A little inspiration from everywhere, including my dad. Thanks Dad! This recipe has flavorful rice, moist chicken, savory apples and delicious veggies. I'm eating leftovers today,which is all thrown together and it tastes great that way too!
Chicken - I eyeballed measurements, so I hope it's close!
4 Chicken Thighs
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp water
1/2 C bread crumbs
1/4 C fresh Parmesan cheese
1 T paprika
1 t garlic salt
Pre-heat oven to 350 deg. Spray cookie sheet with Pam. Pre-heat skillet with oil over medium heat. Pat chicken dry. In one bowl mix egg and water. In another bowl mix bread crumbs, cheese, paprika, salt. Dip chicken, one at a time, in egg then in bread mixture. Coating well. Brown in skillet. The chicken will not be cooked through. We want to seal the chicken in the crusty bread. Transfer chicken to cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
Rice -change amount of rice as needed
2 C water
1 C rice
1 T chicken bouillon
Bring water to a boil in a pot that has a cover. Add bouillon and rice. Bring temperature to Low and cover. Let sit on Low heat for 20 minutes.
Apples
4 medium apples (we used a red apple good for baking)
1/4 C brown sugar (more or less to taste)
2 t Ground Cinnamon (more or less to taste)
Pre-heat oven to 350 deg. Core and slice apples. We did not peel them, but you can if you or your kids don't like the skin. Place apple slices, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Toss to coat. Place apples on baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve warm. ** this also fills your house with a wonderful smell! You may want to do more apples late in the afternoon and get this done first, prior to the chicken so you can snack while you cook.....Yes, I'm that bad**
Vegetables
I cheated. Grab a bag or two of steam in the microwave veggies. Pour cooked veggies in a bowl, serve.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Chicken Souvlaki
I love a good gyro or souvlaki, however most of the dishes I found to try over the years just weren't up to par. This one is pretty good. Not an exact match to my beloved tzatziki sauce, but pretty darn good. Hey, I woofed it down!
Serves 4
For the chicken souvlaki:
2 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1 1/2 t fresh oregano
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t coarse salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 pita bread
lettuce leaves
tomato slices
onion slices
Whisk together first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken thighs. Toss to coat and let marinade for at least 30 minutes (I let it sit for an hour, turning once). Pre-heat broiler to high. Place chicken on a baking sheet and broil for 4 minutes. Flip chicken over and broil for an additional 4 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, about 180 deg F. Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks.
You can either stuff your pita or fold it like a taco. Fill the bread with lettuce, tomato, onion and chicken. Top with tzatziki sauce to taste.
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
1 C Greek Yogurt (full fat is fine)
1/4 C diced seedless, peeled cucumber (about half a cucumber)
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t olive oil
1 t lemon juice
1/4 t coarse salt
pinch black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
Serves 4
For the chicken souvlaki:
2 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1 1/2 t fresh oregano
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t coarse salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 pita bread
lettuce leaves
tomato slices
onion slices
Whisk together first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken thighs. Toss to coat and let marinade for at least 30 minutes (I let it sit for an hour, turning once). Pre-heat broiler to high. Place chicken on a baking sheet and broil for 4 minutes. Flip chicken over and broil for an additional 4 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, about 180 deg F. Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks.
You can either stuff your pita or fold it like a taco. Fill the bread with lettuce, tomato, onion and chicken. Top with tzatziki sauce to taste.
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
1 C Greek Yogurt (full fat is fine)
1/4 C diced seedless, peeled cucumber (about half a cucumber)
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t olive oil
1 t lemon juice
1/4 t coarse salt
pinch black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Kielbasa Bundles
Hello foodie friends. Yes, it has been a while. Here is something I made for lunch today with the family. It was fun having the kids help out when they could.
1/2 lb fully cooked kielbasa or Polish Sausage, chopped (I used Polska Kielbasa, 14 oz)
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 C green pepper, chopped (I used 1/4 green pepper, little over 1/4 C)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T butter
1/3 C barbecue sauce (I had Hickory Smoked on hand)
2 tubes (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
4 slices American cheese slices, halved
1 egg white
1 T water
Sesame Seeds
Pre-heat oven to 350 Deg.
In a large skillet (try deep dish), cook sausage for 5 minutes over medium heat. Drain any fat. Add onion, green pepper, garlic, and butter. Cook until vegetables are tender, about another 5 minutes. Stir in barbecue sauce and heat through.
While the vegetables are cooking; unroll crescent dough and separate into four rectangles; seal perforations. Place a cheese slice on half of each rectangle; top with 2 T sausage mixture. Fold dough over filling and pinch sides. Tuck any remaining dough underneath. Beat egg white and water together in a small bowl; brush over dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 8 bundles.
1/2 lb fully cooked kielbasa or Polish Sausage, chopped (I used Polska Kielbasa, 14 oz)
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 C green pepper, chopped (I used 1/4 green pepper, little over 1/4 C)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T butter
1/3 C barbecue sauce (I had Hickory Smoked on hand)
2 tubes (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
4 slices American cheese slices, halved
1 egg white
1 T water
Sesame Seeds
Pre-heat oven to 350 Deg.
In a large skillet (try deep dish), cook sausage for 5 minutes over medium heat. Drain any fat. Add onion, green pepper, garlic, and butter. Cook until vegetables are tender, about another 5 minutes. Stir in barbecue sauce and heat through.
While the vegetables are cooking; unroll crescent dough and separate into four rectangles; seal perforations. Place a cheese slice on half of each rectangle; top with 2 T sausage mixture. Fold dough over filling and pinch sides. Tuck any remaining dough underneath. Beat egg white and water together in a small bowl; brush over dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 8 bundles.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Julie & Julia
Last night I had the pleasure of watching the movie Julie and Julia with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Growing up I liked Meryl Streep but I fell in love with her in the Devil Wears Prada. I find it ironic that I see myself as Andy in the Devil Wears Prada. I also see myself as Julie and just laugh. I find myself as a mix of these two. Here I am, a wife and mom wanting to further my knowledge in the cooking field. I don't mind cooking a meal twice - there are favorites, but I am always wanting to try a new recipe. On the flip side, cooking calms the nerves and I feel a sense of accomplishment and love when I prepare a "Sunday Dinner" for friends and family. Call it a love language. And here, I have a blog. If one (or any) of the Food Network Stars ever told me that my blog was terrible I would be heart broken like Julie in the movie. Then I would get over it and move on. It's my blog. =)
There's nothing more pleasing than going shopping for a specific dinner. Strolling down the isle of the market, picking out the freshest red meat, herbs with aroma that takes you places for a moment in time, the softness of a ripe peach that reminds you of warm mornings in bed.....I should go to cooking school..... Funny....someone with the mind set and previous track of an engineer going to cooking school....
Bon Appetit!
There's nothing more pleasing than going shopping for a specific dinner. Strolling down the isle of the market, picking out the freshest red meat, herbs with aroma that takes you places for a moment in time, the softness of a ripe peach that reminds you of warm mornings in bed.....I should go to cooking school..... Funny....someone with the mind set and previous track of an engineer going to cooking school....
Bon Appetit!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Banquet Dinner
Yes, I love to cook. Yes, I love to try new things. Yes, I want a quick dinner every once in a while that I just don't have to think about.
Dave and I were grocery shopping a couple weeks ago. We saw a dinner in a box deal by Banquet (yes, those instant lunch/dinner deals - but not in the frozen section). Ham and hashbrowns in cheese. Sounds yummy. I didn't think it was that bad. My kids - and it's been over 2 years.....I should know better.... didn't like it. I've cooked my kids meals for them ever since they started solids. They do NOT like any kind of instant dinner/lunch. I can't even get them to eat Chef Boyarde.......
Dave and I were grocery shopping a couple weeks ago. We saw a dinner in a box deal by Banquet (yes, those instant lunch/dinner deals - but not in the frozen section). Ham and hashbrowns in cheese. Sounds yummy. I didn't think it was that bad. My kids - and it's been over 2 years.....I should know better.... didn't like it. I've cooked my kids meals for them ever since they started solids. They do NOT like any kind of instant dinner/lunch. I can't even get them to eat Chef Boyarde.......
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Taco Soup
My neighbor gave me this recpie of her's (among with others which I will share later). Thank you, Maggie!
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 t minced garlic
2 cans navy beans, undrained
1 can sweet corn, undrained
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can diced green chilies
2 packages taco seasoning
sour cream ~dallop per bowl
1 C shredded cheese (your choice)
Tortilla Chips
Brown beef, onion and garlic in large pot. Drain any fat. Add all other items to pot. Bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes or until heated through.
Serve soup in bowls, top with sour cream and cheese if desired (I recommend). We used the tortilla chips as our spoons. Kids LOVED this dish. They thought it was so much fun eating soup with chips.
I used cheddar cheese, you can use mexican blend cheese if you like. After you brown your meat, you can toss everything (except sour cream and cheese) in a slow cooker and let that go, on low, for a few hours in the afternoon.
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 t minced garlic
2 cans navy beans, undrained
1 can sweet corn, undrained
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can diced green chilies
2 packages taco seasoning
sour cream ~dallop per bowl
1 C shredded cheese (your choice)
Tortilla Chips
Brown beef, onion and garlic in large pot. Drain any fat. Add all other items to pot. Bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes or until heated through.
Serve soup in bowls, top with sour cream and cheese if desired (I recommend). We used the tortilla chips as our spoons. Kids LOVED this dish. They thought it was so much fun eating soup with chips.
I used cheddar cheese, you can use mexican blend cheese if you like. After you brown your meat, you can toss everything (except sour cream and cheese) in a slow cooker and let that go, on low, for a few hours in the afternoon.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Dijon Tilapia with Capers
You know what makes me feel terrible? I have tried new recipes and I can't remember to get on here and post them! Well, I guess working OT will do that to a person.
Tonight I didn't want chicken or ground beef. I saw the tilapia again... Yum. Ran out of cheese. Doesn't that put a damper on things? Typically, yes, but not today! My dish below I realized once I plated it was all white. However, you can tweak it, as always! My kiddos ate it, so I'm not complaining. The dijon mustard give it a nice flavor while the sour cream smooths it out.
If you don't know much about fish, or don't really eat it, you'll love tilapia. It is a VERY mild tasting fish. I say that because I like fish and tilapia doesn't taste like fish at all. It almost has no flavor. It's very bland and just cooking it with the pam give it a nice buttery flavor (I love butter). It is a wonderful fish to get to know and learn how to cook with.
3 Tilapia loins
Pam or some Butter
1/3 C Sour Cream
1 T Milk
1 T Dijon Mustard
2 t capers, drained
1 box scalloped potatoes, cooked according to pkg directions
2 C frozen broccoli and cauliflower, steamed
Spray a cookie sheet with pam. Place tilapia on the sheet. Spray fish with Pam. Bake at 450 deg for 4-6 minutes. Flip and cook another few minutes until cooked through if needed.
While your fish is cooking, mix sour cream, milk and mustard in a small pot over low heat. Do not bring to a boil! Add the capers once it's all mixed.
Plate your fish and pour (yes, it will be thick) the sauce over the fish. Serve with potatoes and veggies. *you could add more milk (careful here) to make it less viscous.
Tonight I didn't want chicken or ground beef. I saw the tilapia again... Yum. Ran out of cheese. Doesn't that put a damper on things? Typically, yes, but not today! My dish below I realized once I plated it was all white. However, you can tweak it, as always! My kiddos ate it, so I'm not complaining. The dijon mustard give it a nice flavor while the sour cream smooths it out.
If you don't know much about fish, or don't really eat it, you'll love tilapia. It is a VERY mild tasting fish. I say that because I like fish and tilapia doesn't taste like fish at all. It almost has no flavor. It's very bland and just cooking it with the pam give it a nice buttery flavor (I love butter). It is a wonderful fish to get to know and learn how to cook with.
3 Tilapia loins
Pam or some Butter
1/3 C Sour Cream
1 T Milk
1 T Dijon Mustard
2 t capers, drained
1 box scalloped potatoes, cooked according to pkg directions
2 C frozen broccoli and cauliflower, steamed
Spray a cookie sheet with pam. Place tilapia on the sheet. Spray fish with Pam. Bake at 450 deg for 4-6 minutes. Flip and cook another few minutes until cooked through if needed.
While your fish is cooking, mix sour cream, milk and mustard in a small pot over low heat. Do not bring to a boil! Add the capers once it's all mixed.
Plate your fish and pour (yes, it will be thick) the sauce over the fish. Serve with potatoes and veggies. *you could add more milk (careful here) to make it less viscous.
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