-06T23:48:00.003-05:00

This week my nephew will be visiting for spring break. Needless to say we may not stick to the plan every day. I hope everyone has a nice week!

For more recipe ideas please visit our hostess, Laura at www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday
Lemon Pepper Cod

Tuesday
Venetian Mac n' Cheese*

Wednesday
On the road - eat out

Thursday
Chicken Mug Pies

Friday
Cheese Enchiladas, rice, salad

Saturday
Steaks, sweet baked potatoes, salad

Sunday
Pot roast sandwiches

*Venetian Mac n' Cheese
Courtesy Rachael Ray

1 pound medium shell pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 c. half-and-half or whole milk
1 c. chicken broth
pepper
salt
pinch nutmeg
2 tablespoons EVOO
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 small heads radicchio, shredded
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 cup shredded asiago cheese

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook forr1 minute then whisk in the half-and-half and chicken broth. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and the nutmeg and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovy paste, if using, and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and radicchio, increase the heat and cook, stirring, until the shrimp is pink and the radicchio is tender 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Preheat the broiler. Stir the parmigiano-reggiano into the white sauce. Add the pasta, shrimp and radicchio and toss. Pour into a buttered casserole and sprinkle the asiago on top. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes; serve hot.

Cashew Chicken

2008-04-02T17:58:00.002-05:00

Not the greatest picture, but this dish was almost as good as it tastes in the restaurant. I had originally taken the recipe from weight watchers but changed it up a bit. It was actually quite easy to make and easy clean up. I was happy cause Patrick ate his veggies without even blinking an eye! (I think he accidentally ate some onions too) lol

Ingredients:
1/4 tsp black pepper, or more to taste
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
2 tsp peanut oil (I used olive oil)
1 can bean sprouts (I added this)
2 medium stalk celery, chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1 3/4 oz dry-roasted cashews, chopped (about 6 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, or more to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch (omitted this)
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 cup cooked brown rice

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.Add 1 cup of broth, soy sauce, celery, bean sprouts to chicken and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth; add to skillet and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.To serve, divide rice among 4 shallow dishes. Spoon chicken mixture onto rice and sprinkle with cashews. Yields about 1 cup of chicken, 1/2 cup of rice and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cashews per serving

Leftover Salmon

2008-04-02T17:51:00.002-05:00

I usually have issues using left over fish. I finally have come to my senses and realized I can use it in salads. We had salmon and potatoes the other night so I used the leftovers for salad with balsamic dressing. It was simple and delish. I even got the P man to have a plate. :)

All I did was mix a few tablespoons of olive oil into some balsamic vinegar along with a squeeze of lemon with lemon zest (salt & pepper). I had also added avocados and it was to die for!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-31T10:19:00.003-05:00

Omgosh, I can't believe it's Monday already. Last week's meals went as planned. I made Liz's Lemon Garlic Chicken and we LOVED it. The chicken was so tender and flavorful. So here is the menu this week. Monday-Thursday is dinner for 1. We moved to WA thinking no more road trips, but the hubby is out again. :( Oh well, thank goodness for cable! lol

For more recipes and meal ideas visit our host, Laura at www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday
Mediterranean Fish
Veggies

Tuesday
Beef goulash

Wednesday
Leftover beef goulash

Thursday
Pinto beans over cornbread

Friday
Basil chicken with tomato-alfredo sauce *

Saturday
Cashew chicken

Sunday
Ceviche

*Basil Chicken with tomato-alfredo sauce

Ingredients:
8 chicken drumsticks
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/4 cups alfredo (I like to use the sundried tomato alfredo)
1 pt grape tomatoes
fresh basil

Directions:
Sprinkle drumsticks with pepper
Add nonstick spray to pan. Cook chicken until brown on all sides.
Stir in alfredo sauce and 3/4 of tomatoes.
Reduce heat to Med low, cover & simmer 20 minutes until chicken is cooked.
Cut basil into strips and add to skillet with remaining tomatoes.
Serve with rice or noodles.

100th Post - Easter Dinner

2008-03-26T14:38:00.002-05:00

Last year we were in England for Easter. This year we were alone again but we have our dog, Odin now. yay! I made cornish hens with spinach, mashed potatoes and shells n' cheese. I had made the cornish hens before (from a recipe by Rachael Ray) and they were a hit. There is no way I could ever finish a whole hen but I went ahead and made 2. I'll have to find a recipe to use up the remaining meat.

Cornish hens:
Pat dry and sprinkle with salt & pepper
Mix together 1 can orange juice concentrate (defrosted), 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil
Brush mixture liberally on cornish hens
Bake 15 minutes at 450 then 30 minutes at 350 (uncovered)

Enjoy!

Crockpot Angel Chicken

2008-03-26T14:31:00.002-05:00

This is the first time I've ever used a crock pot to make dinner. I put all the ingredients together and cooked on low for 4 hours. It was super easy and delish! This dish tasted a lot like the chicken tetrazini I make. Patrick absolutely loved it. I liked it too but it was kind of rich for me so I will only be making it once in a blue moon.

Crockpot Angel Chicken

6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup butter
1 pkg dry italian salad dressing mix
1 can golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup white wine (cooking wine or regular drinking wine)
4oz. onion & chive cream cheese
pkg angel hair pasta (cook according to box directions)

Place chicken in crock pot. In sauce pan melt butter. Stir in italian salad dressing mix, soup, cream cheese & wine. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Pour over cooked angel hair pasta or any kind of noodle you desire. (Rice works well also).

Menu Plan Monday

2008-03-23T15:37:00.003-05:00

I am back in the game baybay!! lol This will be our first full week in Bellingham. It is a culture shock for us. I hate to say so far the people don't seem to be very nice (I guess I'm used to the Southern hospitality). BUT the scenery is absolutely beautiful. We are surrounded by mountains. I will post pics later this week. Coming from an 1800 sq ft house to an 1000 sq ft apartment with a large dog is difficult for us, but we'll adapt. At least we are finally in the same country. ;) Anyway, we went to the grocery store and found that in the frozen food section they have row after row of seafood that you can scoop yourself and buy in a bag. It's awesome! We both love seafood and there is plenty of it here! So here is our first Menu Plan Monday in Washington. :)

Monday
Crockpot Angel Chicken

Tuesday
Pan Seared Salmon w/bacon
Baby potatoes
Roman lettuce salad

Wednesday
Homemade Cheeseburgers
Salad

Thursday
Lemon Garlic Chicken
White rice
Broccoli

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday
Cream Cheese Chicken

Sunday
Roasted Chicken
veggies

Mexican Soup

2008-02-19T18:57:00.004-06:00

I actually made this a few weeks ago and just got around to posting it. Man- was it good! We had tons of leftovers. When I heated up the leftovers I added fresh cilantro and tortilla chips. Mmmm hmmm good!

4 chicken breasts, shredded
Good olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 quarts chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Avocados- optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste.

Oh so good Lasagna

2008-02-19T18:44:00.002-06:00

I adopted this recipe from Barefoot Contessa. I love all of the recipes I've made of hers. It's very very tasty and easy to make.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (I used mild)

1 pound ground pork

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound lasagna noodles

32 ounces ricotta cheese

3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.
Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one third of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

An Award- For Lil' Ole me???

2008-02-18T10:58:00.004-06:00

Cynthia at http://www.thematzats.blogspot.com/) and my Friend Liz at http://mommychef.blogspot.com/ have both given me an award for Excellence. Thank you so much ladies! Much love ;)

Here are a few blogs that I love to read and Im sure you will too!

Ashley- http://princessx3.blogspot.com

Miss Lionheart http://tootsie.wordpress.com

http://sprinklesandtwinkles.blogspot.com/

Menu Plan Monday

2008-02-10T12:39:00.000-06:00

I didn't have time to cook dinner at all last week. Our dinners consisted of cereal and tv dinners. We put our house on the market and in 4 days got a contract. yay! We are so happy to have that weight lifted off of our shoulders. So now the next step.... packing everything and our road trip to Washington. :)

For more recipe ideas, please visit our hostess Laura at http://www.orgjunkie.com/.

Monday
Round Steak Sauerbraten
Wild rice
Salad

Tuesday
French Country Chicken
Green beans with shallots

Wednesday
Spaghetti

Thursday
Oven baked chimichangas

Friday
Out with friends

Saturday
C.O.R.N. (clean out fridge night)
I saw this saying on another site and thought it was cute

Sunday
Hawaiian Pork Roast
Roasted potatoes
Mixed veggies

Chicken Mug Pies

2008-01-31T21:52:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness! This dish was heavenly! Another one of Rachael Ray's dishes to add to the favs. This is especially great on a cold winter night. I forgot to chop up onions, but just added onion & garlic powder towards the end and it was so flavorful. Enjoy!

1 tube jumbo bake-off butter biscuits
Sweet paprika, for sprinkling
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast pieces, diced
3 tablespoons butter
2 ribs celery and greens from the heart, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded potatoes, ready to cook hash browns
1 pint half-and-half or cream
1 quart chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, a healthy grating
1 cup frozen green peas

Preheat oven according to package directions and arrange biscuits on cookie sheet. In a medium pot over medium to medium high heat, cook chicken in butter 2 minutes then add veggies and season with salt and pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook 5 minutes more, add flour cook another minute. Add potatoes, then whisk in half-and-half or cream and chicken stock. Add nutmeg. Bring soup to a boil by raising heat, then turn heat back to simmer and cook soup another 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Add peas. Stir in to warm them through a minute.

Serve mugs of soup with biscuits on top to cap the mug: chicken mug pies!

Orzo Stuffed Peppers

2008-01-31T21:44:00.000-06:00

I had to tweak this recipe a bit but it was still great and super easy!!

1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes
2 zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and break apart using a pair of kitchen shears or your finger tips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Use a fine mesh sieve to transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the other vegetables. Stir the orzo into the vegetable mix to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.
Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up.

Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer the orzo stuffed pepper to a serving plate.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-01-27T12:28:00.000-06:00

Monday
Orzo Stuffed Peppers

Tuesday
Dinner at my Grandmothers :)

Wednesday
Cheese Enchiladas, Mexican Rice, Salad

Thursday

Chicken Mug Pies

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday

Mexican Chicken Soup

Sunday
Bean & Cheese Tostadas

Baked Potato Soup

2008-01-23T07:21:00.000-06:00

I have been craving Baked Potato Soup. When I was browsing foodie sites the other day I came across this post and this one and was inspired. I knew I was taking a chance in making soup cause "The Man" doesn't care too much for soup. I went ahead and made it though, thinking that he'd like it since it had potatoes in it. Well, he ate it, but he wasn't too impressed. I, on the other hand, thought it was delicious and plan to make it again soon for my family. Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

4 medium baked potatoes
1 pkg. bacon
1 c celery, chopped
1/2 c. green onions, thinly sliced
1 can 14 oz. chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 c. sour cream

1 c. milk

2 c. broccoli florets
2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Remove skins from cooled baked potatoes and coarsely mash them. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain; crumble and set aside. Discard all but 1/2 tsp drippings in pan. In a dutch oven add celery, garlic, green onions and broccoli. Saute for approx 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, milk, mashed potatoes, salt, pepper, and bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 mins. Stir in sour cream. Ladle into bowls and serve with cheese and green onions.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-01-21T04:16:00.000-06:00

I may not stick to the plan this week. It looks like I'll be heading back to Dallas sometime this week until we move to Washington. This will be my last week in England. I'm actually kind of sad about it. It's funny cause I wanted to be home so bad the entire time I was here. Now that I know I'm leaving, I don't want to! lol

Monday

Pork Medallions with Apricot-Orange sauce

(I'll be making this with chicken breast)

Tuesday

Tuna Casserole

Wednesday

Salmon wrapped in parma ham

Thursday

Creamy Potatoes and Kielbasa

Friday

Steak with Salad

Menu Plan Monday

2008-01-15T04:56:00.000-06:00

A day late.... We had a blast in Paris even though we were freezing our behinds off. Look how beautiful The Eiffel Tower is at night. The city is so beautiful! I'd love to go back if we can ever afford it again. lol

So here is our meal plan for this week. It's simple since we'll be so busy. Gotta pack and get ready to head back to the States! :)

Monday
Chicken with garlic sauce
Mixed veggies
Salad

Tuesday
Taco night

Wednesday
Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

Thursday
Mini Cheesy Meatloaves

Friday
Leftovers (date night)

Saturday
Hamburgers with chips (fries)

Sunday
Sunday roast

Pasta with Spinach, Bacon and Mushrooms

2008-01-09T12:44:00.000-06:00

My friend Misslionheart posted this recipe and it looked so yummy. Although a little heavy we both enjoyed this meal. I only had to make a few adjustments for "his Highness".

Ingredients
1/2 box of penne pasta
6 slices bacon or turkey bacon
2 T garlic butter, divided
1/2 yellow onion diced (I omitted this and used onion powder)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pkg button mushrooms, sliced
garlic salt to taste
1 bag of baby spinach
1 T flour
1 c half and half (*Sub double cream)
*1 c chicken broth
1/2 c fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook penne pasta and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a big skillet, cook the bacon. (If you’re using real bacon, you’ll need to drain most of the extra grease off.)
Set the cooked bacon aside on a plate and crumble once cool.
In the leftover fat and 1 T of the garlic butter, sauté the garlic and onion over medium-low until very well browned, 20-30 mins (Since I didnt add onions I only cooked the garlic in the butter for about 5 minutes)Add mushrooms, season with garlic salt, (onion powder) and cook until reduced, 10 or so minutes. Add the spinach and cook over medium for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix together the pasta, bacon and the sautéed vegetables in a large serving bowl.
In the still hot pan, melt the remaining T of garlic butter. Add flour and make a paste.
Add a couple of ounces of half and half, chicken broth and stir well until no lumps remain.
Slowly add the rest of the half and half, stirring constantly.
Once smooth, boil 30 to 60 seconds until just slightly thickened, still stirring constantly.
Add the parmesan to the sauce and stir just until melted.
Pour sauce over pasta, bacon and veggie combo, and mix well.
Serve with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Lemon Chicken

2008-01-08T16:14:00.000-06:00

Ok, it's the the prettiest looking dish ever, but it sure was good! I tweaked the recipe a little. I actually left the red peppers and onions in, big pieces of course. (I think Hubby even accidentally ate a few onions! OOPS!) lol This dish was super easy to make - and quick. It took me about 20 minutes. I didn't serve anything on the side since the recipe made so much. Enjoy!

Ingredients
Cooking spray (*Sub about 2 tablespoons olive oil)

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1/4 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 cups instant rice (*Sub- 2 pkgs Uncle Ben's long grain 2 minute rice)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese (*Sub parmesano)

*I added about 3 cloves of crushed garlic when I sauted the chicken

Preparation

Heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken, chopped onion, and red bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in rice, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in artichokes, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 324(8% from fat); FAT 2.8g (sat 1g,mono 0.7g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 35g; CHOLESTEROL 69mg; CALCIUM 120mg; SODIUM 773mg; FIBER 8.3g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.7g

Menu Plan Monday

2008-01-07T08:48:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday! I'm only posting the menu until Friday. We are going to Paris this weekend for a short trip. :) Now that we are leaving in April, we have to squeeze all of the trips we wanted to take in before we go back. For more more recipe ideas please visit our host, Laura, at http://www.orgjunkie.com/.

Monday
Lemon chicken & rice with artichokes
Corn

Tuesday
Broiled snapper w/ ginger lime butter
Basmati Rice
Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday
Pork medallions w/apricot-orange sauce
Sauted green beans

Thursday
Spinach, bacon & parmesan pasta

Friday
Parmesan Chops
roasted potatoes

My First Tag

2008-01-06T17:02:00.000-06:00

My lovely friend at A Place for Everything has tagged me for this meme.

OCTOBER:Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

Rules:
1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
3. Pick your month of birth (see below).
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

THE MONTHLY FLAVORS, WHICH ARE YOU?
JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.
FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.
MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.
APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.
MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.
JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.
JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.
AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.
SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.
OCTOBER:Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.
NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.
DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

I tag:
Mommy Chef
Ashley
Dont Call Me Mummy
Sprinkles and Twinkles

Shrimp with Angel Hair

2008-01-04T04:28:00.001-06:00

One of my creations (like hubs likes to call, experiments for the guinea). Anyway, this was easy and very tasteful. Hope you likey!

Ingredients:
Angel hair pasta
1-2 bags of raw jumbo prawns
5 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
butter
red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed (as if you didn't already know)
In large saucepan melt about 2 tablespoons of butter, add garlic and cook for around 2 minutes
Salt & Pepper the shrimp and add to the saucepan. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. (I have this jar of pepper mixed with red pepper and its awesome!)
Cook the shrimp until they are all pink and remove from pan
In the same saucepan add 1/2 cup of wine, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and another 2 tablespoons of butter, bring to a boil. Add the shrimp back to the pan and cook for an additional few minutes. Drain the pasta then add the shrimp with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley if you wish. Enjoy!

Friday's Feast

2008-01-04T03:11:00.000-06:00

Appetizer
When was the last time you received a surprise in the mail, and what was it?
A sweet card from my best friend Rabia... just to tell me that she loves me :) awwww

Soup
If you could have a summer and/or winter home, where would you want it to be?
Well, when we went to Venice for our anniversary we fell in love. So I'd have to say there. (until we find another place we love)

Salad
Pick one: pineapple, orange, banana, apple, cherry.
Pineapple

Main Course
Describe the nicest piece of clothing that you own.
My wedding dress

Dessert
If you could forget one whole day from your life, which day would you choose to wipe from your memory?
When I turned 16 my Mom wrote on the car windows to surprise me. I was so embarrassed that I tried wiping it off in front of her and didn't want to drive to school. I know I hurt her feelings. I wish I never would have done that.

Im Back!

2008-01-02T05:49:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! Oh how I have missed cooking for these past couple of months. I went to Dallas in October "for a few weeks", but ended up staying until the 30th of December. Lots will be happening in 2008. Patrick and I will be moving to Washington State in April. So while we are in England we need to try to sell our house and have it all packed up and ready to go. Umm.... lol

Anyway, this is the first meal I made when I came back. It was oh so good. Baked salmon over a bed of orzo pasta with spinach, roasted potatoes and salad. I just drizzled some olive oil and rosemary over the salmon and baked it for about 20 minutes.

Orzo pasta with spinach:

1 pkg orzo pasta

1 box frozen spinach

2 garlic cloves

olive oil

butter

Cook the pasta as directed on package. Saute spinach in olive oil, butter and add garlic cloves. Stir in orzo pasta. Add salt and a bit of lemon zest. Yummay!

Roasted potatoes:

Boil 3-4 potatoes for approx. 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut potatoes into big chunks and lay on roasting pan. In a saucepan heat 2 cloves garlic, some butter and olive oil until bubbly. Drizzle over potatoes and add herbs to your liking. Bake for approx 25 minutes.

I'm still alive!!

2007-12-17T23:05:00.000-06:00

Life's been hectic, but I promise I'll post some delish recipes very soon. Happy Holidays!

Menu Plan Monday

2007-12-02T22:41:00.000-06:00

Well, this past week I was very sick so I didn't cook much. This week is going to be another boring week in the kitchen as well. Me and my Mom will be taking a short weekend trip to Memphis to see my good friends before I'm back off to Europe. So, I hope to be up and running again next week with some new yummy recipes. :) Have a great week!

For more recipe ideas please visit our host Laura @ www.orgjunkie.com

Monday
Lemon Pepper Chicken (carry over meal)
Broccoli with cheese
Wild Rice

Tuesday
Pizza :)

Wednesday
BBQ Chicken
Mixed vegetables
Cheesey rice

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
Out of town

Saturday
Out of town

Sunday
Out of town

Herbed Pork Chops

2007-11-27T23:00:00.000-06:00

Ok, not the greatest pic in the world, but ooohhhh so good! I changed up the original recipe a bit and served the chops with refried beans (low fat- YEAH RIGHT) and leftover Mexican rice.

2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. ground sage
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
4 to 6 boneless pork chops
2 Tbsp. margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. water

Combine flour, sage, garlic powder and paprika in a shallow pan. Coat pork chops lightly with flour mixture. Melt margarine in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops; cook 10 minutes until both sides are browned. Push chops to one side of skillet and spoon off excess fat. Stir in soup and water, stirring to loosen brown bits in pan. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until chops are tender. Server over hot cooked wild or white rice. Serves 4 to 6.

Caldo de Res

2007-11-27T22:52:00.000-06:00

I made this soup the other night when it was sooo cold. It was super good. Of course it's much better when my Grandma makes it, but I'm getting the hang. I forgot the cabbage, but my Mom didn't contest. :) I made Mexican rice and homemade tortillas to go along with it. I was good, only had one serving. :):)

2 lbs beef stew meat
salt, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
4 ears corn
6 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
3 tomatoes cut into wedges (I used 1 can stewed tomatoes)
3 zuchinni, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 onions, cut into 6 wedges
1/2 head cabbage, cut into quarters
1 green bell pepper, sliced

Brown meat in a little bit of oil, add onion and cook for approx 5 minutes. Aadd water to cover by 6 inches. Bring to boil, reduce heat and boil gently for 45 minutes.
Stir in salt, garlic powder. Then add corn, celery and carrots. Boil another 15 minutes.
Add potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, onion, cabbage, and bell pepper. Boil for 15 minutes longer. Serve with rice and tortillas. Yummm

Menu Plan Monday

2007-11-25T17:14:00.000-06:00

It was tough to stay on track with weight watchers last week. I gained 1.5 pounds (not too shabby I guess). So we are back on watching what we eat and excersing. I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving! For more recipe ideas, please visit our host Laura @ www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday
Caldo de Res

Tuesday

BBQ chicken

Broccoli with cheese

Corn

Wednesday

Herbed Pork Chops (Recipe below)

Wild Rice

Mixed Veggies

Thursday

Lemon Pepper Chicken (recipe below)

Wild Rice

Califlower with Cheese

Friday

Pizza night with the girls :)

Saturday

Leftovers

Sunday

Roasted Chicken

Baked Potato

Veggies

Lemon Pepper Chicken

4 Tbsp. breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan

1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

2 tsp. butter

1/2 fresh lemon, cut into 4 pieces

Mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and pepper on a medium plate. Coat chicken breast with egg whites and dip into the breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides well. Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on both sides. Try to turn only once to avoid losing the coating. Squeeze 1 piece of lemon over each chicken breast and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Herbed Pork Chops

2 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. ground sage

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

4 to 6 boneless pork chops

2 Tbsp. margarine

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c. water

2 to 4 c. cooked long grain rice

Combine flour, sage, and thyme in a shallow pan. Coat pork chops lightly with flour mixture. Melt margarine in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops; cook 10 minutes until both sides are browned. Push chops to one side of skillet and spoon off excess fat. Stir in soup and water, stirring to loosen brown bits in pan. Cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until chops are tender. Server over hot cooked wild or white rice. Serves 4 to 6.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-11-18T18:23:00.000-06:00

This week will be mostly eating leftovers and out with friends. Next week's menu should be a little more interesting. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and spends it with the ones they love!! For more receipe ideas visit our host Laura @ www.orgjunkie.com.

Monday
Dinner with friends

Tuesday

Meximelts and salad

Wednesday

At Grandma's (I'll eat good tonight)

Thursday - Happy Thanksgiving!!

Roasted Turkey

Stuffing

Sweet Potato Bake

Mac-n-cheese

Mixed Salad

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Rolls

Friday

Leftovers I'm sure!

Saturday

More left overs

Sunday

Turkey Tetrazini

Friday's Feast #169

2007-11-16T08:09:00.000-06:00

Friday's Feast #169

Appetizer
What was your first “real” job?
At an aircraft repair station as an administrator. (got real lucky)

Soup
Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity?
I need all the help I can get.... Martha Stewart's house if she'll have me. LOL

Salad
Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…
I say something really stupid in front of a crowd.

Main Course
What values did your parents instill in you?
Be polite, always help the elderly, don't judge people

Dessert
Name 3 fads from your teenage years.
omgosh.... let's see. Big hair was still kind of in. Ok, I've been sitting here for the past 10 minutes trying to think of some things. I was the biggest nerd so I really have no clue anyway. LOL

Menu Plan Monday

2007-11-12T08:44:00.000-06:00

Whew! I had quite a week. I hope this one is a little quieter. I didn't get to the pumpkin pasta last week so I'm going to give it another shot. Have a fab week everyone!

Monday
Left over Night

Tuesday
Chicken Parmesan

Wednesday
Taco Night

Thursday
Beef Goulash

Friday
Leftover Goulash

Saturday
Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Sunday
Roasted Chicken
Mac-n-cheese
Grilled veggies

Cheese Enchiladas for My Mom

2007-11-09T15:14:00.000-06:00

This dish is my Mom's favorite so I made it for her birthday dinner. My Grandmother used to make this for special occasions but now that she has almost retired from cooking I've taken over. :) There are a lot of steps involved but once you make it a few times it becomes really easy. I never have measured any of this so Ive tried to remember as best I could. Have fun!

Enchilada ingredients:

Shredded cheese- (I usually use monterry jack, but my Mom likes it with cheddar. You can use whatever cheese you likey.)

chili powder

salt

corn tortillas (extra thin are great for this)

chicken broth

2-3 tablespoons of flour

cooking oil

tomato, diced for topping

lettuce, shredded for topping

onion, diced for topping

Directions:

1. Fill a pan with cooking oil until it has covered the entire bottom. Heat until oil is very hot. Place corn tortilla in hot oil for about 10 seconds until it becomes soft. Remove and place on a plate that has paper towel. Repeat this step until all of your tortillas are done.

2. Reduce heat to Med. Using the same pan, leave around 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the flour and cook for a few minutes until the flour becomes brown.

3. Mix a palmful of chili powder and around 1 cup of water together in a bowl. Add salt to taste. Slowly mix this into the flour and whisk the lumps out. Add 1 cup of chicken stock. You'll need to adjust the mixture to your taste, adding more salt, water, stock, chili. Once you have the taste you want cook for around 10 minutes until it reduces and thickens a little.

4. Dip each tortilla into the sauce (on each side) until fully coated. Transfer to a large baking pan. Place cheese down the middle of each tortilla then roll it up. You'll want to place each rolled tortilla close to one another (believe me, its just easier) Repeat this process until each tortilla is done.

5. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with as much cheese as your heart desires.

6. Bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes then change over to the broiler until the cheese is bubbly. Top with tomatoes, onion and lettuce. Serve with rice and refried beans. Yummmm

Mexican Rice:
1 can tomato sauce
1 palmful cumin seed
2 garlic cloves
1 cup white rice
4 slices onion
1 cup water
1 cup chicken stock
salt to taste
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Heat oil in a frying pan. Once heated add onion and rice. Cook rice until brown. In a mortal & pestal grind cumin and garlic together. Add to the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and cook for an additional 3 minutes to let the flavors combine. Add water and chicken stock. At this point you'll want to add salt to taste. Cover and let simmer for approx 20 minutes or until all liquid has evaporated. Serves 4-6. Delish!

Menu Plan Monday

2007-11-04T20:06:00.000-06:00

Monday
Cereal Night

Tuesday
Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Wednesday
Cheese enchiladas for the Birthday Girl (my Mom)

Mexican Rice

Thursday
Chicken Soup

Friday

Leftovers

Saturday
Out with the girls

Sunday

Bean Tostadas

Mostly Green Curry Chicken

2007-10-29T23:04:00.000-05:00

I made this for Mom and me tonight and it was great! Very very tasty and easy to make. :)

Recipe- Mostly Green Curry Chicken
Courtesy: Rachael Ray 365 No Repeats#40

1 13/12 oz can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup jasmine rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4- 6 to 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
Salt and black pepper
1 green bell pepper, cored, de-seeded, and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 small jalapeno, cut in half and seeded
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and freshly grated
2 cups broccoli florets
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
Tabasco sauce to taste

In a sauce pan, combine 1 cup of the chicken stock, 4 ounces of the coconut milk, and the jasmine rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and keep the rice covered until ready to serve. While the coconut jasmine rice is cooking, preheat a large nonstick skillet over high heat with about 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces spreading them evenly across the pan, and brown the chicken on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the browned chicken to a plate and reserve. Add the last tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the green bell peppers, onions, garlic, jalapenos, ginger, and broccoli florets. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the veggies start to wilt. To the skillet add the remaining coconut mil and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, the reduce the heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet, and return it to a simmer for about 2 more minutes. Add the lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, scallions, parsley, and frozen peas. Stir to thoroughly combine. Simmer a minute more to heat the peas, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Add more salt or some hot sauce, if you like heat. Service over the coconut jasmine rice.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-10-28T22:43:00.000-05:00

I found out I'll be in Dallas until the end of the year for work. So now me and my Mom are roomies for a few months. yay! It's really a happy and sad situation. I am here with my family, but my hubby is by himself in England. So Im counting the days to see him, but wanting the days to go slow with my family. My and I are both starting weight watchers Monday (again for me) so please wish us luck!

For more great recipes please go to the lovely hostess with the mostess' page, Laura @ http://www.orgjunkie.com/

Monday
Mostly Green Curry Chicken over Coconut Jasmine Rice
(Recipe Below)

Tuesday
Fideo with Meatballs (recipe below)

Wednesday
Fish sticks, Velveeta shells n cheese, zucchini with tomatoes & onions (super easy- just slice all three items, place in a bowl, add salt and pepper and microwave until tender)

Thursday
Beef and cheese burritos

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday
Out with the girls

Sunday
Family Dinner Turkey Lasagna

Recipe- Mostly Green Curry Chicken
Courtesy: Rachael Ray 365 No Repeats#40

1 13/12 oz can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup jasmine rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4- 6 to 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
Salt and black pepper
1 green bell pepper, cored, de-seeded, and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 small jalapeno, cut in half and seeded
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and freshly grated
2 cups broccoli florets
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
Tabasco sauce to taste

In a sauce pan, combine 1 cup of the chicken stock, 4 ounces of the coconut milk, and the jasmine rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and keep the rice covered until ready to serve.

While the coconut jasmine rice is cooking, preheat a large nonstick skillet over high heat with about 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces spreading them evenly across the pan, and brown the chicken on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the browned chicken to a plate and reserve. Add the last tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the green bell peppers, onions, garlic, jalapenos, ginger, and broccoli florets. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the veggies start to wilt. To the skillet add the remaining coconut mil and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, the reduce the heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet, and return it to a simmer for about 2 more minutes. Add the lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, scallions, parsley, and frozen peas. Stir to thoroughly combine. Simmer a minute more to heat the peas, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Add more salt or some hot sauce, if you like heat. Service over the coconut jasmine rice.

Recipe - Fideo with Meatballs
Courtesy Nicole

1/2 pkg vermicelli
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1-2 cups water
1 teaspoon whole cumin
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 small onion, sliced
vegetable oil
1 pkg ground beef
garlic powder
onion powder

Combine ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper (to taste). Roll into 1-2 inch balls. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray, add meatballs. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350. In a large pan drizzle the vegetable oil around the pan a couple of times. Once the pan is hot add the vermicelli and onion. Fry the vermicelli until light brown. In a mortal and pestle, ground the cumin and garlic together. Add this mixture to the vermicelli. Cook for about 2 minutes to let the flavors combine. Now add the tomato sauce and cook for an additional minute. Add the chicken broth and water until the vermicelli is completely covered. Add salt to taste. Add the meatballs to the pan and simmer (covered) for approx 20 minutes until the noodles are tender. Our family likes to leave it a little brothy so we can scoop it up with flour tortillas. Serve with pinto beans. Yummmo!

Friday's Feast #166

2007-10-26T07:55:00.000-05:00

Appetizer
Name a great website you would recommend to others.
Well, everyone knows it, but I LOVE www.amazon.com

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how often do you dream at night?
I thought people dream every night but just dont remember most of the time? I would scale mine at around 7.

Salad
Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what kind and what was its name?
We had several pets. My first was a dog and her name was Strawberry Shortcake. Ok, before you make fun, I was only 5!! hehe

Main Course
If you had the chance to star in a commercial, what would you choose to advertise? Helping Humanity

Dessert
What is your favorite kind of hard candy?
Anything caramel.... yummm

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2007-10-17T12:03:00.000-05:00

My good friend made this for my bachlorette party last year and it was sooo good. So last night I made it for my family and everyone cleaned their plate. (I forgot to take a picture) Easy, quick and DELISH! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 rotisserie chickens, shredded
2 cans fat-free cream of chicken soup
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1 can mild rotel (diced tomatoes with chilies)
corn tortillas
sharp shredded cheese

Mix cream soups and rotel together in a large bowl. Heat in microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add shredded chicken to soup mixture. In a large casserole dish place tortillas on the bottom. Spread chicken mixture over tortillas, sprinkle cheese over chicken. Re layer over and over until you run out of mixture. Last layer should be cheese. Bake at 350 until bubbly and cheese has melted. Serves around 8.

Holiday Recipes

2007-10-15T09:21:00.001-05:00

Here are a few family recipes that I'd like to share. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

Hot Corn

1 cup butter

2 pkgs. cream cheese

2 cups shredded cheese

1/2 cup milk

4 cans corn

1 can jalapenos

Preheat over to 375. In saucepan combine butter, cream cheese & milk until smooth. In 9 X 13 dish combine corn & jalapenos. Pour milk mixture over corn and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes (uncovered).

Shrimp Appetizer Spread

1 pkg cream cheese

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. mayonnaise

3 pkgs salad shrimp

1 c. seafood sauce

2 c. mozzarella cheese

1 sm. tomato

3 green onions chopped

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream & mayo. Spread mixture on serving platter. Add shrimp. Top with seafood sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, tomato and onions. Cover & refrigerate. Serves 20.

Easiest Chocolate Dessert Ever

1 box graham crackers (low fat)

whipped cream

1 bottle chocolate syrup (light)

1 box white chocolate

3 tubs cool whip

Make pudding with milk (let firm in fridge)

Layer the following (like a lasagna)

Graham crackers

Chocolate syrup

pudding

cool whip

Top layer should be graham crackers then syrup

Finish with whipped cream

Baked Breakfast

6 slices of bread

softened margarine

1 tube of sausage

1 1/2 cups (6 to 8 oz) shredded cheese

6 eggs beaten

2 cups half and half

1 tsp. salt

Remove crusts from bread. Spread margarine on bread slices. Place in a buttered baking dish. Cook sausage until brown and crunchy (drain well). Spoon over bread slices, sprinkle with cheese. Combine eggs, half and half and salt. Mix well and pour over the cheese. Cover and refrigerate over night. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 6-8.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-10-07T13:29:00.001-05:00

Oh how I love Menu Plan Monday. I look forward to reading everyone's meal plans and your stories. I will miss posting for the next few weeks. On Saturday I leave for Home to Dallas (yay) until the end of October. I'm sure I will be posting recipes while over there so be sure to check back. Have a great week!

For more great menu ideas and recipes check out Laura's site at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Monday
Cheesy Chops with Potatoes
Mixed Vegetables

Tuesday
Out with friends - Domino's Pizza :)

Wednesday
Steak Diane
Roasted Potatoes
Salad

Thursday
Chicken Piccata
Sauted green beans
Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Friday
Baked Potato Casserole (recipe below)
Courtesy- My Best Friend Rabia

1 bag of frozen hashbrowns (the cubed potato ones, not the shredded)
w/ red and green bell peppers in it
1 tub of cream cheese
1 small carton of sour cream
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cheddar Cheese

Mix, all except last ingredient together in a bowl. Top w/ Chedder cheese. Bake on 350 until cheese is bubbly. About 20-30 min

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

2007-10-07T13:08:00.001-05:00

I was supposed to make this tonight, but honestly it just seemed TOO healthy. Then I remembered my dear friend Liz at Mommy Chef posted this a few weeks ago. It was delicious! Very saucy (and as Liz said, this would be a kid friendly dish). I made the onions and peppers big enough for my big kid to pick them out. Oh so good!

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
Courtesy Mommy Chef

Patrick's review: A "Although I didn't go for all the peppers, the chicken was juicy and the sauce was creamy. I would definitely have this again."

2 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 T soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp pepper
1-1/4 lbs chicken breast, cut into strips
3 tsp olive oil,divided (I used toasted sesame oil)
1 c chopped onion
1 c thinly sliced green pepper
1 c thinly sliced red pepper
1 1/2 c sliced fresh mushrooms (we didnt have any)
1 tsp minced garlic
Hot Cooked Rice

In a small bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients until smooth; set asideIn a large skillet or wok stir fry chicken in 1-1/2 tsp oil for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Stir fry onion and peppers in the remaining oil for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; stir fry 3-4 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp tender. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken. Heat through. Serve with rice.

Grilled Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

2007-10-06T14:27:00.000-05:00

Patrick and my favorite restaurant is called Texas de Brazil. They have this delicious chimichurri sauce that I just LOVE. So tonight I tried to make it and to my surprise it almost tasted like theirs. I drizzed it over the medium rare ribeye steaks (yumm) and served the steak with mixed vegetables and roasted potatoes. Here is the chimichurri sauce recipe... it's "fab" with steak.

Chimichurri Sauce:
3/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Oh-la-la

2007-10-04T15:58:00.000-05:00

I really should not be eating this cake since I'm trying (supposidly) to loose weight. It was soooo good! This is the second time I've baked in two months. I've never really been into baking, but I'm starting to love it! I found this recipe from The Average Cook. The recipe was super easy and the results were dyn-o-mite!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

1/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
9 slices pineapple in juice (from 14-oz can), drained
9 maraschino cherries without stems, if desired
1 1/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.
2. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm. Store cake loosely covered.

Marinated Cod

2007-10-02T05:17:00.001-05:00

Marinated Cod
Inspired by Jamie Oliver

We had marniated cod for dinner last night and it was "delish". Next time I will cut down on the capers cause they were a little overwhelming. Other than that, this was easy to make and very tasteful. Patrick even went back for seconds!! I served the fish with white rice and sauteed green beans in garlic and prosciutto.

Ingredients

Olive Oil
1 small can anchovies
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 small can capers, drained
fresh rosemary
4 fish steaks (I used Cod)

Mix rosemary, capers and olive oil together. Let sit for about 20 minutes to let the ingredients infuse. With your hands rub the marinated over each piece of fish and place in a casserole dish. Place lemons over fish then the remaining marinade. Top with anchovies and cook for around 15 minutes at 180 C.

Here's the finale... delicious!

Menu Plan Monday

2007-10-01T03:28:00.000-05:00

October 1st already?? Where has the year gone? Not long now before the holidays!! Thanks to Laura for hosting Menu Plan Monday every week. For more ideas and recipes click here. I hope everyone has a great week!

Monday

Fish steaks (marinated in capers, olive oil, fresh rosemary)

topped with lemons and anchovies

Vegetables

Tuesday

Cheesy Chicken (didn't get to it last week)

Salad

Wednesday

Apple-bacon stuffed chicken breasts

zucchini, salad

Thursday

Salmon teriyaki

rice, vegetables

Friday

Date Night

Saturday

Ribeye Steaks

Baked Potato, salad

Sunday

Japanese Chicken Scallion Rice Bowls

Chicken Chili

2007-09-28T12:02:00.001-05:00

Since it's cold and rainy and the hubby is away (he doesn't like beans) for the weekend I made this chicken chili with beans. It was oh so good and heated me up since we haven't turned on the heat in the house yet. I only made this for myself so if you're making this for a family you will want to double it. :) Simple, easy and delish.

Chicken Chili with Beans
Courtesy Nicole

1 can cannelloni beans
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatillos
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2-3 cups chicken broth
6 pieces chicken tenders
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
sour cream
cilantro

Saute garlic and onion in the butter add diced chicken. Cook chicken for about 5 minutes until browned on each side. Add chicken broth, beans, tomatillos, cumin, salt, pepper, milk and 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until reduced. Top with cilantro and sour cream. Enjoy!

Friday's Feast #162

2007-09-28T05:35:00.000-05:00

Appetizer
How are you today?
A little lazy today. It's cold and rainy and all I want to do is sleep!

Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis.
I'm all about TV. Here are a few favs... Barefoot Contessa, Sex in the City, Everybody Loves Raymond

Salad
What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced?
When I lived in Memphis with my good friend Jill (about 10 yrs ago), we were sharing a room in her parents 2 story house upstairs. There were bad thunderstorms the entire night. Around 2am I think the roof almost lifted up! I was so scared that I ran downstairs yelling for Jill's parents. (I forgot my dear friend upstairs) Now it's a joke with her family how I left Jill to be taken away by a tornado.

Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be?
Back in the US at my Grandma's house with my family.

Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep?
I know this is TMI... I usually go to sleep in a large shirt, but in the mornings I usually end up without it. hehe

Shrimp Alfredo Fettuccine

2007-09-27T12:24:00.000-05:00

Oh-my-goodness this was to die for. Very rich and tasted just like restaurant alfredo. I won't make it again for a long time though since it's so rich. This time I added marinated shrimp, but next time salmon sounds like a winner.

Shrimp Alfredo Fettuccine

Alfredo courtesy Giada De Laurentils

Shrimp courtesy Nicole

Alfredo Sauce:

18 ounces fresh fettuccine

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (yes, that's right 12 TABLESPOONS!)

2 cups grated Parmesan

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg (I just used bottled)

Salt and freshly ground white pepper (I used black pepper)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.
Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Shrimp:

I marinated 2 pkgs of cooked shrimp in some Thai chili, cilantro, garlic, lemon with salt and pepper for about an hour. Once the pasta was ready I heated the shrimp up in the microwave and served over the pasta. Yummmo!

Baked Parmesan Fish

2007-09-25T14:15:00.000-05:00

I wasn't quite sure if I'd like this very much. I usually only like pasta if it has a sauce. But to my surprise it was quite tasty. The recipe calls for angel hair pasta (which I love) but, as with several other things, I can't find it here so we had to use regular spaghetti pasta. I served it with roasted sweet potatoes with garlic sauce.

4 ounces Angel Hair Pasta, cooked

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 3 thyme sprigs, crushed without the stems

4 (6-ounce) white fish fillets

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 cup mushroom caps, halved

1/2 cup green onions, finely sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place the Parmesan cheese, flour, and thyme in a paper bag. Individually coat the fish by gently shaking the fillets in the bag; reserve the coating ingredients in the paper bag.
Place fillets in a baking pan with rack, bake for 20 minutes. The fish fillets are done when they flake apart with a fork.
Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the yellow onion, mushrooms, green onions and garlic until the onions are tender; stir frequently. Seasoned with salt and pepper according to taste.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-09-24T06:09:00.000-05:00

Monday

Chicken Mole with Rice

Tuesday

Cheesy Chicken

Courtesy Mommy of Three

Wednesday

Taco Salad

Thursday

Fettuccine shrimp alfredo

Friday

Date Night

Saturday

Baked Parmesan Fish with Pasta

Sunday

Roasted chicken

Roasted Vegetables with rosemary sauce

Mixed Salad

Garlic cheese biscuits

Friday's Feast #161

2007-09-21T02:29:00.000-05:00

Appetizer
What is your favorite type of art?
Hmmm, I'm not really into art so I have no clue... whatever is pretty. lol

Soup
When was the last time you got a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner)? Who paid for it?
I got a free lunch a few months ago when I was in Dallas. My boss paid for it.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how emotional are you?
Whoa. I'd have to say 9.9999 hehe Im pretty emotional and sensitive.

Main Course
Approximately how long do you spend each day responding to emails?
Most of my working day is responding to emails... I'd have to say about 6-7 hours.

Dessert
To what temperature do you usually set your home’s thermostat?
We like it cold in our house... it usually stays at around 68

Menu Plan Monday

2007-09-16T14:24:00.000-05:00

Monday
Left over chicken soup

Tuesday
Patrick's Birthday :)
Hobo mini meat loaves
Mac and cheese

Wednesday
Chicken Milan

Thursday
Salmon Piccata

Friday
Out of town

Saturday
Out of town

Sunday
Out of town

40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken

2007-09-15T14:08:00.000-05:00

The picture doesn't do it one bit of justice, but this take on Ina Garten's 40 cloves of garlic chicken was FAB. This was a first timer for the both of us so I am not quite sure how it was supposed to actually taste, but the way it turned out suited us just fine. Below is my take on the recipe.... enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
1 family pack chicken thighs (about 6-8 pieces)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons dried thyme
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons heavy cream

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 1 cup chicken stock and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme and bay leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.
Remove the chicken to a platter. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining chicken stock and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Add the chicken back to the pot and heat through. I served this with white rice and green beans.

Stuffed Shells

2007-09-11T15:30:00.001-05:00

Have you ever stuffed a shell? It's not as easy as it looks, but the outcome was excellent. It was a bit rich for me so I only ate half of my serving. Patrick wanted the garlic cheese biscuits as well but I said no way... TOO MUCH CHEESE! This is the second recipe of Giada de Laurentils that I've tried and have loved. She really knows what she's doing!

Stuffed Shells
Courtesy Giada De Laurentils

Shells: 1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (or regular bacon)
2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
1 cup grated asiago cheese (I used a store bought Italian mixture)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter 1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cream
2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.

For the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Substitutions

2007-09-11T07:44:00.000-05:00

Substitutions
Courtesy www.cheapcooking.com

Uh-Oh! Recipe looks interesting but you're missing an ingredient? Maybe this list can help.

Baking powder: 1 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar for each teaspoon of baking powder.

Beer: Use apple cider or beef broth

Bread crumbs: Use an equal amount of crushed crackers or oats

Butter: You can substitute an equal amount of regular margarine, but not light versions, whipped versions, or vegetable oil spread. You can substitute shortening, although the taste won't quite be the same. If the recipe calls for melted butter, you can also use vegetable oil.

Buttermilk or sour milk: For each cup, add 1 Tbs lemon juice or white vinegar to milk and let stand a few minutes. Or use yogurt.

Cake flour: 1 cup regular flour minus 2 Tbs will work out about the same as 1 cup of cake flour

Corn syrup: For each cup add 1/4 water to 1 cup granulated sugar.

Eggs: 1 Tbs. soy flour plus 1 Tbs. water for each egg. For baking, you can try substituting 2 Tbs mayonnaise for each egg.

Honey: 1 1/4 cups sugar plus 1/4 cup water or apple juice

Lemon juice: use an equivalent amount of white vinegar

Lemon zest: 1/2 tsp lemon extract for every teaspoon of zest

Mayonnaise: Use an equal amount of yogurt, sour cream, or cottage cheese blended until smooth. If you have some mayonnaise but not enough, use up what you've got and then use the substitution for the rest.

Poultry seasoning: 1/4 tsp thyme and 3/4 teaspoon sage for each teaspoon

Pumpkin or apple pie spice: For each teaspoon, use 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/8 tsp allspice and 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Self-rising flour: Add 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to each cup of regular flour.

Shortening: If you're baking and a recipe calls for shortening, you can usually substitute an equal amount of butter or margarine successfully. Don't try to use the whipped, light margarines, or vegetable oil spreads. If the recipe calls for melted shortening, you can use melted butter or margarine or a vegetable oil.

Sour cream: Use plain yogurt instead.

Tomato juice: For each cup, use 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water.

Tomato paste: For each 1/2 cup, use 1 cup tomato sauce cooked uncovered until reduced to 1/2 cup.

Tomato sauce: For each cup, use 3/4 cup tomato paste plus 1 cup water.

Wine: For red wine, substitute beef broth, tomato juice, or water. For white wine substitute grape juice, apple juice, chicken broth or water.

Yogurt: Use sour cream instead.

In Loving Memory

2007-09-11T06:41:00.000-05:00

Brussel Sprouts

2007-09-09T15:46:00.000-05:00

I remember when I was around 5 or so I sat at the kitchen table for hours until I finished the brussel sprouts my Mom served me. I don't remember if I ended up eating them or not, but I do remember trying to put them in a napkin and into my shorts pocket. All my life I've avoided them, except for tonight. The other night Ina Garten made them on her show and made them look so delicious. So, I made them tonight and they looked pretty, but I tried to put them in a napkin and put them in my pocket again. I just don't like the taste of brussel sprouts! I didn't like them when I was 5 and I don't like them when I'm 29! So, if you likey them, here is a pic and the recipe. I definitely won't be making them again and I know this won't hurt Patrick's feelings.

2 tablespoons good olive oil
6 ounces Italian pancetta or bacon, 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (2 containers), trimmed and cut in 1/2
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 3/4 cups Chicken Stock or Broth

Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan and add the pancetta. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is golden brown and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel. Add the Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to the fat in the pan and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the raisins and chicken stock. Lower the heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. If the skillet becomes too dry, add a little chicken stock or water. Return the pancetta to the pan, heat through, season to taste, and serve.

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

2007-09-09T15:40:00.000-05:00

Garlic Cheesy Biscuits
Courtesy Paula Dean

OMGOSH... these are soooooooooooooo good! And super easy! I will definitely be making these again soon. They almost taste like the Red Lobster biscuits.

1 1/4 cups biscuit mix
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1/2 cup water

Garlic Butter:
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (I just spread vegetable oil with a paper towel on the pan) Combine the biscuit mix and cheese in a small bowl. Add the water and stir just until combined. The dough will be slightly moist. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the biscuits are firm and beginning to brown. While the biscuits are baking, make the garlic butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic powder, salt, and parsley flakes. Mix well. As soon as you bring the biscuits from the oven, brush them with the garlic butter using a pastry brush.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-09-09T11:54:00.000-05:00

Monday

Left over pot roast

Left over Brussel sprouts

Roasted potatoes

Tuesday

Shells with pancetta & spinach

Mixed vegetables

Wednesday

Chicken Tetrazini (recipe below)

Thursday

Salmon wrapped in prosciutto

green beans

mushroom rice

Friday

Date night- hubby's taking me out

(I guess I need to tell him!) hehe

Saturday

40 cloves of garlic chicken

mashed potatoes

mixed veggies

Sunday

Homemade chicken soup (recipe below)

Thanks to Laura for hosting Menu Plan Monday. Check out her site and other recipes here!

Chicken Tetrazini:

1 family package chicken thighs

angel hair pasta, cooked per package directions

1 small onion, chopped

1 large can cream of mushroom & chicken

1 small can evaporated milk

shredded cheddar cheese

2-3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

bread crumbs

In large saucepan melt butter, add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes

Add cream of mushroom, chicken broth and 1/2 can of evaporated milk

Once heated through add cooked noodles and incorporate sauce

Mix in about a cup of cheddar cheese

Transfer to casserole dish and top with more cheese and bread crumbs

Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly at 180c or 350f

Chicken Soup:

4-6 pieces chicken thighs/legs

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2-3 potatoes, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1/2 head cabbage, roughly chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 cup rice

1 small can tomato sauce

6-8 cups of water

salt

Boil chicken in water with bouillon cubes

Add potatoes, rice, carrots and celery

Cook until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes)

Salt to taste then

Add tomato sauce and cabbage. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Hmmmm mmmm good!

Chicken and Rice Bake

2007-09-07T16:07:00.000-05:00

I didn't feel like cooking tonight (for once) so I put this together in a casserole dish and threw it in the oven. Patrick said it was very tasty and even had two servings. Next time I will precook the rice and add the chicken towards the end so it will be a little juicier.

Chicken and Rice Bake

Courtesy Nicole

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom & chicken soup

2 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup long grain rice

frozen vegetables (I used 2 small packets)

cheddar cheese, shredded

season to taste with the following:

onion salt

garlic powder

black pepper

Directions:

Mix soup, broth, rice and vegetables together in casserole dish and season to taste. Place chicken breasts on top of mixture. Bake in oven at 180 c for about 20 minutes. Add shredded cheese on top of chicken and cook for additional 5 minutes. That's it! Enjoy!

Seafood Quesadillas

2007-09-05T13:45:00.000-05:00

Oooohh wheee!!! These were really good! I didn't go by a recipe (I don't think it even requires one). The only difficult part of making these were trying to flip them over in the pan without everything falling out. Good times... lol By the way, the ingredients below are only what I used, of course you can make it any ole' way you like. Oh and another cool thing about quesadillas... you can put what each person likes in their own quesadilla. So if you like onions you can stack them up and the fussy ones can stay away!

Patrick's review: "Switch off your phone cause you don't want anyone calling while you are eating this." LOL his reviews really crack me up

Seafood Quesadillas

Courtesy Nicole

Ingredients:

Button mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

2 types of shredded cheese (cheddar & leicester)

Cilantro

Flour tortillas

Kielbasa sausage, diced

4 garlic cloves

paprika

onion powder

poultry seasoning

Directions:

Sautee mushrooms and onions in a little oil, remove to a bowl

Cook shrimp, sausage, garlic and spices until shrimp is pink

Layer cheese on one piece of tortilla, then add other ingredients as you like

Add more cheese and top with other piece of tortilla

Heat a bit of oil and butter in a non-stick pan

Place the quesadilla in the pan until one side is lightly brown and repeat with other side

Serve with guacamole and sour cream

Mexican Chicken

2007-09-05T07:57:00.000-05:00

This is my absolute favorite. My Grandma made it for us growing up then I learned how to make it. I haven't posted it on the blog because my fussy dear husband doesn't care for it. (The red sauce puts him off) LOL Anyway- here is the recipe. When I get home next month I'll make it and post a photo. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1-2 pkg chicken, shredded (I think it's best with dark meat, but use whatever you like)
I've also used rotisserie chicken in this and it's SO good!
1 can taco sauce
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can cream of mushroom sauce
1 cup chicken broth
shredded cheese (Mexican style is good)
1-2 bags fritos crushed

Directions:
Mix sauces, shredded chicken and a bit of the broth together in a large bowl
Layer like a lasagna
First layer - chicken sauce mix
Second layer- fritos
Third layer - cheese
Layer as many times as possible and top with cheese
Bake in the oven at 350 until bubbly hot (usually around 20 minutes)

PS- Double the recipe for more than 4 peeps.

Right after I posted this recipe I found this website http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/home.php So, that means I'll be able to make Mexican dishes now. YAY!

Oops I won't do it again......

2007-09-04T16:05:00.000-05:00

Awww look how excited I was about the Sesame Chicken. I even took a picture of the prep work! I followed this recipe almost exactly as directed. I tripled the sauce (and added honey) because I most of the reviews said that it lacked sauce and it was still dry!!! Also, someone mentioned to coat the chicken with corn flour and egg, which I did. So I have no idea WHY it didn't turn out all that good. Maybe my expectations were too high. I know it wasn't from lack of love because I gave this dish my heart and soul. lol I mean, the dish overall had a good taste, it was just different and not at all what we expected. I was so looking forward to my favorite Chinese dish. Maybe it was because I used ground ginger, not fresh? Or maybe I shouldn't have taken that reviewer's advice and coated the chicken? Oh who knows.... all I know is it's sitting in the refrigerator waiting for a remedy. So, I'm on the lookout for a new Sesame Chicken recipe. If anyone has an idea please pass it my way. I'd be oh so grateful!

Look how pretty it looks!!! Why oh why couldn't you be as good as you look?

White Sauce Stroganoff

2007-09-03T13:37:00.001-05:00

I borrowed this from Edibles and Economics. DH loved it! I added cream cheese, poultry seasoning and regular salt since I didn't have garlic salt. This was simple and "delish". Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

2007-09-02T10:18:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited about this week's menu. I can't wait for Wednesday's sesame chicken. I've searched several Chinese restaurants here and nobody makes it. So, I am trying it myself. I'm going home in October for a few weeks and will have some family recipes up. (can't make them here cause I can't find the ingredients) I can't wait for that either!! Thanks to Laura for organizing Menu Plan Monday. Check out other great recipes here.

Monday

White Sauce Stroganoff

Mixed Vegetables

Tuesday

Chicken Milan

Wednesday

Sesame Chicken

White Rice

Thursday

Seafood Quesadillas

Homemade guacamole (recipe below)

Salad

Friday

Leftover Night

Saturday

Pork schnitzel with mushrooms

Spaetzle

(I'm making this on the weekend....Just in case I mess it up we can go for Chinese)

Sunday

Grill Hamburgers

French Fries (aka Chips)

Salad

Guacamole:

4-5 avocadoes

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 small red onion, diced

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

salt to taste

zest and juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Smash avocadoes in a mixing bowl

Mix in tomatoes, onion, lemon zest, cilantro and lemon juice

Salt to taste

Top off with a bit more lemon juice (do not stir again)

Enjoy!

Garlic Chicken Fried Chicken

2007-09-01T08:24:00.000-05:00

I originally planned to use this recipe but changed it quite a bit.

We both really liked it. Especially with the garlic mushroom sauce on it. This meal was simple and fast clean up.

INGREDIENTS
4 teaspoons garlic powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin

1. In a shallow dish, mix together the garlic powder, pepper, salt, paprika, bread crumbs and flour. In a separate dish, whisk together the milk and egg.

2. Instead of frying the chicken I baked it in the oven around 350 for 15 minutes.

Friday's Feast #158

2007-08-31T04:44:00.000-05:00

Appetizer
Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?
My husband

Soup
If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?
Jerusalem, Israel

Salad
What is the most exciting event you’ve ever witnessed?
Hmmm, I'd have to say our wedding. :)

Main Course
If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?
I wouldn't say it's a stunt, but I would do as much volunteer work with 3rd world countries. Not to get publicity, but because you seem to have easier access when you're a celebrity.

Dessert
What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?
I don't think there is an ideal age really. When a person feels ready and is responsible enough to have a child then that should be the right time.

Cheesy Chops with Potatoes

2007-08-29T13:22:00.000-05:00

Cheesy Chops with Potatoes
Courtesy Good Food Magazine

This was dinner tonight and it was so good! I was a little skeptical because the recipe called for wholegrain mustard (which I dont care for any type of mustards), but it added a deep flavor. I left the chops under the grill longer than required because I like the cheese to be really toasty, almost burnt. The cheese from the pork chops oozed down into the potatoes, which was an extra treat.

Patrick's review: Definitely an A. (he just didn't like the onions) He didn't know what I did with the mustard but it was "kicking" (in a good way). Hey- I just write what he says. LOL He also ate up all of the veggies. awwww bless his cotton socks.

Ingredients:

6-8 large potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced (I sliced them big so DH could pick them out)

splash of cider, wine, water, or stock (I used chicken stock)

3 tbsp olive oil

4 pork chops

4 oz cheddar cheese, grated

few dashes of garlic powder

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (I substituted Dijon Mustard)

3 tbsp milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the potatoes, onion, liquid and oil together in large flameproof casserole. Season if you like (which I did- salt, pepper, garlic powder), then bake for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes start to brown. Lay the chops on the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes more.

2. Mix the cheese, mustard and milk together. When the chops have had 10 minutes in the oven, spread the cheese mixture over them and switch the oven over to grill. Place the pan under the grill and cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the potatoes are golden and crispy.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-08-26T10:29:00.001-05:00

Monday
Grilled Steaks

Corn on the cob

Salad

Tuesday
Salmon Piccata w/linguine

Garlic Bread

Wednesday
Cheesy pork chops with potatoes

Steamed Broccoli

Caesar Salad

Thursday
Garlic chicken fried chicken

Potatoes

Veggies

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday
Date night out

Sunday

Roasted Chicken w/ garlic mushroom sauce

White Rice

Green beans

Baked Egg Omlette

2007-08-26T05:10:00.000-05:00

I made this for my dear hubby for breakfast this morning. We had several ingredients in the fridge that were going to go bad soon. So I crossed my fingers and put this together. Pretty good if I do say so myself. Im not much of a breakfast person, but I really enjoyed this. I guess Patrick liked it as well. LOL He only had 3 servings. So, here is the recipe. I hope I didn't leave anything out! Enjoy!

1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
Drizzle of olive oil
1 1/2 ounces milk
2 tablespoons sour cream
5-6 mushrooms
1/2 sm. pkg sandwich ham, chopped
5 eggs
small handful chopped cilantro
small handful chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Saute scallions and garlic in oil and place on the bottom of an oiled casserole dish. Mix milk, sour cream, eggs, herbs, and s & p. Place mushrooms and ham in casserole. Pour egg mixture on top and cover with cheddar cheese. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Serve topped with sour cream. Mmmmm hmmmm good!

Friday's Feast #156

2007-08-24T04:43:00.000-05:00

Appetizer
Say there’s a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?
I would like Salma Hayek to narrate. I absolutely love her!

Soup
Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence.
Can anyone send him endless whiskey sours? (Whoo that was tough!)

Salad
If you could go back in time and spend one week in another decade, which decade would you choose?
1920's... I love everything about it, especially the fashion.

Main Course
Name a song that brings back memories for you.
Wind beneath my Wings by Bette Midler. It reminds me of the times my Mom and I would watch Beaches over and over.

Dessert
Do you prefer to wash your hands in cold water or warm water?
Definitely warm water.

Chicken with Creamy Bacon Penne

2007-08-22T14:22:00.001-05:00

Can I just say- Oh My Goodness!! This was a great easy meal. We both loved the bacon flavor of the sauce. I changed up the recipe I bit. I think if I would have followed the recipe as it was there would not have been enough sauce and it may have been a bit bland (so I added salt, pepper and garlic). The chicken was very juicy and tender. :)

Courtesy Good Food Magazine

Chicken with Creamy Bacon Penne

2 tbsps olive oil

2-4 skinless chicken breasts (I pounded them out)

4 oz smoked bacon, chopped

4 tbsps white wine (I used about 1/4 cup chicken stock)

4 oz frozen peas

5 tbsps double cream (I used about 10 tbsps)

2 cups cooked penne

3 cloves garlic, smashed

Salt & Pepper

1. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick frying pan, add the chicken breasts and scatter with bacon and garlic. Leave to cook over a high heat for 4 minutes.

2. Turn the chicken over in the pan, give the bacon a stir, then pour the wine/stock and let it bubble over a high heat until it has virtually evaporated. Now add the peas, cream and penne, season with S& P and stir well. Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through.

Seafood Risotto

2007-08-22T05:31:00.000-05:00

Courtesy Good Food Magazine

Easiest-ever Seafood Risotto (and it is!!)

25-30 minutes, Serves 4

Review: Patrick gave this a B. He said he liked it, but it wasnt the best he's ever had. I think it lacked a little flavor too. So next time I may add some garlic, salt and pepper. The rice came out a bit dry so I added more fish stock towards the end which made it very creamy. I did like this receipe because it was so simple to make. I've never actually used the microwave to make an entire meal, so it was kind of relaxing as well. :)

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped

1 bulb fennel, finely sliced

1 tsbp olive oil

300g/10oz risotto rice

500ml/18fl oz fish or vegetable stock

300g bag frozen seafood mix (squid, mussels, shrimp)

100g/4 oz frozen peas

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

handful of parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1. Tip the onion and fennel into a large microwave bowl, toss in the oil and microwave on High for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, pour over stock and cover the bowl with a plate. Microwave on High for 10-15 minutes more or until the rice is just on the verge of being cooked.

2. Stir in the seafood and peas, cover and continue to microwave on High for 2 minutes until the rice is cooked. Stir in the parmesan and lemon juice and leave to stand for a few minutes. Spoon the risotto into bowls and scatter with parsley and lemon zest.

Easy Cream Cheese Dip

2007-08-22T05:25:00.000-05:00

My Mom usually makes this for me (it's my fav). For some reason whenever she makes it, its just so much better. Miss you Mom!

Cream Cheese Dip:

1-2 pkgs sandwich ham, diced

2 pkgs cream cheese

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

Mixed Seasonings (I buy the Mrs. Dash seasoning- its a white powder, but isnt salt)

Combine all ingredients and set in the fridge until chilled. Serve with crackers. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

2007-08-20T11:05:00.000-05:00

Monday

Just got back from our trip - Burger King Baby!!!

Tuesday

Seafood Risotto

Wednesday

Out for Sushi

(We were supposed to be in Dublin with work)

Thursday

Chicken with Creamy Bacon Penne

Salad

Friday

Liz's Chicken & Dumplings

Saturday

Pot Roast

Veggies

Salad

Sunday

Leftovers