Thai Chicken Quinoa

My husband is not a fan of quinoa. I'm not sure why. I mean it's in a ton of trendy health recipes lately and he's always telling me to cook healthier for him. Quinoa is easy to keep stocked in the pantry, easy to cook, and full of protein. So last night when my husband was at school late, I decided it was the perfect night to serve myself up some quinoa. It was so good that when my husband begrudgingly took leftovers for lunch today, I got a text telling me how "awesome" it was. 😄

Thai Chicken Quinoa 

YIELD: SERVES 4

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

ingredients:

1 cups uncooked quinoa then cooked, (I cook mine in 2 cups chicken stock with a little salt for about 20 minutes, similar to couscous)
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (try to chop chicken and veggies same size)
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup shelled edamame
1 cup chopped green onions

3/4 cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro

sauce
1/2 tsp chili sauce
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter 
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 lime, juice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Melt sauce over stove while you sautée veggies, then mix it all together and salt and pepper it. Add vegetable oil and soy sauce if it needs more liquid. Yum yum! 

Roasted red potato fries

Roasted potatoes have always seemed like a hassle to me. They take forever and usually end up sticking to the pan and making a mess. Well I finally found a way to do them quickly and deliciously in just 20 minutes! (I know, Q was shocked too.) 

Cut up your potatoes in wedges

Douse equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar 

Salt and pepper

Cover with fresh herbs 

Bake on cookie sheet at 450 to 20 minutes and your done!

Crispy golden goodness. Didn't even need fry sauce. 

Pistachio French Macaroons

So a lot of my new friends here are wonderful and amazing women. Many of them are also what I like to call "fancy pants". Their houses are perfect and look like a designer pinterest board. They always dress beautifully and are sweet and generous and I hope I can learn how to get my crap together like them some day. Anyway, I wanted to make some "thank you" treats for my "fancy pants" friends. I got inspired while at the River Market. Bloom Bakery makes these to die for french macarons. But they are also $2 a pop, and my wallet wants to die whenever I step foot into that place. I figured, how hard can it be to make my own macarons? Well truthfully? It's dang hard. But now that I've got one batch under my belt, I think it can only get easier. Right? Well here's hoping.

I love giving baked goods away in these martha stewart treat boxes. It makes even ordinary cookies fun!

 French Macaron Recipe Ingredients
4 large egg whites 1/3 cup white sugar plus 1 tsp
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar plus 4 tsp
1 cup plus 3 tsp almond flour (also known as almong meal)
Tiny pinch of iodized salt
Food coloring of your choice (I used green to match my pistachio theme)
Crushed pistachios for the top of the cookies (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 300 degree

Mix egg whites and white sugar in your kitchen aid until the peaks are stiff and nothing falls out when you turn the bowl upside down. (Mix it 1-2 minutes after nothing will fall out of the bowl.) Add your food coloring and mix for only about 20 more seconds. Put a little extra color than you think you need because the color usually will fade during baking.

Sift the almond meal and icing sugar and salt twice, discarding all the lumps that are too big to pass through your sifter. (This is boring, fair warning.) Fold into the egg white mixture. It should take roughly 30-50 folds using a rubber spatula.  The mixture should be smooth and not runny. Over-mix and your macarons will be flat, under mix and they will not be smooth on top - so be careful! Then you put your cookie mix into a piping bag and pipe little drops about 1-2 inches big on your silpat or parchment paper. I used a silpat. You will want to tap your cookie sheet on your counter about 5 or 6 times pretty harshly to get out all the air bubbles. I wasn't super rough with mine and mine cracked a bit because of that. So be careful. 

Many recipes I found varied in the amount of cooking time. Some were 12 minutes, others were 20 minutes. I actually ended up cooking mine 30 minutes which probably was a little too long. But the main thing you want is to make sure the cookies come off clean when you take them out of the oven, because if they don't you will have a crusty outside and goopy inside. Anyway, this was a tough one, delish, but tough. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I've been owing a thank you to a sweet friend of mine for weeks. I figured what better way to give someone a treat, than to add a little "fall" to my gift. Anything pumpkin flavored is instantly festive and more fun. 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
6 ounce container plain yogurt
3 eggs
15 oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups flour 
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon iodized salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  This makes 2 loaves. One for you, one for a friend - yay! When combining ingredients being careful to not over mix.  When combined, gently stir in chocolate chips.  Divide batter between loaf pans and sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs attached.  Don’t overbake and enjoy.

Eggs In a Basket

Got up early today and made some "eggs in a basket" for breakfast before church. These were pretty labor intensive for how typical the flavors were. If I were to make them again I'd try them with more exotic twist so my mouth wouldn't be so bored. Sorry Sunny. At least they were pretty.

Ingredients
3 large russet potatoes, peeled
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
6 slices prosciutto, about 2 1/2 ounces, chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
6 eggs
3/4 cup shredded provolone
Directions
Special equipment: jumbo sized 6-cup muffin tin

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor fitted with the grater attachment, push chunks of the potato through the chute to grate. Once all the potatoes are grated, put them into a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove the moisture. Add the potatoes to a large bowl, stir in the melted butter and season well with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spray the muffin tin lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Press the grated potatoes evenly into the muffin cups being sure the potatoes go up the sides and a thin layer and covers the bottom. Bake until the top edges turn light golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl toss together the prosciutto with maple syrup and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and gently crack an egg into each cup. Bake until the egg whites set but the yolk remains runny, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set the oven to broil. Top the eggs with grated cheese and put the maple prosciutto on another sheet tray. Broil both until cheese melts, and prosciutto crisps slightly, about 1 minute.

Top the eggs with crispy prosciutto and serve immediately.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eggs-in-baskets-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Banana Bread

My in-laws recently came to town and stayed with us. I bought some fruit to have in the house for people to snack on, but we were too busy eating barbecue to touch it. So I was left with several over ripe bananas. Banana bread to the rescue! I found this great easy recipe on the food network. 

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

I of course made it better by adding chopped dark chocolate peices. I gave my husband one piece for breakfast on his way to school, and the rest of the loaf ended up in my belly. I bet if you added flax seed this could keep you full for a half a day. I want to make this again this week!

Wedge Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

I guess I wasn't really thinking to clearly when I decided to cook straight through my mother in law's cook book because she started with a chapter of salads. All Q and I have been eating the last few days is salads! And while Q is happy he has lost 3 pounds, I need me some carbs! So tonight, we added bread sticks to our lovely Blue Cheese Salad.

 

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

2 Tbs parsley, chopped

2 Tbs vinegar

1 1/2 Tsp Onion chopped

1 1/2 Tsp fresh lemon juice

3 Oz blue cheese crumbled

Blend all the ingredients together except the blue cheese. Then blend in the blue cheese and refrigerate, yields 2 cups. 

Wash head lettuce, put in refrigerator until chilled. Cut lettuce into wedges. Arrange on a plate with dressing and other ingredients for presentation.(I tried to convince Q to let me add pizza as a topping to the salad, but he wasn't into it...)

Orange Almond Salad

We were invited over to a dinner party this week and contributed a salad to the meal. I may be alone in this, but I always like to watch to see how big of a portion people take of what I bring, and how quickly they consume it. Based on my weird food voyeurism at this party, the salad was a hit! 

1 Large Head Red Leaf Lettuce
1 Red Onion Thinly Sliced
2 Oranges Peeled and Thinly Sliced
1 Small Jicama Peeled and Cut Into Julienne Slices
4 Oz. Sliced Almonds
3 Tbs Sugar

Dressing:
1/2 Tsp Grated Orange Peel
1/2 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
2 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Dry Italian Dressing Mix

Place first four ingredients in a salad bowl, chill. In a skillet sprinkle sugar over almonds, cook over medium heat until the almonds are coated and sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Mix dressing ingredients in a jar, chill and pour salad dressing over chilled salad. Sprinkle with almonds, toss and serve. Serves 8. 

My husband loves to put his own little twists on recipes, so we made a few changes and added cold chicken as protein to the salad. We also added some chinese noodles. The jicama gives the salad enough crunch on its own, but I love me some carbs so I thought it was a great addition. 

Bon Appetite!

If the apron fits...

I have some big shoes to fill. 
Well in this case, it's oven mitts and an apron. 

My mother-in-law Peggy is a deliciously intimidating cook. I feel like so many of my memories of her involve watching her in her kitchen then sitting with the family as we devour her latest edible gift. I think she developed her talent for all things cuisine when she and her young family spent several years living in France. I mean, you don't take cooking classes from the professional chef to the Rothchilds (at the Ritz Carlton in Paris mind you) and not become a culinary bad ass.

And herein lies the problem. I'm now married to a man who's stomach is used to a lifetime of Peggy's spoils. Ramen noodles and tuna sandwiches are just not going to cut it. 

Luckily, a few years ago I was gifted the Holy Grail; The Nelson Family Cook Book. As I flipped through the book, you couldn't help but feel the love, the nostalgia, the flavors, that were all packed into this binder. I decided it would be fun (and terrifying) to cook my way through my mother in law's cook book this year. 

And that brings us to this blog. Why not document this foolish adventure online so everyone can share in my epic foodie fails? Every accidental swap of sugar for salt, every burnt cookie edge, every fallen souffle, will be shared here for your reading enjoyment. And hey, maybe every now and then when we fail in the kitchen I'll spare you a recipe and do a restaurant review instead. There will probably be a lot of those then...

Bon Appetite!