Chicken Parmesan

Haven't cooked anything new in awhile. . . Tonight I made chicken parmesan, which was pretty simple, but very delicious : ) As always, I measured my ingredients "by feel" rather than precise amounts, which I encourage to try (it's very liberating).

Chicken:

2 Raw Chicken Breasts

2 Eggs
Milk

Salt
Basil
Parsley
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Panko Bread Crumbs

-Dip chicken in egg mixture and then roll in breadcrumb/seasoning mixture until covered.

2 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 Small Chopped Onion
Olive Oil

-Heat olive oil in pan and add garlic and onion.
-Once the onions and garlic begin to brown, add chicken breasts and turn occasionally.
-Add additional olive oil as needed.
-Allow chicken to brown then push to the side of pan.

Sauce:

Basil
Oregano
Salt
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
Red Wine Vinegar
Kale

-Add all ingredients to the pan.
-Allow to simmer and add additional seasonings/salt as needed.
-Serve chicken over angel hair pasta and sauce, add a little parmesan cheese on top of chicken.

Home-made Hard Taco Shells

Today was one of those days where I got a craving and could not be deterred. . . I wanted tacos so bad, but didn't have any hard shells. These are so easy to make, it's ridiculous, and they taste way better than the store bought kind. I mean, granted, they're basically fried, but I'm sure they'd be pretty simple to bake too. These would probably be even better if I'd made the tortillas, but hey, I wasn't feeling quite that adventurous today.

Taco Shells:

Soft Flour Tortillas
Oil

-Heat oil in pan and using tongs, dip one half of tortilla in oil until it's golden brown.
-Flip tortilla over and allow other side to brown.
-Remove from oil and allow to drain and cool off.

Taco Meat:

Ground Beef
Canned Petite Diced Tomatoes
Diced Onion
Cumin
Turmeric
Salt
Garlic Powder

-Add meat and tomato to pan first, and allow it to start simmering.
-Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until cooked through.

Mexican Rice:

Rice
1 TB Oil
Canned Petite Diced Tomatoes
Diced Onion
Lemon Juice
Garlic Powder
Salt
Cilantro
Chili Powder
Red Cayenne Pepper

-Cook rice in oil for a few minutes until brown.
-Add tomatoes and some water, simmer for 10 minutes.
-Add spices and simmer covered until rice is soft.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I actually made these a couple weeks ago, but kept forgetting to post it. This was my first ever attempt to bake gluten-free, and I have to say, I was most definitely impressed. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was something along the lines of a barely acceptable, tasteless cookie. I made half a batch of this recipe with gluten-free flour and the other half with oat flour. The gluten-free flour was ok, but the oat flour was AMAZING. If you try this at home, I definitely recommend the oat flour! Whether or not I bake more gluten-free cookies in the future, I will say that the oat flour was delicious and I would consider using it again just for the amazing taste it adds. The recipe I got was from the Red Mill website:

http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=121

Ingredients:


1 2/3 C Gluten-Free Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 C Butter
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1/3 C Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
1 Large Egg
1 C Chocolate Chips

-Stir together flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.
-In a separate bowl, beat together butter and sugars. Add vanilla and egg.
-Stir in dry ingredients and chocolate chips.
-Bake @ 350º for 10-12 minutes.

Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

So I have to preface this cooking experience with an extreme caution. I'm not really a spicy food lover, but I like moderate to medium spiciness at times. Because of this, I've never handled hot peppers, leading to some troubling experiences to say the least. . .

First of all, when cutting the peppers, it releases some of the oil into the air, so be prepared for some moderate coughing. You may want to run the peppers under water while working with them to help keep it out of the air. Next, when working with hot peppers, especially jalapenos, WEAR GLOVES. The oil from these peppers gets EVERYWHERE, even if you don't realize it. I touched only a corner of my face, and 5 minutes later, my ENTIRE face was burning like the fiery gates of HELL. I went through a series of flushing my face in the sink, smearing it with sour cream, pouring milk on it, and slathering it with vegetable oil. It took around 10 minutes for it to start to die down, and after that, I was terrified to touch anything else in the near vicinity. . .

That being said, the Anaheim peppers themselves are not terribly spicy, so as long as you cautiously cut them up, you will not have any of the terrible experiences I did. Perhaps I made a beginner's mistake, but no one ever told me. You have been warned.

Stuffed Peppers:

1 Large Can Diced Petite Tomatoes
Your Choice of Meat (I used 2 large, halved, chicken breasts, but a shoulder of pork is a good choice as well)
1 Small Can Green Chiles
1 Small Can Diced Jalapenos
1 C Chicken Broth

3-4 Anaheim Peppers
Shredded Cheddar

-Add first group of ingredients to a large stockpot, cover, and stir occasionally.
-Allow most water to boil off, then remove the chicken/pork and separate using two forks. When the meat is mostly broken up, add back to the stockpot and cook until the rest of the water cooks off.
-This entire process should take ~1 hour.
-Slice Anaheim peppers in half long ways. Remove all seeds and dividers (these are spicy too!), and microwave the peppers for 1-2 minutes.
-Spoon shredded meat into the peppers and pile it on! Add shredded cheese.
-Bake @ 350º for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.



Jalapeno Poppers:

Jalapenos
Cream Cheese
Milk
Flour
Breadcrumbs
Oil

-Cut tops off of jalapenos and remove all seeds and other inside parts.
-Stuff with cream cheese.
-Dip entire pepper in milk and roll in flour.
-Allow to rest and dry for a couple minutes, then dip in milk again, and roll in breadcrumbs.
-Wait a few more minutes and dip again in milk and then roll in breadcrumbs again.
-Cook in hot oil for 2 minutes on each side or until jalapenos are golden.

P.S. Thanks for the great recipe, Mom!

Homemade Nachos

I had 0 nacho chips, so I made some! Then I made nachos!

2 Tortillas, Cut into Triangles
2 TB Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Chopped Tomato
Chopped Onion
Shredded Cheese

-Mix tortillas with olive oil and spices in a bowl until well mixed and coated
-Bake at 350º for 10-20 min or until golden-brown, turn often
-Top with cheese, tomatoes, and onions, bake an additional 10-15 minutes

Meatloaf

I had some extra ground beef lying around and decided to make a mini meatloaf. It was delicious, but didn't hold together very well, mostly because I tried to stretch the meat farther than it could go. . . oops. . . Ah well, it was still delicious and I suppose that's all that really matters. As always, the amounts on my recipes are not exact, it just seems to work out better when I feel it out.

Recipe:

1/2 lb Ground Beef

1/8 C Breadcrumbs

1 TB Red Wine Vinegar

1 TB Worcestershire Sauce

1 Egg

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Thyme

1tsp Sage

1 TB Parsley

1 Clove Garlic, Minced

1 Small Onion, Grated

-Combine all ingredients except meat.

-Add meat in, but don't overhandle it. Form into a loaf.

-Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

-Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy (or BBQ sauce if you prefer).

Pita Bread Pizza

The other day I had extra pita bread lying around and no hummus to go with it. While trying to figure out what to do with it, I realized it would make the perfect pizza crust. I was right, it's perfect! It makes for a very soft but thin crust, and isn't greasy or unhealthy. I'm sure naan and similar flatbreads would work just as well, and add other interesting flavors.

Ingredients

1 Piece Pita Bread
1 TB Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Basil
1/8 tsp Oregano
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 C Asiago Cheese
1/4 C Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Tomato, Sliced
Extra Basil and Asiago Cheese for Decoration

Directions

-Place pita bread on a pan. Spread olive oil over the surface, and sprinkle with spices.
-Sprinkle asiago cheese and mozzarella cheese over the pita bread.
-Lay tomato slices on top of bread and sprinkle with extra cheese and basil.
-Cook at 350º for 10-15 minutes.

Tortilla Soup

I <3 Mexican food!!! I had this tortilla soup waiting in the freezer from a couple months ago. Still good : ) Every time I make tortilla soup, it's just a little different, but I love that about it. This recipe is very "free-hand" and it seems to work better if you taste it as you go and adjust accordingly.

 

Recipe:

Chicken Broth

V8 Tomato Juice (use a small can)

Lime Juice

Garlic Salt 

Salt

Cumin

Turmeric

Cilantro

Chili Powder

Red Cayenne Pepper

Frozen Mixed Veggies (find one with corn and beans)

Salsa

Diced Onion

Diced Tomato

-Heat liquid ingredients in stock pot. Add Spices and adjust to taste.

-Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.

-Add vegetables, and cover for 15-20 min. on medium heat.

-Sometimes I add rice or chicken, and you will probably need to add extra water as a lot of it cooks off.

*Add Shredded cheese, green onions, and tortilla strips to the top of the soup and serve with sour cream

*To make tortilla strips, slice flour tortillas, spray with cooking spray, and toast at 350º for 10 minutes or until crispy and lightly browned

Orzo Pasta and Chicken

Pasta and chicken, could there be anything simpler? I just felt like eating a hearty Italian meal tonight, which started with the pasta : ) I kind of threw the rest of it together, and it turned out delicious.

 Recipe:

1/3 C Orzo Pasta

2 TB Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/4 tsp Turmeric

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Garlic Salt

3 TB Parmesan Cheese

1 Chicken Breast, Cooked and Sliced

1 Medium Onion, Minced

1/2 C Chicken Broth

2 TB White Wine Vinegar

1/2 C Kale

1/2 C Broccoli Florets

1/2 Tomato, Diced

-Cook orzo until water is cooked off and the pasta is tender.
-Remove from heat and add olive oil, spices, and cheese. Set aside.
-Heat chicken broth in a frying pan, add onion, and saute.
-Add vinegar, vegetables, chicken, and cooked orzo.
-Cook another 10-15 minutes, or until excess water cooks off.

Steak and Mushrooms

Last week was my birthday, and what better way to celebrate than with a steak dinner???? The steak marinade is something I learned from my Dad, and the portabella mushroom recipe is from my friend, Adam. All of this is much tastier on the grill, but if you don't have one like me, there are other ways to do it that still taste amazing.

Steak:

1-2 C Red Wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 C Italian Dressing
Lawrie's Seasoning Salt

-The night before serving, put steak in a glass container and cover with red wine and Italian dressing. Sprinkle seasoning salt (just a little) on top of steak.
-In the morning, flip steak in marinade.
-Cook the steak on a George Foreman Grill for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little more Lawrie's seasoning salt.
-Sear steak for 30 seconds on each side in a high heat frying pan.

Portabella Mushrooms:

2 Large Portabella Caps
1/2 C Olive Oil
Minced Garlic (the refrigerated kind in a glass container)
Pepper
Paprika

-Rinse off mushrooms, and allow to dry.
-Combine seasonings, garlic, and olive oil, and brush on both sides of mushrooms.
-Stack a wire cooling wrack on top of a jelly roll pan and use this like a grill. Put mushrooms on top of wire rack. Continue coating with olive oil mixture every 5-10 minutes.
-Cook mushrooms at 350º for 20-30 min. or until mushrooms are cooked through and tender.

S'ghetti Night

Earlier today I smelled garlic bread, or maybe just straight up garlic, and ever since then, I've been craving spaghetti. . . I just had to make it when I got home. It's really not all that difficult to make homemade spaghetti sauce, you just use whatever you have on hand. My general recipe is a little different each time I make it, but always delicious : )

Spaghetti Sauce:

1 Medium Onion, Diced
1 C Beef Broth
1/2 lb Ground Beef

1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Small Can Tomato Paste
1 Small Can V8 Juice
2 Medium Tomatoes, Diced
3 TB Olive Oil
3 TB Red Wine Vinegar

Salt to Taste
Garlic to Taste
Oregano
Basil
Parsley

-Heat beef broth in a frying pan. Add onions and ground beef and cook at medium heat.
-Combine all ingredients from 2nd group of ingredients in a large saucepan and cook at medium heat covered.
-When meat is cooked through, add it to tomato mixture.
-Add spices and continue cooking on medium heat covered for 20 minutes.

Garlic Bread:

1 Loaf French Bread
1-2 TB Butter
Garlic
Paprika
Parsley

-Cut loaf in half long ways, then again sideways so there are 4 pieces.
-Spread butter on bread and cover with spices.
-Cook @ 350º for 10-15 minutes.

Breakfast Skillet

There's nothing like breakfast for dinner! This delicious skillet combines some classic staples like bacon and hash browns into one dish. Maybe not the healthiest meal ever, but definitely a comfort food : )

Recipe:

1 Medium Sized Onion, Chopped
2 Pieces Bacon, Diced
1-2 C Frozen Hashbrowns
Salt to Taste
1/4 C Cheddar, Shredded

-Cook bacon in a frying pan until bacon grease starts to accumulate.
-Add diced onions and cook ~1 minute.
-Add hashbrowns and salt, cook 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally until hashbrowns begin to brown.
-Add cheddar cheese and stir in until it begins to melt.
-Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream!

Note: Sometimes I add a couple eggs to the mixture, but this dish is amazing either way!

Bruschetta and Margherita Pizza

Two really simple but delicious recipes : )

Bruschetta:

1 Thin Italian Baguette
Olive Oil

2 Tomatoes, Diced
1 TB Olive Oil
2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Garlic
2 TB Basil

-Cover a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil.
-Cut Italian bred diagonally into thin pieces and lay flat on jelly roll pan. Brush olive oil on top of pieces.
-Bake at 350º for 10-15 minutes or until bread is slightly crispy.
-In a frying pan, heat oilve oil for 1 minute, then add tomatoes. Allow tomatoes to cook for ~5 minutes.
-Add the rest of the ingredients and cook 1 more minute.
-Spoon tomato mixture on top of bread pieces and serve warm!

Margherita Pizza:

1 Baguette, Cut in Half
Olive Oil
Mozzarella Cheese
Tomatoes, Cut into Thin Slices
Basil

-Brush both baguette halves with olive oil.
-Cover with cheese and tomato slices.
-Sprinkle basil on top.
-Bake at 350º for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and toasty.

Thai Peanut Chicken

It's been awhile since I had some good Thai food, so I thought I'd give it a shot at home. The recipe I came up with tastes pretty authentic and delicious : ) I reworked a couple recipes and added my own touch to it based on what ingredients I had available.

 

2 TB Teriyaki or Soy Sauce

2 TB White Wine Vinegar

1/4 tsp Red Cayenne Pepper

4 TB Peanut Butter (Creamy)

1 C Chicken Broth

1 TB Vegetable Oil

1 Clove Garlic, Minced

1/4 tsp Ground Ginger

2 Chicken Breasts, Sliced into Thin Strips

1 C Flour

1 TB Salt

1/2 C Panko Breadcrumbs

2 TB Brown Sugar

1 Onion, Sliced into Long Strips

1 C Broccoli, Chopped

Salt to Taste

2 TB Fresh Basil

-Combine teriyaki sauce, vinegar, cayenne pepper, peanut butter, and chicken broth in a bowl, stir until combined and set aside.
-Combine flour, salt, breadcrumbs, and brown sugar in a freezer bag. Add chicken strips and shake until well coated.
-In a frying pan, heat oil. Add garlic, ginger, and chicken pieces. Fry until chicken starts to brown.
-Add peanut butter sauce, onion, broccoli, and salt to chicken mixture. Stir constantly and cook until sauce is thick.
-Add basil last. Stir in and then serve hot over rice!

Detailed Tomato Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe

Since I have gotten a couple of requests for it, I am posting a more detailed version of my mac and cheese recipe. However, these are approximate amounts!!!!! I usually just feel out the "right" amount of ingredients. You might have to do some adjusting and definitely make sure to test out the sauce as you're making it.

Tomato Bacon Mac and Cheese

1/2 c      Small Macaroni Shells

3            Slices of Bacon
1            Tomato, Diced
1 tsp      Red Wine Vinegar
1 TB      Basil
1/4 c      Cream Cheese
2 TB      Butter
1/4 c      Half & Half
1/2 tsp   Salt
1/2 c      Shredded Cheddar (you can use whatever- sometimes I use gouda and parm or orher sharp mixes)

-Cook macaroni shells according to direcrions.  
-Cook bacon in a large skillet. When cooked through, dice bacon and set aside.

-In the bacon skillet, add tomatoes and cook 2-3 minutes.
-Add vinegar, basil, salt, and add back in diced bacon. Turn the heat up to high and allow all of the ingredients to heat through and start to brown. (Add olive oil if necessary)

-Turn the heat down while working on the sauce. 

-Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Add cream cheese and half & half and turn up heat to medium-low. Whisk until combined and the cream cheese is melted.  
-Add salt then turn up the heat to a medium-high heat.

-Add cheese and stir until combined and fully melted.
-The sauce should be a medium viscosity at this point. If it's too liquid, whisk in small amounts of cornstarch until it thickens. 
-Add tomato/bacon mixture to the sauce and stir until well combined. Add in the noodles and stir until coated. 
-Serve hot!

Ham and Broccoli Quiche

This is my Mom's recipe for quiche. I used leftover ham because I had some in the freezer, but when ham isn't available, I use bacon, which is just as good if not better! Another great option is vegetarian quiche. Using diced bell peppers and broccoli is a great combination. Besides making the pie crust, this recipe couldn't be simpler. It makes a good breakfast as well as dinner : )

Pie Crust: 

2 c Flour 
1 tsp salt 
2/3 c Butter/Shortening 
5-6 TB cold water

-Mix flour and salt.
-Cut in butter until a crumbly mixture forms.
-Add water 1 TB at a time until dough is moist enough to hold together.
-Roll out pie crust on a floured surface. Place in pie pan and crimp edges. 
-Bake at 350˚ for ~7 minutes.
-Remove from oven and set aside. 

Quiche:

2 TB Butter
1 Onion, Chopped
1/2 c Ham/Bacon, Cubed
1/2 c Broccoli, Diced
Salt and Garlic to Taste
4 Eggs
1/2 c Milk
1/2 c Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

-Melt butter in frying pan. Add onion and saute until translucent. 
-Add ham/bacon and vegetables. Stir in salt and garlic and cook another 5 minutes (it might take longer if you're using uncooked bacon).
-Spoon mixture into the bottom of the pie crust.
-Beat together eggs and milk. Pour over ham mixture into pie pan.
-Sprinkle a layer of cheddar cheese on top of the pie crust. 
-Cover the edges of the pie crust with a crust protector or foil.
-Bake at 350˚ for 30-45 minutes.

Mid-Week Food Frenzy

It's been awhile since I posted anything new I've cooked. This is mostly because I've been slacking on cooking anything of real substance lately. So yesterday I got into the baking spirit on my day off and tried out some new recipes. First, I made a white bean soup, next, a chick pea salad, and lastly, an amazing Kahlua triffle. The soup and salad were based off some random Foodgawker.com recipes I stumbled across and couldn't resist trying, and the dessert was something made out of the necessity of using up old cake.

White Bean Soup:

1 TB Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Red Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp White Vinegar
2 C Water
1 1/2 C Chicken Broth
2 Cans White Beans
1/2 C Diced Ham, Bacon, or Chorizo Sausage
2 C Frozen Collard Greens, Chopped

-Heat olive oil in large stockpot, saute onions for 2 minutes.
-Add garlic, saute another minute. Stir in spices and vinegar.
-Add water, broth, beans, and ham. Bring soup to a boil, then simmer covered for 30-60 minutes.
-10-20 minutes before serving, add collard greens and allow to tenderize.

Recipe from: http://moderncomfortfood.com/2010/10/white-bean-soup-with-collards-and-chorizo/

Chick Pea Salad:

4 Slices of Bacon
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
2-3 Large Carrots, Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Salt
2 1/2 C Chicken Broth
1 C Water
2 Cans Chick Peas
4 C Collard Greens


-Fry slices of bacon in a stockpot until crispy. Remove bacon and crumble, set aside.
-Cook chopped carrots and onion in rendered bacon fat for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Stir in spices.
-Add crumbled bacon, broth, water, and chick peas. Bring to a boil then simmer covered for 20 minutes.
-Add kale and simmer for another 10 minutes or until water has cooked off.
-Serve warm or eat cold the next day!

Recipe from: http://www.lolfoodie.com/archives/2011/03/chick-peas-and-greens-salad/

Kahlua Triffle:

Old Cake (White or Chocolate)
Kahlua
Chocolate Pudding
Cool Whip

-Dice up old cake into cubes. Place half of cake in the bottom of a clear glass bowl.
-Pour Kahlua over cake until moist.
-Spoon and spread half of chocolate pudding over cake.
-Spoon and spread half of Cool Whip over pudding (some mixing may occur).
-Layer the other half of the cake (with Kahlua), pudding, and Cool Whip.
-Refrigerate until you're ready to serve it. I recommend serving with a White Russian!

White Russian:

1 Part Vodka
1 Part Kahlua
2-3 Parts Milk

Chicken Pot Pie

Personal sized pot pies are one of my favorite meals. My recipe tastes quite similar to the frozen mini pot pies, except since they're freshly baked and home made, they are so much better! They aren't difficult to make, but you have to be in the mood to go through with making pie crust. This isn't necessary difficult, but can be a pain in the butt. I think it's pretty well worth it, however : )

Pie Crust:

2 c Flour
1 tsp Salt
2/3 c Butter
6 TB Cold Water

Combine flour and salt.
Cut in butter with a pastry blender until pea sized crumbles form.
Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until dough is moist.
Divide dough in two.
Roll each ball out into a rectangle.
Lay one half of rectangle over ramekin.

Filling:

Chicken Breasts
Frozen Vegetables (Beans, Carrots, Broccoli, etc.)
Parsley
Chicken Broth
Cornstarch
Salt
Cream Cheese

Boil chicken with salt. When cooked through, cut chicken up.
Cook vegetables in a little water, add parsley and some salt.
Heat chicken broth until simmering and whisk in cornstarch until mixture thickens. Add cream cheese and salt, stir until combined.
Combine gravy, chicken, and vegetables. Spoon into bottom of ramekins.
Fold the other half of the rectangle of dough over the filling and pinch the edges closed.
Bake at 400˚ for 20-30 min.

Mexican Casserole

I reeeeeally love Mexican food. It's got to be my favorite ethnic cuisine, and I will almost never turn it down. I developed this Mexican casserole as an easy and fairly quick way to get my Mexican food fix and of course, guacamole is always a complimentary side : )

Ingredients:

Layer 1 (bottom)
Tortilla Chips

Layer 2
2 TB Butter
Diced Onion
1/2 lb Ground Beef
Beef Broth (From Bullion)
Cumin
Turmeric
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Powder
Lime/Lemon Juice
Diced Tomato
Frozen Mexican Style Veggies


Layer 3
Rice
Diced Onion
Diced Tomato
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Powder
Lime/Lemon Juice

Layer 4
Refried Beans

Layer 5
Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350˚ F
-Spread tortilla chips on the bottom of a 9x9 pan.  
-Layer 2: Melt butter in frying pan and saute onions for a couple minutes. Add beef stock and meat as well as all spices. Break meat down and allow it to simmer. After about 5 minutes, add the frozen veggies. Cover on medium heat for another 5-10 minutes allowing most of the water to cook out. Add lime/lemon juice and the diced tomato. Allow the rest of the water to cook out of the meat. Spread the meat mixture over the chips.
-Layer 3: Cook rice as you normally would. After about 10 minutes add the other ingredients and let most of the water cook out of the mixture. If there is still some water in it it's fine. Spread over top of meat.
-Spread refried beans on top of rice.
-Sprinkle cheese on top of beans.
-Cook 20-30 minutes or until cheese is completely melted but not quite browning.

 
Guacamole:

Ripe Avocado
Salt
Garlic Powder
Cilantro
Lime Juice
Diced Tomato
Diced Onion, Preferably Red

Split avocado in half and peel the skin away. Mash with a fork or a pastry blender. Add spices and lime juice to taste. Chop onion finely and dice tomatoes then add to mixture. Stir until well combined. Be sure to do a taste test to see if it's the right balance of ingredients.

Note: You can tell an avocado's ripe when it's soft to the touch and the skin has a purple-brown tinge to it. 

Polish Heritage

Ever since I made samosas a few weeks back I've been curious to see if I could make pierogies this way. As it turns out, you can! This method worked really well for me and definitely satiated my craving for good Polish food. Usually I only get pierogies once a year, which is at Christmas when my Mom takes the time to go through the pain-staking process of making them from scratch. I have to say that these tasted just about identical to the ones my Mom makes, though they were a little less pretty. However, I didn't have to use all the fancy kitchen gear, which was a big plus (that stuff can get majorly expensive and I don't have any of it). So here is the recipe I came up with. It seems complicated, but is sooo worth it! I wound up with ~26 pierogies using this recipe, which means I have a bunch for the freezer that I can defrost at a later date : ) Also, I recommend serving the pierogies with some nice delicious kielbasa, soooooo freaking good!

Recipe:

Dough:

3 c Flour
2 tsp Salt
1/2 c Butter
2/3 c Sour Cream
1 Egg
6+ TB Cold Water

-Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
-Cut in butter until a crumbly mixture forms.
-Mix in sour cream and egg.
-Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until the dough forms into a ball.
-Knead on a floured surface for a few minutes until dough is smooth.
-Set aside and let rest.

Filling:

3 Medium Potatoes
2-3 TB Butter
1 Medium Onion, Diced Finely
Salt & Pepper
Garlic Salt
Cheddar Cheese

-Peel potatoes and cut into cubes. Boil until cooked through. Drain potatoes and place them in a stainless steel bowl.
-Using a pastry blender, slice potatoes until slightly crushed but not completely mashed.
-Melt butter in a pan and saute diced onion until translucent. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste.
-Pour sauteed onions into the bowl with the potatoes and add shredded cheddar.  Stir until integrated and cheese is melted into mixture.

Assembly:

Small Bowl Water
Large Pot Boiling Water
2-3 TB Butter
1 Medium Onion, Chopped

Method 1 (Makes triangular pierogies)
-Separate dough into 16 balls. Roll each ball out into a circle 5"-6" in diameter. Cut the circle in half. Each piece will make one pierogie. 
-Scoop a small amount of potato mixture onto one side of the semi-circle. Dab water along the edges of the dough and fold the dough in half to create a triangle. Pinch edges closed along seams and use more water if necessary to completely seal the edges.
-Drop 5-6 pierogies at a time into the boiling water. Once they begin to float after a couple minutes, remove them from the water using a slated spoon. Set aside on a jelly-roll pan.
-Allow pierogies to dry out sufficiently.
-Saute with butter and onions in a frying pan until lightly browned.

 Method 2 (Makes half-circle pierogies)
-Separate dough into 28 balls. Roll each ball out into a circle 4"-5" in diameter.
-Scoop a small amount of potato mixture onto one side of the circle. Dab water along the edges of the dough and fold the dough in half to create a semi-circle. Pinch edges closed along seams and use more water if necessary to completely seal the edges.
-Drop 5-6 pierogies at a time into the boiling water. Once they begin to float after a couple minutes, remove them from the water using a slated spoon. Set aside on a jelly-roll pan.
-Allow pierogies to dry out sufficiently.
-Saute with butter and onions in a frying pan until lightly browned.

Note: Usually you will run out of potato filling before you run out of dough. In this case, what my Mom always did was make noodles from the remaining dough. All you have to do is roll the dough out, cut it into thin strips, boil the strips, and air dry them then fry them up with the pierogies.

 

(Pierogies air drying)

 (Pierogies once cooked)

Ground Chicken Meatloaf

The idea of this meatloaf was intriguing to me, and it turned out really nicely. It kind of reminded me of chicken parmesan in a slightly different form. This put me in a weird place: spaghetti noodles (chicken parmesan) or mashed potatoes (meatloaf)? I opted for the potatoes, it just seemed more right somehow. The recipe is basically exactly the same as regular meatloaf, except using either ground chicken or turkey (I used turkey). I got the recipe from:

http://joelens.blogspot.com/2011/01/4-meatloaves-to-slice-into.html

and here is the recipe itself:

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken (ground turkey can be substituted)
1 egg
1/4 c breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup pasta sauce (homemade or store bought)
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
minced parsley for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the first set of ingredients. Careful not to over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough.

Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and press lightly into pan. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.

After 30 minutes, remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Modern Mac & Cheese

Honestly, this is hands down the BEST recipe I have ever created on my own, and I'm quite proud of it : ) It's not that difficult to make, and it's super rich and full of flavor. Kraft mac & cheese has always been an old stand-by for me since childhood, and while I still enjoy Kraft or sometimes Velveeta, this is by far the best version of this classic dish that I could ever dream of.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
Diced Tomatoes
Red Wine Vinegar
Fresh Chopped Basil
Diced Bacon
Salt to Taste

Macaroni Shells (I prefer the small ones)

Cream Cheese
Butter
Milk
Shredded Cheese (I like to mix sharp cheddar and some parmesan)
Salt to Taste
Cornstarch

Directions:

Cook diced tomatoes in olive oil at high heat for 5 min. Add basil and vinegar, cook until the vinegar cooks off a little. Add diced bacon and salt then cook for 10-15 min or until bacon is fully cooked. Be sure to stir occasionally so bacon and tomatoes don't blacken too much.

Boil shells in water until fully cooked, set aside.

Combine cream cheese and butter in a saucepan and cook at low heat until both start to melt and combine. Turn up the heat and pour some milk into the pan, stir until combined. Add shredded cheese and allow it to melt into mixture. Add salt to taste and then slowly add cornstarch until sauce thickens.

Pour bacon/tomato mixture into the sauce and stir. Add the shells and stir until coated with the cheese sauce. Serve immediately!

Post V-Day Celebration

In honor of the day after the most disappointing day of the year (kidding mostly haha), I made a chocolatey dinner of deliciousness. Originally, I used a recipe for the crepes I found online, but the batter just wasn't working for me, so I modified the ingredients and measurements by combining it with another crepe recipe I have. So here it is, enjoy!

Crepe Recipe:
 1 c Flour
2 Eggs
1/2 c Milk
1/2 c Water
2 TB Butter, melted
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 c Cocoa Powder

Whisk all ingredients together. Pour 1/4 c of batter into frying pan at low-medium heat (spray with cooking spray first). When the crepe is solid enough, flip it. Each crepe should take a couple minutes.
Makes 6-8 crepes depending on size and thickness.

Filling Recipe:
Cream Cheese
Jam

Let cream cheese soften, then mix together with jam (I used raspberry).

Chocolate Topping:
Powdered Sugar
Cocoa Powder
Milk
Chocolate
Corn Starch

Combine sugar and cocoa in a double boiler. Whisk in milk. Add a little solid chocolate and stir until melted. Whisk in a little corn starch at a time until the sauce starts to thicken.

Assembly:

Spread a little bit of the jam mixture on a crepe. Add diced strawberries- or any preferred fruit really- and roll the crepe up laying seam side down. Sift powdered sugar on top of crepes, then pour some of the chocolate sauce over them. Add some extra strawberries on top.

Another cool idea for decoration- shaved chocolate : )

Old Fashioned Home Cookin'

Tonight I made Shepherd's Pie for dinner : D It's one of my favorite home-cooked meals, and quite delicious. I've found that everybody's version of this dish is fairly different, but one thing is for sure, good creamy mashed potatoes on top are a must!!! This dish is pretty simple overall, and I prefer to make one per person in these cute little ramekins my Mom gave me.

My recipe:

Medium Sized Onion
Ground Beef
Beef Stock from Bullion
Salt
Parsley
Garlic Salt
Cumin
Sage
Frozen Vegetables
Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Mashed Potatoes

Sorry in advance for the lack of measurements, I stopped measuring ingredients awhile ago and find that I can get a good feel for the "right amount" most of the time without measuring.

-Dice onions and put in a large frying pan. Add ground beef and beef stock, occasionally stirring and breaking meat down. Saute meat until it is cooked through.
-Add seasonings (I recommend only adding a little bit of sage and cumin, too much is overpowering)
-Add frozen veggies (I recommend anything with peas and carrots, and some beans. The bag I bought had a lot of beans, corn, and carrots). Add a little water if necessary and cook until the vegetables are cooked through. Drain any excess liquid.
-Put the meat/veggie mixture in the bottom of the ramekins or the bottom of a glass pan. Sprinkle with a little cheddar cheese.
-Make mashed potatoes as you normally would. I prefer using Idaho brown potatoes. I also like to put both sour cream and cream cheese in the potatoes to make them rich and creamy. Chives are a great addition if you have them on hand.
-Scoop mashed potatoes on top of meat. Spread so that meat is covered.
-Bake at 325 for 30 min. Turn the heat up to 450 and bake another 10 minutes if you want the pretty golden peaks : )

Super Bowl Sunday

I love the Super Bowl for two main reasons: the commercials and the food. Finger foods and dips are the traditional foods of the game, and this year, I made a whole bunch of goodies : ) I made the traditional "pigs in a blanket" as well as pizza bread, bacon cream cheese pinwheels, and some kick ass spinach artichoke dip that my sister gave me the recipe for. I made a 1/2 recipe because there were only 2 of us, but even with leftovers, it definitely got eaten.

2 8oz pkgs Cream Cheese, softened
3 TB Mayo
4 TB Sour Cream
3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced or pressed
2 Packages Frozen Spinach
2 Full Sized Cans Quartered Artichokes
1 Package Mozzarella Cheese
1 Package Cheddar Cheese

-Preheat oven to 325
-Boil water in a pot and cook the frozen spinach. Drain spinach and set aside.
-Drain the artichokes and spread them and the spinach on the bottom of a 13x9 pan.
-In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and garlic together. Spoon small amounts of cream cheese mixture over artichokes and spinach. Spread the cream cheese carefully, trying not to mix it into the spinach and artichoke mixture too much.
-Add cheese to top, cover with foil, and bake for about 40 minutes checking on the dish occasionally. When it's done cooking, mix it all up so that all the layers become integrated.

Monday Night Dinner

So tonight I was feeling kind of bold and decided to try making samosas. They are these delicious fried triangles from Southeast Asia and are filled with with a spicy potato mixture. I found a recipe on Foodgawker.com (my new muse), and they looked so good, that I've been dying to make them ever since. My Mom bought some awhile back, and I remembered them being pretty delicious, so I used the best looking recipe I could find. They turned out pretty well, though I have to say, this recipe didn't seem to have enough dough to make all the samosas. . . Rolling the dough out too thin makes them weaker and a lot harder to work with, which left me with quite a bit of extra filling (no problem since the filling is delicious and it's quite good on it's own). So that said, I think next time I will double the dough recipe. Here's what the filling looks like:

Here's what the samosas look like when they're done:

The recipe I used combined this recipe and another I can't find now:

http://threemanycooks.com/recipes/nibbles-and-drinks/spicy-potato-samosas/

Pastry Dough: (not doubled yet, though I would recommend it)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; more for dusting
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 Tbs. vegetable shortening
6-7 Tbs. cold water

Filling:
2 medium potatoes
1 small onion, diced
1/4-1/2 lb ground chicken or pork
3/4 C frozen mixed vegetable Thawed (I recommend something with corn or beans)
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric

Make the dough:
Mix the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening. Add the water slowly until a ball of dough forms. Take the dough and gather it into a smooth ball. Cover and let rest for 1/2 hour.

Make the Filling:
In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Peel and cut potatoes, then boil for 8-10 mins or until cooked through. Drain potatoes, and once potatoes are completely cool, diced into smaller pieces (1cm cube)

In a large pan or a wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add in onion and cook for 2-3 mins. Then, add in the ground chicken/pork. Stir. When the ground chicken/pork is fully cooked, add in mixed vegetable and diced potatoes. Add in all seasoning. Cook for another 2-3 mins. Stir and lightly crush the filling mixture. Transfer the filling into a bowl and let it cool for 10 mins.

Assemble the samosas:

Knead the dough for a minute and divide into 8 equal parts. Working one at a time, place a ball of dough on your work surface, dust it lightly with flour, and roll it into a 6-inch circle. Cut the rolled circle in half. Now you have two semicircles. Each semi-circle will make a samosa.

Place a small bowl of water next to your work surface to help seal the seams. Moisten the semi-circle’s straight edge with water and fold in half. Press the edges securely together to seal. Fill the cone with one heaping tablespoons of the potato filling. Moisten the open side of the cone with water and pinch the opening closed.

Fry the samosas:
When ready to fry the samosas, heat about 4 inches of vegetable oil in a large pan to about 350° F.  Add the samosas in batches of 3-4, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook the samosas, turning often, until they’re golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer samosas to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve immediately

Weekend Cooking Spree

So, here are the results of my weekend baking spree! First, I cooked some of my favorite cookies of all time, chocolate chocolate chip cookies. These are great to add peanut butter chips to instead of chocolate chips, but usually, I prefer all chocolate :) I like this recipe because it's just the right combination of chocolate- not too sweet, but not boring tasting. Also, this is a super simple recipe, and really quick to make!

1 cup butter
1¼ cup sugar

2 large eggs

½ cup cocoa powder
2¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp.  salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
Beat together the butter and sugar, then add eggs. In separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and then mix with the butter-sugar mixture until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. I recommend putting the dough in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes to make it easier to work with. Scoop and place on baking sheets,  bake 12-15 minutes. Eat warm with a cold glass of milk : )

The original recipe can be found at: http://annies-eats.net/2011/01/14/giant-double-chocolate-cookies/

Next on my agenda was trying to make these wonderful looking cinnamon rolls. Mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty, but they tasted delicious! I think I didn't let the dough rise in a warm enough place 

because they weren't as fluffy as I'd have liked. Those yeast breads sure are finicky! The recipe is quite long on this one, but it's pretty well worth it. I'm not sure that all the extensive rising times are necessary, but I did it anyways, just in case. I will just post the website I found this recipe on since it is so long:

http://www.sprinkledwithflour.com/2011/01/cinnamon-rolls.html

Maybe my favorite thing I made this weekend was a very simple and incredibly delicious pizza bread. It was a lot like eating a calzone, actually. This recipe takes next to no time to put together, and is a good alternative to store-bought pizza or even fresh pizza (there's no Jet's pizza out here, : ( waaaaah ). I made it Friday for my roommate and I, and we devoured it before I even remembered to take pictures of it! So sorry, all I have is the unbaked picture and the recipe.

All you need is:
1 Tube french bread dough (you can find this in the refrigerated section by the Pillsbury crescent rolls)
Pepperoni
Mozzarella cheese
Marinara sauce for dipping (if desired)
1 egg, beaten
Italian Spices

Start off by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Now roll out the french bread to one long rectangle. Spread the mozzarella and pepperoni evenly over the surface of the dough. Roll the bread tightly into a cylindrical shape, and make sure the seams are pinched closed so no cheese escapes. Brush the beaten egg over the surface of the loaf and sprinkle with Italian seasonings. Bake 20-25 minutes until the top is a light golden brown.

Recipe: http://fakeginger.com/?p=1568

I'm sure it won't be too long until I have another baking spree, haha, I can't seem to keep myself away from it! Anyways, if you try any of these recipes out, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Hello!

My kitchen space/laboratory!

Hey there, world, friends, and/or random strangers. My name is Lauren, and I like cooking and baking as well as sharing recipes. I use the website foodgawker.com a lot to find good recipes, and the pictures on that site are fabulous as well. . . When I post about something I cooked, I'll probably try to add a picture or two, but I wouldn't expect much by way of quality : P The lighting in my kitchen is terrible, and I don't have a great camera, but I'll try to take some decent pics! Also, I plan on going on a baking spree this weekend, so I figured now was a better time than ever to start my blog!