Friday, December 26, 2014

Crab quiche

This is our day-after-Christmas-breakfast. It was quick and simple to put together. I added mushrooms, just because I had some and they're my favorite! The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of egg substitute. I used 4 egg whites, and 2 whole eggs. You could also just use 5 whole eggs if thats what you wish. My other suggestion is to pat dry the zucchini. The quiche seemed very watery and I'm pretty sure that was the culprit!

If you don't know where to get already cooked crabmeat-go to your grocer's fish section. There should be fully cooked, ready to eat flaked crab meat in a refrigerator.



Crab quiche-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total time: 1 hour
Serves 8

  • 6 ounces crabmeat, flaked
  • 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup zucchini, shredded and patted dry
  • 1/2 white onion, chopped
  • 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
  • 4 egg whites plus 2 whole eggs (or 1 1/2 cups egg substitute, or 5 whole eggs)
  • 1-12 ounce can evaporated milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
  • Dash of paprika
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine crab meat, cheese, zucchini, onion and mushrooms. Mix together well. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased deep-dish pie plate that has been coated with cooking spray. In another medium bowl, combine the eggs, evaporated milk, mustard, salt and seasoning. Whisk well, then pour over the crust in the pie pan. Sprinkle with paprika.

Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet in case of overflow. Then cook in oven for about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Caramel snickerdoodle bars

I was so incredibly excited to make these. The flavors were totally there and I definitely need to try this again. The dulce de leche just didn't set and made a complete mess. This was #2 of my absolute failures for the weekend. Someone else, please try these so I can have the courage to try again!

Caramel snickerdoodle bars-adapted from Taste of Home
Total time: 1 hour, plus chilling
Serves 48

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 (13.4 ounce) cans dulce de leche
  • 12 ounces white chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla. Whisk in flour, baking powder and salt until blended. Pour into the prepared baking dish. 

In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle 2 tablespoons over the batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until edges are light brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Spread dulce de leche over crust. In a small saucepan, heat white chocolate chips, whipping cream and corn syrup over medium low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Pour over dulce de leche. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Crack pie

I was super excited for this recipe. I mean, read the name. Crack. Pie. But I didn't even take a picutre of it because I took one bite and threw it out. I know there's an entire stick of butter in the recipe, but that's all I tasted when it was done. I have no clue what went wrong. If anyone has any thoughts, I'd be happy to try again!

Crack pie-found on Savory Simple, original recipe from Christina Tosi at Momofuku Milk Bar
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes, plus chilling time overnight
Serves 8
Crust

  • 9 tablespoons butter, softened and divided
  • 5 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup plus two tablespoons old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Filling
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon nonfat milk powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted, slightly
  • 6 1/2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine 6 tablespoons butter with 4 tablespoons brown sugar and sugar in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer, mix until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add egg and mix until pale and fluffy. Add in oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt until well blended. Turn out into greased baking dish and bake for 18 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Once cookie is cooled, crumble into a medium bowl with the remaining brown sugar and butter until moist enough to stick together. Press into a 9-inch pie pan that has been greased with cooking spray. Be sure to press the cookie up the sides of the pie dish. Set aside.

For the filling, whisk the sugars, milk powder and salt until well blended. Add the butter and whisk until well blended. Add the cream, egg yolks and vanilla extract and whick until well blended. Pour into crust and place pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet before placing in the oven and baking at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook for another 20 minutes or until filling starts to brown and is set. Cool pie for 2 hours on wire rack. Chill overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Carrot and cumin dip

Last Christmas, my cousin bought us cookbooks, and I've finally gotten around to making a recipe out of one! The Cooking with Beer cookbook sounds awesome, but I have to say the first recipe was one I wouldn't make again. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but it just wasn't anything special. This dip was relatively easy to make and gave me a great excuse to use my new, super awesome food processor! Definitely serve with hard bread.


Carrot and cumin dip-adapted from Cooking with Beer by Paul Mercurio
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes 2 cups

  • 2 pounds carrots, peeled
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
  • Crunchy bread, chips or crackers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the carrots in half lengthwise and then crosswise. Place into a 9x13 inch baking dish and toss with 4 tablespoons oil, honey, cumin seeds and garlic. Bake for 20 minutes or until carrots are softened.

Add the carrot mixture and remaining ingredients to a large food processor. Pulse until blended-it will be a bit chunky. Serve with  crunchy bread, chips or crackers.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Huevos rancheros

I've never made or had huevos rancheros before. Now that I've had them, unless someone tells me they are the best thing ever, I don't know that I would ever order them. There wasn't anything wrong with this recipe, there just wasn't anything that was stand out about it. I'd make it again, but it's nothing I think I'll crave. I also feel like you could just warmed up jarred salsa with some additional spices if you want to save even more time (not that this takes long anyway). Additional plus side-this dish can be gluten free if you use corn tortillas!


Huevos rancheros-adapted from Comfort Food by Cooking Light
Total time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

  • 4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 can chopped green chiles
  • 2 teaspoons chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat tortillas with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. Bake tortillas for about 12 minutes or until crispy.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray and saute onion and garlic for about 3 minutes. Add green chiles, chile powder, cumin, oregano, tabasco sauce, and diced tomatoes. Cook, for 3 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat and simmer until eggs are cooked.

In a large skillet, heat cooking spray over medium heat. Cook eggs to your preferred method (I used over easy), about 3 minutes or until cooked through.

Top each individual tortilla with about 1/4 cup tomato mixture. Place egg on top and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Cheesy Biscuits

These were very quick and easy to make. Less than 15 minutes and you have some yummy dinner rolls!


Cheesy Biscuits-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 10

  • 2 cups Bisquick mix
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir Bisquick, milk and cheese in a large bowl until a dough forms. Spoon 10 balls of the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Oven Baked Chicken

I have a confession. I definitely didn't get out of bed until after 11am this morning. Which is unheard of for me. I took today off as I have some extra PTO to burn, and we were at an epic wedding this weekend (congrats Schwais!). Two of our best friends tied the knot and lets just say I was a little of out it.

This is a super simple, but very hearty chicken recipe. The flavor and crunch was awesome and it didn't take me forever to put together. I bet this would be delicious with some mashed potatoes, but I just made some rice and green beans on the side. The perfect meal to make on a day where I didn't do anything.


Oven Baked Chicken-Cheap & Easy Recipes by Gooseberry Patch
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 5

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut chicken in half, like you would butterfly them, but cut through. Place bread crumbs, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese on a large plate and mix thoroughly. In a small bowl, combine garlic and oil.

Dip the chicken pieces in oil, then cover in bread crumbs, then place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. 

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Seared Salmon with Brown Butter Cucumbers

Any recipe with 'brown butter' in the name is likely one I will make. It just makes food absolutely delicious! This recipe was no different and super easy.

I used Penzey's Florida Seasoned Pepper and Trinidad Garlic Marinade instead of regular salt and pepper. This was done in less than 30 minutes from start to finish (including dicing the cucumber) and is done in one dish. Pretty much the perfect weeknight meal!


Seared Salmon with Brown Butter Cucumbers-adapted from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 2

  • 2 salmon filets
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
Season the salmon with salt a pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Cook until the foam subsides and the butter turns deep gold in color, about 2 minutes.

Add the salmon to the pan skin side up. Cook, without turning, for 2 minutes. Add the cucumbers and pinch of salt to the salmon turning to coat cucumbers with butter. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes or until underside of fish is golden brown. Turn the fish, add the garlic and cook for 2-4 minutes longer or until fish is cooked and flaky.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Ham and Mushroom Frittata

I'm back going through my cookbooks for a change! I haven't yet used my cask iron skillet for a frittata so I was excited when I came across this recipe. I mostly use that skillet for bacon. Lots and lots of bacon. Did you know we really like bacon in this house?

Anyway, I sliced up some ham and mushrooms and did this. I might use cooking spray instead of butter next time, it all stuck to the bottom of the pan a bit much (it's currently soaking in my sink). Either way, a really delicious egg dish that doesn't take much to make. You could also do it like almost any other omlette or egg bake and add your favorite ingredients. Case in point-the original recipe calls for broccoli. I accidentally bought mushrooms and deiced to use those instead. 

One of the best things about learning to cook, you don't need to follow the recipe to a 't'. You can feel free to add ingredients and mix things up a bit to 1. What you have in the house, and 2. What you like to eat.


Ham and Mushroom Frittata-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves 4
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup cooked ham, diced
  • 1 1/4 cup swiss cheese, shredded and divided
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, pepper, ham and 1 cup cheese. Set aside. In a 10 inch oven proof cast iron skillet, saute mushrooms in butter over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Pour in egg mixture, cover and cook for 4-6 minutes or until eggs are almost set.

Turn on broiler. Add remaining cheese to top of eggs and place in broiler for 4-6 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melted. Let stand for a few minutes.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Crunchy French Toast

French toast is something I rarely make, but decided to treat ourselves today! I was a bit hesitant of the flour, but it made them crunchy, which was just awesome!


Crunchy French Toast-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 8

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 loaf french bread, sliced into 1-inch slices
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Syrup for serving
In a large bowl, mix thoroughly salt, flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. There may be lumps which is okay. Heat a skillet over medium heat and allow the butter to melt. Then dip each piece ofr bread into the flour mixture, coating both sides. Cook each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining bread slices.

Can be frozen, and reheated for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Salmon Rubbed with Mustard and Brown Sugar

I made this recipe in September 2013 according to my notes. I somehow lost the cookbook and couldn't remember where it came from. While doing some cleaning recently, I found it, so thought I'd post. I remember really liking this recipe!


Salmon Rubbed with Mustard and Brown Sugar-adapted from Easy Family Meals
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 salmon filets
  • 1 teaqspoon olive oil
Stir brown sugar, cumin, mustard powder, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Press sugar evenly into the tops of the salmon filets.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook fish, rub side down, for 4 minutes or until rub dissolves and darkens slightly. Slip fish and cook 3 minutes more or until fish is flaky.

Dinner Bread

I've made this before and have an old blog post about it here. It's my dad's recipe, but what I originally posted was more of, add a bit of this to taste. I actually measured what I put in this time (and used a bit less butter!), so thought I would make a new post. My dad also calls this garlic bread, but there isn't any garlic in it, so I've renamed it.

You can use whatever wine you have on hand, but I recommend a white or a rose. If you use any sort of red, it tends to make the bread turn a purple color. I did forget to take a picture though. It's super easy and absolutely delicious.

Dinner Bread-adapted from my dad
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves 8

  • 1 loaf french bread
  • 1 1/2 sticks of butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup white or rose wine


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Once butter has melted, add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Meanwhile, slice french bread into about 1-inch slices and place like a full loaf on tin foil that's on a baking sheet. The tin foil will be wrapped around the loaf in a bit.

Brush the butter mixture on both sides of each slice of french bread. Be generous! Wrap the loaf of bread in tin foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Cauliflower Rice

I made this to go with the Greek Chicken Stew. It was great with the stock. I don't know that I would make it with anything that didn't have a sauce to it. It wasn't bad, just not a ton of flavor.


Cauliflower Rice-adapted from Skinny Ms.
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 4

  • 1 head cauliflower florets
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
Boil cauliflower for 8 minutes or until fork tender. Drain. Return to pan, add oil, salt and pepper and mash like you would potatoes until a consistency you prefer.

Greek Chicken Stew

As you may have noticed, we've been on a bit of a Greek kick lately. This made really moist chicken that was super tasty! If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can use a sauce pan and then transfer it to a deep casserole dish to put in the oven.


Greek Chicken Stew-adapted from Skinny Ms.
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

  • 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning (I use Penzey's)
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
  • Feta cheese and cauliflower rice, for serving
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with Greek seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 3 minutes on one side, flip, add onion, garlic, lemon juice, and orgeano and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add chicken stock, olives, capers and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven and cook for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven, serve with cauliflower rice or potatoes, and top with crumbled feta cheese.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Rotel Chicken Casserole

I can't remember the last time I bought Velveeta. To me, it's like American cheese, I'd just rather not have it. Now I have quite the brick of it to use, but at least this casserole was pretty darn good to make up for it! I found a kind that had jalapenos mixed in and bought that for the extra kick, but you can use plain as well.

Add about 20 minutes to the cooking time if you also need to cook the rice.


Rotel Chicken Casserole-adapted from Cook'n is Fun
Total time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

  • 3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons Velveeta with jalapenos
  • 2/3 cup plain yogurt
  • 10 ounce can Rotel
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2/3 cup cooked rice
  • 15 ounces kidney beans
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 11x7 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Mix together all ingredients except for shredded cheese. Top with the cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through.

Mini Frittatas with Proscuitto and Parmesan

I recently posted another recipe for eggs in a muffin tin. I really want to get rid of the muffin tin trend, but I just like it so much! It really is convenient, and especially with these mini egg bakes, you can pop them in the microwave in the morning!

I absolutely love anything with proscuitto in it and this totally hit the spot! They're super easy to make for your early mornings :)


Mini Frittatas with Proscuitto and Parmesan-adapted from All Parenting
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 12

  • 9 eggs
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 1/2 ounces proscuitto, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 green onions, sliced
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, water, salt and pepper. Place even amounts of the proscuitto, cheese and green onions into each of the muffin tins. Pour egg mixture over the meat and cheese until cups are 3/4 full.

Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Remove with a spoon and eat right away or refrigerate in an air tight container.

German Cucumber Salad

I made this recipe as I had accidentally bought too much yogurt and needed to use it up. It didn't hit anything out of the park, but maybe I'd like it more in the summertime?


German Cucumber Salad-adapted from Stumbling Upon Happiness
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 2

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 small onion
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon dill
  • Pinch of salt
Slice the cucumber, tomato and onion into thin slices. In a large bowl, mix together dill and salt. Add yogurt and lemon juice until well combined. Mix in vegetables until well combined. 

Greek Pita Pizzas

My dad used to work for a company that had its own cafeteria. One of his favorite meals was the pita pizzas they would make. Take a small pita, and top it with any and all the toppings you'd like. He then brought this home to us. It was so much fun! You could cut up your favorite veggies, meats and add as much cheese as you want!

This recipe brought that memory back to me. A bit different though with hummus instead of sauce, feta instead of mozzarella. The original recipe recommends tzatziki sauce, but we didn't use it on ours! A simple way to use up extra ingredients (whether you go Greek or not!)


Greek Pita Pizzas-adapted from Annie's Eats
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 4

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 4, 8-inch, pitas
  • 1 tablespoon red vinegar
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 small red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1/2 cup hummus
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly brush both sides of each pita with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons olive oil, red vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano. Whisk to blend. Then stir in onion, olives and tomato and toss to coat.

Top each pita with about 2 tablespoons hummus, quarter of the mozzarella cheese, quarter of the vegetable mixture, and finally a quarter of the feta cheese. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender and cheese is melted. 

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Red Wine and Goat Cheese Risotto with Carmelized Mushrooms

Oh. Em. Gee. That's really all I have to say for this recipe. I could've eatn an entire saucepan of this stuff. It was so. Good. You need to make this. Like yesterday. You won't be disappointed.

Risotto can be intimidating. I know I was scared the first time I made it. But honestly, it's super easy. The worst part is that it's a bit time consuming as you have to stir it a lot, but it's not that bad! Even with that, this dish is totally worth it.


Red Wine and Goat Cheese Risotto with Caramelized Mushrooms-adapted from How Sweet It Is
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/4 cups arborio rice
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3-4 cups chicken broth
  • 6 ounces goat cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper


In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon oil and one tablespoon butter over low heat, then add mushrooms. Let caramelize for 10-15 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, heat a large saucepan over medium heat and heat the vegetable oil and butter. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add rice, tossing to coat in butter and oil and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add wine, stirring every few minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Once absorbed, add one cup stock, stir and let absorb like you did with the wine. Continue 2-3 more times until stock is absorbed. This should take about 15 minutes. Taste to determine if rice is cooked to your liking, if not, add one more cup of broth.

Reduce heat to low and stir in goat cheese, salt, pepper and cooked mushrooms.

Roasted Salmon

I love salmon, so I always like new recipes for it. This made the mark.


Roasted Salmon-adapted from Rachael Ray
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 2

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grainy mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 9 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 salmon filets
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, combine vinesgars, brown sugar, worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, mustard, rosemary, salt, pepper and vegetable oil.

Place salmon skin side down on a greased baking sheet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Brush with some of the vinegar mixture. Bake for about 5 minutes or until salmon is flaky. Top with remaining vinegar mixture.

Bisquick Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was a bit hesitant to try these, but I had everything on hand so decided to give it a whirl. They were actually some of the best cookies I've ever made. They stayed chewy for days. Yes, the picture looks like they fell apart. I think they just need to cool on the baking sheet instead of a wire rack.


Bisquick Chocolate Chip Cookies-adapted from Plain Chicken
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Makes 24 Cookies

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 2 3/4 cups Bisquick
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, vanilla and egg well. Stir in Bisquick and chocolate chips. 

Drop dough by rounded teaspoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool, but eat warm.

Chicken Marsala Pizza

I love chicken marsala. It's really a comfort food for me. Warm, toasty, and usually served with mashed potatoes. Yummmm.

When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. Putting something so delicious on a pizza-who would've thought? It definitely didn't disappoint and I'll be making it again!

I used the whole wheat pizza dough recipe I've used in the past. You can certainly use another premade crust as you desire.


Chicken Marsala Pizza-adapted from Pillsbury
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 8

  • 1 pizza crust
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 pound chicken breast, diced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup Marsala wine
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a pizza stone with cooking spray. Place pizza dough on stone and bake for 11 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook about 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Set aside.

Using the same skillet, add remaining olive oil, butter, onion and mushrooms, stirring frequently for about 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in wine, cook for 4-5 minutes or until wine is reduced be half. Add heavy whipping cream, parsley, salt, pepper and chicken. Reduce heat, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally, until thickened.

Sprinkle the pizza crust with 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spoon chicken mixture over cheese, then top with remaining cheeses. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. 

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

I've been on a huge bruschetta and caprese kick (they kind of go hand in hand, doncha think?). I just think the flavors are amazing and (usually) very, very fresh. This was a very simple pasta dish that had all the flavors I love.


Bruschetta Chicken Pasta-adapted from Katie's Cucina
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • Seasoned salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
  • 15 basil leaves, chiffonade
Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

Meanahile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and salt and pepper to taste and cook until chicken is no longer pink in middle, about 8 minutes, turning frequently. Set aside once cooked.

In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil, butter, and garlic. Heat on medium-high for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Toss pasta with the sauce, add chicken and basil right before serving.


Beef Stroganoff

This is a super simple, throw it in the slow cooker, and eat when you get home. I've made this recipe twice now. This first time, I used my Homemade Cream of Anything Mix. I will say, I prefer using the canned stuff, but only because it makes it a bit thicker.

Using the Homemade Cream of Anything Mix


Using the canned cream of mushroom and cream of celery 

Beef Stroganoff-adapted from my friend Ashley's recipe
Total Time: 6 hours
Serves 4

  • 2-3 pound sirloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can cream of celery soup
  • 1 package dry onion soup mix
  • 1/2 cup water (more if it gets dry)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Noodles or rice for serving (I prefer egg noodles)
Place sirloin in the bottom of a lightly greased 5 quart slow cooker. Top with soups, soup mix and water. Cover and cook and low for at least 6 hours or until beef is cooked.

About a half hour before serving, stir in sour cream, recover and keep on low. Serve with egg noodles.




Everything Bread

I can't say I've ever really been a fan of everything bagels, but when I saw this recipe I knew I just had to make it. The first time I tried it, I tried in my bread maker. Let's just saw it overflowed and did not go well. I decided to give it one more whirl and it was worth it.

First of all, it makes a ton of bread. No wonder it overflowed the bread maker! It was extremely tasty too! Pretty easy to make, a bit messy to eat, but totally worth it.


Everything Bread-adpated from Taste of Home
Total Time: 3 hours
Serves 25
  • 1/4 ounce package active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 1 cup warm low fat milk
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon diced minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
In a large bowl, combine yeast and warm water until dissolved. Add milk, butter, sugar, egg yolk, salt and two cups flour. Beat on medium for about 3 minutes and stir in additional flour until dough is firm.

Turn onto a floured surface and knead 6-8 minutes or until elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for one hour.

Turn down down on a lightly floured surface and divide into three parts and shape into 20-inch long ropes. Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and turn over. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine egg white and water and brush over bread. Mix together remaining ingredients and sprinkle over bread. Bake 22-28 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.


Berry Custard Pie

This pie was tasty, but nothing crazily amazing to write about. I used some frozen blueberries and strawberries I had on hand, but you could probably use any extra fruit you have on hand.



Berry Custard Pie-adapated from One Hundred Dollars a Month
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 8

  • 1 pie crust
  • 2 cups fruit (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/4 cup low fat milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Fill with berries and top with 1/4 cup sugar.

In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients until well mixed. Pour over berries. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 30-45 minutes or until custard is set.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

One of our favorite things to have a gathering (i.e. Packer party) is the Steakhouse Potato Salad from Pick 'n Save. I came across this recipe and decided to try it on my own. It turned out great, I think better than the premade kind from the store!

I also have to say, I kind of cheated and didn't actually bake the potatoes. I also kept the skins on, but you could surely peel them if you prefer.

Prep of the potatoes

Final product

Loaded Baked Potato Salad-adapted from So, How's It Taste?
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 12
  • 6 red potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup fat free sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Cut potatoes into quarters and boil for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and cut into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl and toss with apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Gently stir in remainder of ingredients to coat entire potato salad. Keep cool and serve immediately.

Egg Muffins with Sausage and Spinach

As much as I think putting food in muffin tins is a fad, I do like it. These are really great warmed up the next day, so if you know you have a busy week, whip these up on Sunday night! You can put your own favorite ingredients in them, but I did like the ones that were in this recipe as something a little bit different.


Egg Muffins with Sausage and Spinach-adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6 (12 muffins)

  • 3 sausage links
  • 5 egg whites
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1/4 cup low fat milk
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup spinach, chopped
  • 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium skillet, cook the sausage links thoroughly. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in milk, salt, pepper and spinach. 

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Pour egg mixture evenly into cups. Distribute cheese and sausage evenly between each cup.

Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins are firm in the center. Remove from muffin tins gently with a spoon.


Monday, November 17, 2014

Cashew Chicken

We got a wok for a wedding gift and I couldn't be more thrilled! I LOVE it! The first thing we made? Cashew chicken!



Cashew Chicken-adapted from Better Recipes
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4
  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup cashews, chopped
Heat all ingredients, except cashews, in a wok over high heat and stir fry until chicken is fully cooked. Top with cashews and serve with rice, if desired.


Chicken and Biscuits

When I came across this recipe, I knew I had to make it. Scott is a big fan of anything with biscuits (like biscuits and gravy), and I can't blame him! I used frozen veggies that I had on hand, but you could certainly use any that you have. It's just a good, comfort food meal!


Chicken and Biscuits-adapted from Campbell's 1-2-3 Dinners
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 5

  • 1 can cream of celery soup
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup low-fat milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 cups cooked vegetables
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, diced into one inch pieces
  • 1 package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 3-quart baking dish mix soups, milk, thyme, pepper, vegetables and chicken. Bake for 15 minutes or until mixture is hot. Stir; arrange biscuits over chicken mixture and bake 15 minutes more, or until biscuits are golden.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Whole Wheat Pancakes


Whole Wheat Pancakes-adapted from Best Baking Recipes by Cooking Light
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 6
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg white
  • Maple syrup and butter for serving
Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine butter, milk, oil, egg and egg white, stirring with a whisk. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist

Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat paln with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto the griddle. Turn pancakes over when the tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Serve with syrup and butter.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This was a great chicken noodle soup. I usually only like chicken noodle soup when I'm sick, but this was something I could eat all the time. The only weird thing is that after letting it sit overnight is that it continued to thicken, so it got to be less of a soup the next few times I warmed it up. Maybe adding additional chicken broth would help when you want to warm it up again.


Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup-adapted from American Classics by Taste of Home
Total Time: 1 Hour
Serves 8

  • 2 medium onions, diced, divided
  • 2 celery ribs, diced, divided
  • 4 cups water
  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 14 1/2 ounces chicken broth
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons chicken bouillion granules
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
  • 1 3/4 cups milk, divided
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Place one onion and celery in a Dutch oven. Add the water, chicken, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and strain broth; set both aside. 

In the same pan, saute remaining diced onion and celery in butter until tender. Add canned broth, carrot, potato, bouillon, basil and reserved broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add noodles, return to a boil and cook 6-8 minutes or until noodles are tender. Cut chicken into chunks; add to soup. Stir in 1 1/4 cups milk and heat through.

Combine flour and remining milk until smooth; add tos oup, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Pepperoni Pizza Chicken


Pepperoni Pizza Chicken-adapted from Skinny Mom
Total Time: 7 hours
Serves 8

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 3/4 ounces pepperoni, sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Place chicken in a lightly greased slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Top with pepperoni and olives.

In a small bowl, whisk broth, tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low heat for 7 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Five minutes before serving, top chicken with cheese and cover to let the cheese melt. 

Sugar-Grilled Steaks

This recipe was one of those that I was a bit hesitant to try. I mean, sugar....on steaks? Steak is one of my favorite foods so I'm always hesitant to try something new. Kind of like a 'If it's not broke, don't fix it' type mentality.

This was a wonderful new twist on steak that I'd definitely make again. The sugar glazed and almost tasted like a barbecue sauce to me.


Sugar-Grilled Steaks-adapated from Beer Can Chicken by Steven Raichlen
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 4

  • 4 boneless strip steaks
  • Kosher salt and black pepper for seasoning
  • 3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
Season the meat to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Use a bit more than normal to off-set the sweetness. Then rub in 1/2 tablespoon of sugar to each side of the steak.

Once a grill is heated, grill about 4-6 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Stuffed Chicken with Bacon, Cream Cheese and Chives

Stuffed chicken is one of the more time consuming things I've made. And with how busy I've been lately, I don't like time consuming. However, once it's done and we're eating, it's absolutely delicious! This is a very rich dish, but usually you'll have everything in your kitchen, if you're like me!


Stuffed Chicken with Bacon, Cream Cheese and Chives-adapted from AllRecipes
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 4

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons dried chives
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, chives and garlic. Mold into three balls.

Place one cream cheese ball in the center of a butterflied piece of chicken, fold over, wrap with a slice of bacon and hold into place with toothpicks. Place in a baking dish and repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. Pour butter over chicken. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

I love enchiladas. These were one of the best and easiest recipes I've ever made. The best part about enchiladas is that you can really add whatever you want to them. Same with quesadillas. Use whatever you have on hand and like!

Before

Oooey Gooey Cheesey Goodness

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas-adapted from Betty Crocker
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 8
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2.5 ounces black olives, sliced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
  • 8 flour tortillas
  • 10 ounce can enchilada sauce
  • 2 1/4 cups cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 11x7 inch baking dish.

In a medium skillet, heat vegetable oil, then saute onion and cumin until tender. Stir in the beans, olives and jalapeno.

Scoop about 3 tablespoons bean mixture to the center of each tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup cheese, roll tightly and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake, covered, for 30-35 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.


Thursday, November 6, 2014

Texas Chili

Awhile ago, a good friend of ours gave us a bunch of dried chiles. I was really excited about them, but I'm not going to lie, I didn't do much with them. For a very long time. Well, I finally did! Here's some awesome chili that I made. It was spicy, but not too much that I couldn't eat it. Quite possibly, one of my favorite chilis!


Texas Chili-adapted from Epicurious
Total Time: 2 1/2 Hours
Serves 4

  • 2 ounces dried chiles
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons masa harina
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
  • Sour cream and cheese, for serving\

Place the chiles in a slarge skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the chiles until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Don't let them burn or they'll turn bitter. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover them with very hot water and soak until soft, 15 to 45 minutes, turning once or twice.
Drain the chiles; split them and remove stems and seeds (a brief rinse helps remove seeds, but don't wash away the flesh). Place the chiles in the bowl of a blender and add the cumin, black pepper, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/4 cup water. Purée the mixture, adding more water as needed (and occasionally scraping down the sides of the blender jar), until a smooth, slightly fluid paste forms (you want to eliminate all but the tiniest bits of skin.) Set the chile paste aside.
Return skillet to medium-high heat and heat four tablespoons vegetable oil and add the beef. Lightly brown on at least two sides, about 3 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the meat threatens to burn. Set aside.
Let the skillet cool slightly, and place it over medium-low heat. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet; add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock, the remaining 2 cups water and gradually whisk in the masa harina to avoid lumps. Stir in the reserved chile paste, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a spatula to loosen any browned bits. Add the reserved beef and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain the barest possible simmer  and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender but still somewhat firmt, about 2 hours.
Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar thoroughly and add more salt to taste; gently simmer 10 minutes more. Serve with sour cream and cheese.


Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Cookies and Cream Poke Cake

At work awhile ago, a coworker explained what poke cake is to me. I had never heard of it before. I didn't have an urge to go home and make it, but I did have in mind that I wanted to bake something for my team for really stepping up and doing a good job.

As soon as I got home and logged onto Facebook, I saw this recipe in my news feed! I first laughed, and then I decided it looked both easy and delicious that I just had to make it. It was delicious, to the point that Scott couldn't believe that I wasn't letting him and I eat it all. It's a very quick and easy dessert to make, and I'm pretty sure it's fool proof, which makes it even better.


Cookies and Cream Poke Cake-adapted from Tidy Mom
Total Time: 5 hours
Serves 16

  • 1 box white cake mix (plus ingredients to make cake on box)
  • 1 box cookies and cream pudding mix
  • 8 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 8 ounces Cool Whip
  • 12-15 Oreo cookies, broken into pieces


    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake mix according to package directions and add the pudding mix to the batter. Bake in a 9x13 inch pan for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes.

    After cake cools, use a small knife to poke holes in half inch intervals. Pour condensed milk over top of cake and smooth over all corners of cake. Let cake continue to cool and sink in.

    Once cake is cooled, Top with Cool Whip and Oreos. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

    Monday, November 3, 2014

    Parmesan Baked Chicken

    Man, a lot has happened, and it's already been two months since I've posted! I have been cooking, I just haven't been blogging. But I did get married and things have been super crazy at work, so I'm just trying to do things as I can. Finally, back to it!

    I do remember eating and making this dish. It was quite simple, and tasted delicious. Other than that, I pretty much have the recipe as is since I didn't make any other notes. Enjoy!


    Parmesan Baked Chicken-adapted from 100 Best Chicken Recipes by Good Housekeeping
    Total Time: 50 Minutes
    Serves 4

    • 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
    • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
    • 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
    • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 egg white
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
    Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

    On a large plate, mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, cornmeal and pepper. In a pie plate, whisk egg white and salt.

    Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then coat generously with the bread crumb mixture. Place chicken in prepared pan and continue with remaining pieces. Bake until chicken coating is crisp and juices run clear, about 35 minutes.

    Sunday, August 10, 2014

    Trattoria Spaghetti

    Scott just got home from his fraternity's alumni golf weekend. I had a pretty laid back weekend-a good friend, Julie had her bridal shower which was so cute! Great brunch (and sangria!) from Thunder Bay-I'd definitely recommend it for your next gathering!

    The Sangria!

    Super cute. I LOVE the tags :)

    Flowers in Julie's wedding colors :)

    A very sunny picture of Megan & I
     After the shower, I had a busy weekend of cleaning and organizing the apartment. I had been wanting to clean out our storage closet and spare bedroom forever. It seems as though we never truly unpacked in the spare room. Now it looks like a bedroom a bit more!

    After all that this weekend, I just wanted to have a relaxing night once Scott got home. This meal takes about 20 minutes. It has a lot of veggies in it, and still a lot of flavor without a ton of fat for you. It's also meatless, which I'd like to try to do a few more times a week when possible! I changed up the recipe (which I put below) with what vegetables I have on hand. You can certainly add whatever you'd like to it!


    Trattoria Spaghetti-adapted from 365 Last-Minute Meals by Better Homes and Gardens
    Total Time: 20 Minutes
    Serves 4

    • 9 ounces dry spaghetti
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 green onions, sliced
    • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
    • 1/2 green pepper, diced
    • 3 tomatoes, diced
    • 1/4 cup shredded carrot
    • 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese with garlic and herbs


    Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain then return to pan or a large bowl.

    Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, mushroom and pepper and stir for about a minute. Add in tomatoes and carrot. Cook, covered for about 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.

    Add tomato mixture to pasta and mix thoroughly. Stir in feta cheese.

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