I love Halloween. Such a strange day.
I made this batch of snack mix for a Halloween party last weekend. Just Indian corn, yogurt pretzels, and chocolate covered raisins. I think it could have used some Halloween M&M’s and maybe some more chocolate covered peanuts, etc., but I thought that this was a festive Halloween photo :)
Have a spooky day :)
At our favorite Chinese restaurant, B and I love to order a meal called jalapeno chicken. It’s really simple, just stir fried bits of chicken and jalapenos served over white rice, and in the restaurant, it’s super spicy. So spicy that the chicken on its own will make your eyes water, and you can’t even eat the ton of jalapenos that come with it (though I have..). Delicious. I don’t know why, but I just love Chinese food if it’s really, really spicy. Anyway, we’ve replicated this meal at home a couple of times now, without some of the extra grease/breading that the restaurant uses on the chicken. It’s one of the easiest meals to prepare – just slice some jalapenos, dice some chicken, and stir fry it – and if you like spicy food, it’s pretty tasty. If you don’t like spicy food…well, I don’t think I’d try this, then :)
Jalapeno Chicken
Source: Original Recipe, to serve 2
1 cup white rice
1 large chicken breast, cut into small pieces
2-4 jalapenos (depending on the the quality of peppers and how spicy you want the meal to be)
Peanut oil
Soy sauce, if desired
1. Cook the white rice according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, heat a wok over high heat until hot, and then add enough peanut oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Stir fry the chicken and jalapenos in batches, mixing a small amount of each together in the pan. Drain the cooked chicken and peppers on a plate coated with paper towels while you are cooking the next batches.
3. Serve the chicken and jalapenos over white rice, with soy sauce if desired.
My Mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies that I’ve ever had. Buttery, chocolatey, delicious. I have her recipe, but every time I try to make them they come out of the oven ugly-looking and burnt. I’m not much of a baker, and it seems that I can’t make a good chocolate chip cookie to save my life. So, I make the cookies in bar form instead. It’s much more difficult to screw up, and the cookies are still super tasty. This recipe is by far my favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies, even if I can’t make them as delicious as my Mom. And the cookie dough is the best thing ever, too. The thought even crossed my mind while I was making these to make an extra batch of dough and freeze it in individual snack-size portions. Yes, I know that there’s uncooked egg in there that will cause me all sorts of illnesses. But really. This chocolate chip cookie dough is my favorite sweet of all time, which is saying a lot coming from someone who has such a big sweet tooth that it’s almost a disease. And yes…the cookies in cooked form are probably my second favorite sweet :)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Source: Mom
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
12 oz package chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and mix until creamy.
3. Add the eggs to the butter mixture and mix until incorporated. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, and then mix in the chocolate chips.
4. Spread the cookie dough into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.
I made this stew a few weeks ago (with this english muffin bread), but I never got around to blogging it. I wanted to make sure I did, though, because it was really good. Simmering in the crock pot all day, it made my house smell amazing, and the flavors were really intense and delicious. It was very different from your standard beef stew that has a hearty beef and vegetable flavor. This stew was cooked with red wine, beef broth, onions, garlic, thyme, bacon, and portabellas, and the flavor was really deep and rich. I want to say earthy but I feel like I’m being ridiculous. Anyway, it went great with my loaf of fresh crusty bread and a glass of cabernet. Next time I might even add more red wine to the stew to make it even more intense. This was the perfect meal for a chilly fall day.
Red Wine Beef Stew with Portabellas
Source: Adapted from About.com Southern Food
1 1/2 cups dry red wine (we used cabernet)
1 can beef broth
Extra virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
1-2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
1-2 pounds of lean stew beef, fat removed and cut into cubes
2 T all purpose flour, approximately
6 slices turkey bacon, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package fresh portabella mushrooms, sliced
8-10 baby red potatoes, cut in half
1. Toss the stew meat in the flour to coat, and add it to the crock pot. Add the red wine, beef broth, a drizzle of olive oil, thyme, parsley, and bay leaves to the crock pot and stir with the meat to combine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Saute the turkey bacon until cooked. Add the chopped onions and continue cooking until they are translucent and begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook for one minute longer. Add the bacon, onions, and garlic to the crock pot.
3. Saute the portabella mushrooms in a drizzle of olive oil until the liquid is released and they begin to brown. Add to the crock pot.
4. Cover the crock pot and cook on high for approximately 4 hours. Add the potatoes to the stew and continue cooking 1-2 hours until the potatoes are tender. Serve with crusty bread.
We had some tacos over the weekend, and one of my favorite toppings to make for any kind of Mexican food is pico de gallo. It’s such a healthy salsa, with a really fresh flavor from the tomatoes and cilantro. I like to eat pico de gallo in tacos, in burritos, over enchiladas, or as a topping for grilled fish or chicken if I’m looking for a Mexican flavor. Actually, it’s pretty good straight from the bowl, too. :)
Pico de Gallo
Source: Original Recipe
I’ve made pico de gallo a million times over the past several years, using different recipes to make my own. This is the recipe that’s now become my standard that I use all of the time.
4 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno or hot pepper, finely chopped
1 can whole green chiles, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
1 lime
Salt and pepper
1. Combine the tomatoes, onion, pepper, chiles, and cilantro in a bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the salsa, or use the entire lime if you want the salsa to be a little more tart. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
This recipe was fantastic. I think it’s now my all-time favorite salmon recipe. The fish is seasoned with salt and pepper, topped with goat cheese, and wrapped in phyllo dough, and the end result is amazing. The phyllo dough is crispy and a little buttery, and the fish and cheese inside stays super hot the whole meal through, with a great creamy texture from the cheese. I thought that this might go well with a balsamic vinegar reduction, and I’m so glad that I added this to the meal. It added a sweet, syrupy contrast to the flavors of the salmon and cheese, and it was so good to dip each bite of the flaky phyllo dough into a little of the vinegar. I will be making this often.
Phyllo-Wrapped Salmon and Goat Cheese with Balsamic Reduction
Source: Adapted from Bella Lately
2 salmon filets
4 tablespoons goat cheese
12 sheets phyllo dough
2 tablespoons melted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lay the first sheet of phyllo down on your work surface and brush sparingly with melted butter. Repeat until you have 6 sheets layered on top of each other.
3. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place at an angle, pretty far into the phyllo so that the edges will close over the fish easily. Top the salmon with approximately two tablespoons of goat cheese. Bring the corner of the phyllo dough up on top of the fish and fold in the sides, wrapping the salmon like you would fold a burrito. When the salmon is wrapped, brush the top of the phyllo dough with more butter.
4. Repeat the process for the next salmon filet.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 35 minutes or until golden brown.
6. While the salmon is cooking, pour the balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the vinegar reduces and has thickened, approximately 5-10 minutes. Take the vinegar off of the heat, and it will thicken more as it cools.
7. Serve the salmon drizzled with the balsamic reduction.
I was trying to use up a bunch of leftovers and came up with this pizza. I was sort of looking for a Mexican feel with the cilantro, shrimp, and tomatoes, but I was a little worried about how a pizza would taste with cilantro. It turned out that I loved the cilantro flavor, and this ended up being one of my favorite pizzas that I’ve made at home. I used a light coating of olive oil and garlic for the sauce, sprinkled it with a bunch of cilantro, and then I added the cheese and toppings. I also used a lot of feta cheese…one of my very favorite ingredients on pizza.
Cilantro Shrimp Pizza
Source: Original Recipe
Pizza dough (I use the dough in this recipe)
Extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Mozzerella cheese, freshly shredded
Feta cheese (I used about 1/2 a container)
1 roma tomato, thinly sliced
1/3 package of turkey bacon, chopped into small pieces and cooked
12 shrimp, tails removed
1. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Spread the pizza dough onto a pan and lightly brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with black pepper and the minced garlic cloves.
3. Sprinkle the cilantro on the pizza and top with some mozzerella. Add the tomato slices and cooked bacon, and then top with more mozzerella and feta.
4. Cook the pizza for approximately 10 minutes, or until the crust has browned. Meanwhile, drizzle a pan with olive oil and season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Saute until just cooked, only 2-3 minutes. Chop the cooked shrimp into smaller pieces.
5. Add the shrimp to the pizza and sprinkle with a little more mozzerella. Return the pizza to the oven and cook just until the additional cheese has melted, 1-2 minutes.
I love oven fries. Love them. With a generous sprinkling of freshly cracked salt and a nice serving of ketchup, I can almost fool myself into thinking that I’m eating real fries :) The grease-soaked, artery-clogging French fries that we all know and love may always have their own place in my heart (hmmm….I guess that could be a literal statement, too), but I truthfully can say that I prefer these fries. They never leave me with a belly ache and I don’t have to worry about what they’re doing to my insides. They’re just potatoes, is all, with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper. I’m weird and like my French fries to be somewhat soggy, so I usually let them crisp up only half way. But if these fries were cooked a little longer, you could also make them super crispy, depending on your preferences. Yum.
Oven Fries
No source for this recipe….just an accumulation of tips I’ve read here and there along the way. I like to only sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper, but you can add any seasonings you’d like (garlic, chili powder, paprika, etc.) for seasoned fries. The following directions will make enough fries to serve two.
1 large russett potato
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly cracked salt and ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 450.
2. Slice the potato into thin matchsticks or thick wedges, depending on how you like your fries. Just make sure that all of your slices are approximately the same size, to ensure even cooking.
3. Place the potatoes in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes. This will allow the potatoes to release some of their starch and will help to ensure a crispier fry. Drain the water and then dry the potatoes well on paper towels.
4. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Toss with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Evenly spread the potatoes into one layer.
5. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes reach your desired level of doneness/crispiness. Turn the potatoes often while they are cooking to ensure even browning.
Sometimes I just crave a dinner like chicken fingers and French fries with lots of salt and ketchup. And I love making meals like this at home because I can make them really healthy and still satisfy that junk-food sort of craving. I’ve tried making homemade chicken tenders a million different ways, and these are one of the best ways that I’ve found to prepare them. The breading sticks really well to the chicken, unlike some other recipes that I’ve tried, plus it’s a really flavorful and healthy breading. Almonds, whole wheat flour, and spices. I love cooking with almonds in any way that I can because we love the flavor and because they are such an amazingly healthy food for you. Almond breadings are some of my favorites. With French fries baked in the oven, this is a grease-free, delicious, and healthy meal.
Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers
Source: Culinary in the Country
I cut this recipe in half to serve two people, omitted the oil in the breading, and used one whole egg instead of egg whites. Here’s the recipe as I made it.
1/4 cup almonds
1/8 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
1 egg
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1. Preheat oven to 475.
2. Set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.
3. In a food processor, add the almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt, and peppers and process until the almonds are finely chopped. Move the coating to a wide bowl.
4. In a small dish, whisk the egg. Add the strips of chicken and turn to coat, then coat each tender in the almond mixture. Place the breaded strips on the sprayed rack and coat with cooking spray.
5. Bake until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, approximately 20 minutes.
I’ve probably said this before, but B and I both really, really love Mexican food, particularly really authentic Mexican. It was almost an addiction at one point. Anyway, I always think it’s fun to find different ways to eat tacos and enchiladas. There are just so many recipes out there. I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while, mainly because I thought that the adobo red sauce would pair really well with the avocado filling. And it did! The sauce was awesome…really rich and smoky, completely unlike your typical red sauce. And with the filling, it tasted just like I was eating a guacamole enchilada. In fact, next time I think I might just mix up a batch of guacamole with all of my usual add-ins (tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper) and use it as the filling rather than the simpler filling in this recipe. I served these alongside black beans seasoned with plenty of salt and pepper and mixed with a heap of sauteed onions…by far my favorite way to cook them.
Avocado Enchiladas with Smoky Chipotle Sauce
Source: Adapted from Baking and Books
I switched this recipe around in a lot of places. I changed some of the sauce and filling ingredients, pureed the sauce in a food processor, and chose not to fry the tortillas. Because these don’t reheat well (the avocado does not last and will turn brown), I made the full sauce recipe and only enough filling for four enchiladas. I saved half of the sauce in the fridge and plan to make another batch of the filling for another dinner later this week.
2 chipotle chiles, diced, and 2 teaspoons of adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce, which I bought at Whole Foods)
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 vidalia onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (next time, I might use only 1 cup for a thicker sauce, and you can use vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian)
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 avocados
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 corn tortillas
Pepperjack cheese, freshly shredded
1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, brown sugar, cumin, and oregano, and sauté until the onion is soft. Add the chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Pour the sauce mixture into a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Heat the oven to 400° F. Peel and pit the avocados, and toss them with the lime juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper. Mash well.
3. Cover the bottom of a small casserole dish with some of the sauce. Spoon 1/4 of the avocado filling into each tortilla, sprinkle some pepperjack cheese on top, and roll the tortillas. Place the tortillas in the casserole dish, seam side down. Ladle the rest of the sauce over the rolled tortillas, top with more cheese, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
