Moroccan Chicken Drumstick Soup

I debated naming this "holy hell this is good" soup, but I figured it wasn't specific enough. I stumbled on this recipe by accident because I had some chicken drumsticks I needed to use in my freezer. This was the perfect application for them. The bones and extra fat add so much flavor to the soup, and since drumsticks are so affordable this is a very inexpensive meal. It's tastes spicy (in a cinnamon way, not a pepper way) and is just a very unique take on a traditional chicken soup. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 pounds chicken drumsticks bone in 

Water

4 carrots peeled and chopped 

5 celery stalks chopped 

1 large onion diced 

2 cloves garlic minced 

1 tsp red pepper flakes 

1 lemon 

1 bunch fresh Tyme 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg 

3 bay leaves 

Salt & pepper 

Optional add ins: 

1 can navy beans 

1 cup Acine de pepe or orchiette pasta 

Few sprigs fresh Cilantro for garnish 

Add olive oil to large medium heat pot, then add onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent and carrots are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper and thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and bay leaves and fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken plus about 2-3 extra inches of water depending on how much broth you like. Bring to boil then simmer for 30 minutes.

Cut your lemon in half and juice it into the pot. Then throw in your lemon halves. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional 2 hours.

Pull your chicken, lemons, and bay leaves out. Take the skin off the chicken and remove the bones and excess fat. Return just the good meat to the soup. Then depending on how much your broth has reduced, you can add your drained beans, or your cooked pasta. Season again with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with cilantro as a garnish. 

I would say this soup serves 4 people. It is delish and a one you should really try. 

Original recipe inspiration: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/chicken-noodle-soup-recipe.html

Lentil Soup

This lentil soup has been a go to fall and winter recipe for us for years. It's easy enough to make on a weeknight, makes plenty of leftovers, and is satisfying without being fattening. And it's affordable! It's a real winner winner not chicken dinner.  

4 strips of bacon

3 medium carrots

1 yellow onion

1 1/2 cup dry lentils

2 tsp dried Tyme 

Salt/pepper 

2 cans chicken broth 

1/2 cup water 

3 garlic cloves 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Chop your bacon into lentil sized peices. In a heavy soup pan crisp your bacon on medium heat. (Non crisp peices will be gross in the soup later, so be patient). Then chop your onion and carrots into lentil sized peices and add them into the pot. Cook until onions are clear. Add salt and pepper. Then add minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute. Then add your lentils, cans of stock, Tyme, and salt and pepper again. 

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 45 minutes. If you cook out all the stock you can add 1/2 cup of water later on. Add your vinegar at the end. Salt and pepper again as needed. You can top with Parmesan shavings if you want, but it really doesn't need it. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently made these chocolate chip pumpkin cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction. http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/09/04/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/  I fed them to my friends and they ranted and raved. My husband said they were the best pumpkin cookies he's ever eaten. High praise. I wasn't madly in love, but I did eat the entire batch in one day. So I guess I am being forced to save my version of this recipe for use next fall. (As you can see my cookies look nothing like Sally's. I didn't flatten mine as she suggested.)  

Mix together:

-1/2 cup MELTED butter (melted es muy importante) 

-1/4 cup packed brown sugar

-1/2 cup white sugar

-1 generous tsp vanilla

-7 tablespoons pumpkin purée 

Mix until smooth.

Then add on top of the pumpkin mixture without stiring yet:

-1.5 cups of flour 

-1/4 tsp baking soda

-1/4 tsp baking powder 

-1/2 tsp salt 

-1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 

-1/4 tsp cloves 

-1 tsp cinnamon 

-1 cup chocolate chips 

Once everything is sitting in a big pile on your pumpkin mixture, fluff all the dry ingredients to disperse them. Then mix them into the pumpkin mixture. Do not over mix. 

Because of the melted butter you MUST chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking. 

Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen cookies. 

Tico Black Beans

During our many visits to Costa Rica, one of my favorite things to eat was what they called a "tico breakfast". A tico is someone who is native to Costa Rica, so their tico breakfast is what all the natives preferred to have each morning. 

I've been on the hunt for a healthier breakfast routine for awhile. Something low in fat, full of protein, that won't have me hungry before lunch time. A tico breakfast is black beans mixed with white  rice to make a dirty rice, served with tortillas and a fried egg. Yum. 

Below is a combination of like 3 of my favorite black bean recipes. Perfect for my tico breakfast. 

2 cans black beans

1 bell pepper chopped

1 SMALL onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp dried cilantro

1/4 tsp red pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp white wine vinegar 

Salt 

Pepper

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Chop your onion and bell pepper and add to skillet. Once the onions are translucent add your garlic (minced). Then add your beans and all your spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Use a potato masher to break up the beans just a bit. Let beans simmer until they reach desired thickness. Salt and pepper to taste. Would be great topped with a Latin queso fresco. 

Yum! Pura Vida! 

Mushroom Risotto

I make a mean mushroom risotto. (I don't mean mean as in will punch you in the face and shove you in a locker mean, but this certainly will knock your socks off.)

It's creamy and filling and surprisingly low fat. I posted it on this blog awhile back and it's one of the recipes I come back to most. But the photo and directions were so terrible on my previous post, I need to redo it. Hopefully this one is clearer. Either way it's delicious. 

1 cup arborio rice

1 pkg mushrooms

2 cans chicken stock

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

1 cup white wine

Tyme 

Salt and pepper 

1/2 onion chopped 

Dice 1/2 of an onion. 

Put a large skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. 

Add your onion and sauté for a couple of minutes. 

Then add 1 cup arborio rice to the pan and sauté a couple more minutes. As you do this start your timer for 22 minutes. 

Add 1 cup white wine and cook on high until the liquid is absorbed. Stir frequently. 

While this cooks chop up 1 pkg of portobello mushrooms. (Or whatever type of mushroom you like.) In a separate pan cook your mushrooms in some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook the mushrooms down until nice and tender. Set aside. 

Back to the rice. You will now add 2 cans of WARM chicken broth in 1/2 cup increments. (I pop mine in the microwave to heat it up.) Keep stirring the risotto frequently and only add the next 1/2 cup when the previous liquid has been absorbed. Your goal is to get all of the stock absorbed by the time the timer says 22 minutes. You may need to turn up or down the heat based on how much time is left. I usually keep mine on high the whole time and just stir it constantly. 

Then stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. 

Add 6 or 7 sprigs of Tyme. 

Add in your mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. 

This should give you a very creamy and rich tasting dish! 

Ranch burgers with hand cut sweet potato fries

Tonight I made ranch burgers. They were delicious. I am always so disappointed in home made burgers because they just don't live up to what you can get in restaurants. But this burger makes the cut when it comes to satisfaction at home. 

Mix 1 pound ground beef (I used 80% lean) with a packet of hidden valley ranch dressing mix. Form into 4 patties 

Grill on a George Forman grill until outside is properly browned. 

While the burger is cooking melt a small pat of butter in a skillet and toast the inside of your hamburger buns. 

As soon as your hamburgers are cooked, top with sharp cheddar cheese so it can melt while the meat is super hot. 

Add fresh tomatoes, arugula, and your toasted bun and you have an amazing burger. 

As far as the fries go, I had some fresh local sweet potatoes I wanted to use. Wash and peel your sweet potatoes. Cut width wise into skinny disks, then cut length wise into fries. Coat with a fair amount of olive oil, sea salt, and rosemary. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 450 then if they need a little added crispness, broil for an added 5 minutes. Enjoy! 

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

I recently got this wonderful organic broccoli. So naturally I decided to make it into a fattening unhealthy Mac and Cheese. Mac and I are in a long term no good for you relationship. I love him so much, I want him everyday, but deep down I know he's no good for me. But on the days I give in, Wowzas. 

I made this gorgeous baked macaroni and cheese, but my husband dove into it before I remembered to take a photograph. So all I got was a shot of a few noodles on my kids high chair. If you want professional blog photos, I am not your gal. 

Boil 8 oz of macaroni noodles in salted water until al dente. You could use rotini or penne noodles as well. Just something that clings to the sauce. 

Boil or steam 1 head of broccoli that has been chopped into bite sized peices.

While that boils make a bechamel sauce. That is a fancy name for a white sauce. This recipe will make 2 cups of bechamel. 

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. 

Whisk in tablespoon by tablespoon a total of 4 tablespoons of flour. 

Remove from heat and slowly whisk in 2 cups milk. 

Return to heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue cooking until thickened (about 2 minutes.) 

Add salt and pepper to taste

Add 1/4 tsp nutmeg 

Add 1/4 tsp sweet paprika 

Then add 2 bay leaves and stir

Then add 1/2 a finely diced onion and stir

Set sauce aside until broccoli and noodles are done boiling. 

Preheat oven to 375

Grate 2 cups of cheddar cheese set aside

Remove the bay leaves from the sauce and mix with the noodles and broccoli with the sauce and cheese. 

Salt and pepper as needed.

Dump mixture in greased 9x13 pan 

Top with 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Then spray top with olive oil spray so it will get nice and golden. 

Bake until bread crumbs are browned, about 30 minutes. 

This is the hard part, you can't eat it for 5 minutes after so it can set up and cool! 

This macaroni is the bomb dot com. It's not good for you by any means but hey, at least we added broccoli, right? 

Shepards Pie ala Man Made

My first guest post! Dinner was made by my husband tonight. He made Shepards Pie and it was so much better than the one I usually make! So I made him post his recipe here. Enjoy! 

12 oz ground beef (85-90% lean)

1/2 pound fresh green beens, chopped

1/2 large onion, diced

1/2 bag of frozen peas corn and carrots

1 package of a good brown gravy mix

1 3/4 cup of water

1/2 cup red wine

3-4 pounds of potatoes

Fresh rosemary

1-3 bay leaves

and dried thyme

Rosemary mashed potatoes:

Boil and mash 3-4 pounds of potatoes.  Add 1/2 stick of butter and about a cup of milk.  You want to make these potatoes slightly on the wet side so add however much more milk you need to. Add 1 tbs finely diced fresh rosemary and salt and pepper to taste.

Filling:

Add 3 tbs of olive oil to a hot pan.  Add 1/2 dice onion and cook for a few minutes.  Add ground beef and brown thououghly.  Add red wine and reduce for a few minutes and then add the water.  Add the gravey mix and the fresh green beans and the frozen veggies.  Add the bay leaves and thyme and bring to a simmer. Summer down until green beans are cooked perfectly and the gravey has thickeners up-20 to 25 minutes.

Add the cooked filling to a 9x13 casserole pan and add the mashed potatoes to the top. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Turn oven to broil and broil for 3 minutes to add a little color to the dish. 

Roasted Balsamic Beet Salad

Ok ladies and gents, I'm warning you in advance that this salad is high maintenance. You have to roast things, use aluminum foil, dirty several bowls, etc. But it's a lovely diversion from a typical salad. You get a nice earthiness from the beets, creaminess from the goat cheese, and crunch from the almonds. Definitely a good "I'm bored from the norm" salad. 

Get about 2-3 beets per person you are going to serve. You want the beets to all be relatively the same size. I had a few large ones but mostly small ones, so I cut the large ones to match the size of the small ones so they all roast evenly. 

Trim the tops and foot off your beets and peel your beets. The outsides of beets are very dirty tasting, so peeling them helps cure that. Then wrap each individually in tin foil. 

Line a baking sheet with tin foil and heat your oven to 400 degrees. Put your beets  on the baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. 

Then make your dressing. 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup balsamic, 2 tsp yellow mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together. 

When beets are done (fork tender in center) unwrap them and cut into bite sized wedges. Cover beets with 1/3 of the dressing so they are well coated and can soak it up. 

Plate each plate with a bunch of spinach. Then crumble goat cheese on top, sprinkle with toasted almonds, add the beets, then add extra dressing on top. 

Skinny Tuna Casserole

Tonight I made a lightened up version of a classic tuna casserole. There is no butter or cream but it still tastes rich and satisfying. Plus it's cheap to make! 

Boil one 16 oz box of penne pasta in salted water. 

While the pasta cooks chop 1/2 a large yellow onion. 

In a LARGE sauce pan warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. 

Sauté the onion in that oil. salt and pepper the onion. Cook until tender. 

Add 4 tablespoons flour to the onion and stir so all the onion is well coated. 

Slowly add 3 and a half cups of chicken stock to the onions. Bring it to a boil then summer so it can thicken. This can take up to ten minutes. Also add 1/2 a cup of whole milk. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Add 2 cans chunk light tuna to the sauce. Then add a cup and a half of peas to the sauce. Mix with the cooked pasta and taste. Add salt or pepper as needed. 

Place pasta mixture in 9x13 pan. Cover with sprinkling of Parmesan cheese powder. Then with about a cup or so of Panko bread crumbs. 

Spray the top with an olive oil mist. Place in 425 degree oven for 17-18 minutes until golden brown on top. 

Lazy Sesame Chicken Drumsticks

I'm calling these "lazy" drumsticks because I was going to go to the effort if making a homemade marinade for these, soaking them overnight, and reducing the sauce the next day. Well I decided I was going to take the easy way out and just use a bottle of teriyaki sauce. They turned out great and were a cinch! Plus drumsticks are super affordable. We made four servings for just over $2! 

Preheat oven to 425

Pat your drumsticks dry with a paper towel. 

Salt and pepper your drumsticks.

Brush with your favorite teriyaki sauce. 

Place tinfoil down on your favorite baking sheet, then a wire rack over that. Cook your drumsticks for 15 minutes.

Take out, brush with sauce again. Turn oven down to 400. Bake for another 10 minutes. 

Take out, brush with sauce again. Bake for another 10 minutes.

Once outside looks crispy enough, check internal temp to make sure it's at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Take out one final time and brush with teriyaki suave again then sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

It's that easy. Let cool/rest for at least 5 minutes. Those bones will be hot! 

Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This recipe was super easy. The thing I liked about it was it tastes super rich and creamy, but it's not full of calories. 

Sorry again for my terrible photography. 

Salt & Pepper 3 chicken breasts 

Cut them open on one side 

Stuff each breast with 1/3 of the following mixture:

1/4 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup cream cheese 

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes 

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp Herbs de Provence 

Cook over stove in 1 tbs olive oil on medium for about 7 minutes each side until golden and cooked through. 

Lemon Dill Salmon

Came up with another fish recipe that doesn't taste like fish! Don't you love when the planets align like that? 

This serves 2 people, multiply as needed.

Put down a large sheet of foil on a pan

 

Place 2 Salmon Filets on the foil 

Salt and Pepper the fish

Place fresh dill on the fish

Cut 1 Tbs Butter into 8 pats 

Place butter onto fish 

Cut up 1 lemon into 8 slices

Place lemon on the fish 

Tent the foil around the fish so no steam will escape. 

Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

We paired this with rosemary red potatoes and just roasted the potatoes at the same time as the fish. You could also add asparagus or another vegetable to the foil. Enjoy! 

Whole Wheat Lavender Honey Carrot Muffins

My husband has been requesting that I bake something "healthy" for awhile. I always distrust healthy recipes I see on blogs because most people that cook healthy all the time have distorted taste buds on what is actually yummy. Well this muffin recipe won't disappoint. My one year old scarfed down two whole muffins before I could even get a bite in. They were great, and this is coming from someone who doesn't even like non-healthy muffins. 

Mix on medium speed:

1 stick softened butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup lavender honey (I get mine from www.thelavenderapple.com)

Add on slow speed:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ginger 

Batter will seem extra thick at this point. Here is what mine looked like at the end:

Then fold in by hand:

1 cup apple sauce 

1 small cup of grated carrots 

Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes depending on the size of your muffin tins. Makes 12 delicious muffins. 

 

Mexican Skillet

This was a relatively easy weeknight meal. The only ahead prep is cooking the brown rice because brown rice always takes forEVER to cook. 

Sorry my photos aren't beautiful. Maybe someday I'll whip out my big camera, but today is not that day. 

Prep 2 cups dry brown rice (add a 1/2 cup extra water on top of what your rice cooker says to keep it moist)

While that cooks shred 1 cup cheddar cheese. Set aside. 

Then dice 1 large avacado. Dice 1 large tomato. Mince 1 bunch cilantro. Mix avacado, tomato, and cilantro. Season with salt and cover in the juice of one lime. Set aside. 

Cut up 1 small onion (I used a red one)

Add oil in LARGE skillet and brown onion with a little salt. 

Add 1lb lean ground turkey to skillet and brown it up. Add 1/2 pkg taco seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. 

Add 1 ear fresh cut corn kernels sliced off of the husk. 

Add 1 can drain and rinsed black beans to skillet. 

Once rice is cooked, add that to the skillet with the meat. 

Bring skillet, cheese, and tomato/avacado mix to table and let your guests mix their own skillet bowls to taste. 

Lox and Cheese

This post is brought to you by Omega 3s! Eat more of them! They are good for your brain, your hair, and who knows what else. 

Lox and Cheese. 

Toast a bagel

Top with cream cheese

And smoked salmon

Add capers

Add fresh chopped dill

Add finely chopped red onion 

Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice 

Enjoy! 

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

This salad is one of my favorites. It's satisfying and savory and delicious. Make sure you buy fresh herbs vs dried. It makes a huge difference. 

Buy enough goat cheese so every person can have one 2 inch slice of the goat cheese log. 

Buy a spring mix of lettuce. 

Marinate your goat cheese slices (like hockey puck sized) in 2 cups of walnut oil. You can sub olive oil if needed. Add 2 tablespoons each of freshly chopped rosemary, tarragon, thyme, and chives. Macerate the herbs in the oil before you add the goat cheese pucks. Marinate at least 4 hours, overnight is best. 

Take pucks out of oil and bake on sheet pan at 400 degrees for about ten minutes. Cheese will begin to spread out and about double in size. 

Dress your spring mix in the left over oil and then serve immediately once pucks are placed on individual salads. 

This is sooooo good. 

Cayman Fish

Tonight my husband cooked me dinner. He cooked me a dish that he first had in the Cayman Islands. Captain Marvin served it to my husbands family on the beach after an excursion at sting ray city. I was a little worried this dish wouldn't be good because we all know food tastes better on vacation and maybe all this was was a fond memory for my husband. But this dish is quick, easy, and very unpretentious. 

Can't you picture this dish simmering in a pot on a cayman woman's stove? 

Warm 4 tbs olive oil in sauté pan 

Caramelize 1 chopped onion 

Along with 2 chopped bell peppers

Add 3 tbs pickapeppa sauce*

Add 3 tbs ketchup 

Add 1 Tsp salt 

Add 1/2 cup water 

Add 2 tsp honey 

Then add 4 mahi mahi filets (6oz each) or any white fish you'd like. These should be cut in half before you add to pan. Then reduce sauce for about 15 minutes or until fish cooked. 

Then add 2 tbs fresh lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve with rice, some steel drum music, and a drink with an umbrella in it and your night is made! 

Power Pancakes

Our BFFs introduced us to "powerlifting" pancakes about a year ago. They are high in protein, low in fat, low in sugar, and gluten free. Basically they are a delicious healthy breakfast. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 large eggs (or 4 egg whites)
• 1/2 cup low fat free cottage cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened rice milk

Cook like you would normal pancake until golden brown. You could also add my favorite, chocolate chips, peanut butter, or berries as well. And for all you banana haters out there, don't worry you can't even taste them. Oh, and don't forget to use organic pure maple syrup! If you haven't tried the stuff you will fall in love! So much better than all that processed thick corn syrupy stuff. Good luck and enjoy! 

Easy Quiche

This morning I think I think I threw the easiest party in my hostessing history. It was a birthday brunch for a friend of mine. I bought everything from costco, (including their dangerous ginormous chocolate cake), clipped a few blossoms from the tree out front, and called it good. 

The only thing I actually made was the quiche. This recipe was surprisingly simple and yummy. 

1 premade frozen pie shell

6 eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

Salt and pepper

1 onion (sautéed and caramelized) 

1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese 

1 cup cubed ham 

1 tsp dried tyme 

Heat oven to 375. Cook your onions, mix all ingredients, pour in pie crust and bake for 45 minutes. The beauty of a quiche is that you can swap out any kinda cheese you want, omit the meat, add bacon, add veggies, it's a great dish to use whatever is left in your pantry. This was a hit at my party today and came together in a snap. 

Passover Popovers

happy Easter! Today after our egg hunt I realized I didn't have any plans for a good Easter breakfast. On a whim I remembered a recipe I pinned from the kitchn.com for popovers. I decided to try them as it seemed different enough to feel festive. They turned out great! Buttery, fluffy, crispy, and best of all I just used a regular old muffin tin! No fancy popover pan needed. See how pretty? 

My husband was utterly impressed and are half the pan! He declared pop overs a new Easter tradition. 

Use a large 6 muffin tin pan. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a blender, mix the ingredients listed above until frothy and bubbly. Let the popover batter rest while the oven heats. Put the empty muffin tin in the oven for 2 minutes to warm. Remove from the oven and melt an extra 2 tablespoons of butter then divide the butter between the cups. Pulse the batter in the blender one more time to froth and then fill each cup halfway.

Place the pan into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking unless you want to unpop your popovers. Still without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Finished popovers will be golden-brown, feel dry to the touch, and sound hollow when tapped.

Eat and enjoy! I'm hungry just thinking about it! 

Falafel with tahini sauce

Tonight I made falafel with tahini sauce. It was surprisingly easy. It was pan fried but I might actually try baking it next time. 

For the falafel:
1 chopped white onion
3 garlic cloves
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder 
1 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil, for pan frying
Pita or naan bread, for serving

Lemon slices to squeeze over 

For the tahini sauce:

1 single serve cups plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup tahini 
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper 

Pulse onion and garlic in food processor until minced, set aside. Pulse spices, herbs, beans until just chopped. Add back onions and baking soda and pulse till combined. Slowly add flour 1/4 cup at a time till firm enough to mold into patties. Put in fridge while you mix sauce together, preferably leave it In fridge for like an hour. Pan fry in hot oil for 3 minutes per side. Salt as soon as done, squeeze lemon over top and serve with sauce on naan bread. 

Costco Quinoa Salad

Last week my husband and I were sampling while shopping at Costco when a certain sample stopped us both in our tracks. It was a crunchy tart fresh quinoa veggie salad. The sample was so good that the costco employee admitted that we were eating the very last batch of it and that they were sold out. Bummer. We decided to try to recreate it. Here is our first attempt. I'm sure it will keep getting modified until we nail it perfectly.

1 1/2 cups cooked red quinoa

3/4 cup red lentils cooked

1 cucumber peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces 

2 Roma tomatoes chopped into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup scallion or red onion chopped

1 yellow bell pepper chopped 

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/3 cup olive oil

Zest and juice of 1 small lemon 

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste 

Make sure your lentils and quinoa are cooled and mix all together and serve at room temperature. 

Thai Chicken Pasta Salad

This is a lovely savory half salad half pasta dish. I love when a pasta dish is full of veggies and I love when it has a dressing that makes it really satisfying. This salad is served cold and is very easy to whip up. 

Chicken Marinade:

1 tbs. Sesame seed oil

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Garlic clove

1 tbs grated ginger root

1 tbs lime juice

(Or if your feeling lazy, you can use any teriyaki marinade you have on hand. Just don't tell my mother-in-law.) 

Combine marinade ingredients. Marinate chicken for 1 hour then bake chicken till 180 degrees. Chop chicken into small pieces then chill. 

Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tbs soy sauce 

1 tbs sesame oil 

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 clove garlic minced 

1 tbs grated ginger root

1 tbs peanut butter 

2 tsp lime juice

Make dressing, mix, chill.

Salad:

8 ounces vermicelli (or whatever pasta you choose. Tonight I used Asian corn noodle.)

1/2 bunch green onions chopped 

1 red bell pepper thinly sliced

1 1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/3 cup roasted peanuts 

Cook pasta, drain, run under cool water to chill. Combine all ingredients and mix and serve. Serves 6. 

Braised Cinnamon Pork with Prunes

Let me just put this out there - I am not a pork fan. It's usually dry, fatty, salty, just doesn't hit the spot. Tonight I finally tried this "pork and prune" dish of my mother-in-laws that my husband has been asking me to make. I wasn't very excited about making it. Pork? Bleh. Prunes? Gross. But being my mother-in-law's recipe, I should have known it would have been good. I ate my entire serving of pork, when usually I can only stomach a bite or two of the stuff. It was great. 

1 Loin Pork Roast, pulled and tied (2.5 lbs)
Salt and Pepper
2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
1 Tbs Butter
2 Medium Onions finely chopped
1 Cinnamon stick 2 inches long
1.5 cups chicken stock (about 1 can)
1 cup dried pitted prunes
2 Tbs mild honey
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Heat oil and butter in a heavy le creuset type dish
Pat your loin dry with paper towels
season all sides with salt and pepper
Brown on all sides in pan
Remove from pan, add onions and sauté (season onions with salt and pepper as well)
Return pork back to pan, add water and cinnamon. 
Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 90 minutes (turning meat from time to time)
Add prunes to liquid, cover, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes
Stir honey into liquid, basting pork as you go for about 5 minutes
Transfer meat to plate, remove prunes to a bowl
Cook sauce until thickened, add lemon juice, add prunes back to sauce and season to taste
Arrange pork slices and spoon sauce over pork
Enjoy!

Orange Marmalade Chicken

The other day I was making orange rolls (that turned out terrible by the way) when I realized I have a whole jar of "orange marmalade" in my fridge. I made a mental note, then this week while going through my mother-in-laws cook book I found a recipe for "orange marmalade chicken". It actually seemed like an easy dish, with mostly pantry ingredients - which I love. My mother in law had noted that it was an impressive yet easy dish for company. I love it when I find a dish that is easy to make, but with complex flavors that don't taste like it's an "easy meal". I adjusted a few things in my rendition but this dish did not disappoint. I would make this for company anytime. It was so easy! 

3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 Tablespoons butter
Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg (to taste)
2 Tablespoons orange marmalade
1 green onion sliced (I ydidn't have green onion, so i used a slice of a regular yellow onion and browned it in the butter before I cooked the chicken)
1/2 tsp dried french taragon
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream (I didn't have cream so I used whole milk)

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. In large skillet melt butter (and brown onions if you are using yellow onions), brown chicken on both sides, add marmalade, onion if you haven't already, tarragon and wine. Cover and reduce heat, simmer for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet, add cream or milk until sauce is thickens. I added a tsp of flour to help mine thicken. Salt and pepper as needed. Cover chicken is sauce. Delish!

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

These are a classic all American chewy oatmeal cookie.  Sorry again that my blog photography is not very beautiful. When I'm done cooking I'm more interested in eating vs photo-ing. 

2 sticks butter

1/4 cup white sugar

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs 

3 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp salt 

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

3 1/2 cup oats 

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts 

  

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes

Chinese Teriyaki Chicken Salad

Sorry I didn't get a better picture. I was hangry (hungry/angry) when I made this salad and I pause for no man. 

This is a yummy little Asian Salad. Very filling, quick, reminds me of chopped lettuce wrap almost. 

Mix together:

1 head iceberg lettuce (or 1/2 head iceberg and 1/2 head napa Chinese cabbage) 

4 chicken breasts sliced and pan fried in 3 tbsp olive oil, then warmed in a few tablespoons of teriyaki sauce. 

Chinese noodles for crunch or wonton skins cut in strips then fried

Orange slices 

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 cup (2 cans) water chestnuts 

1/2 cup chopped cilantro 

4 green onions 

Dressing:

4 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt 

8 tbsp rice wine vinegar 

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

Kitchen Sink Cookies

So these cookies have a million ingredients in them, hence their name "kitchen sink cookies" because they pretty much have everything but the kitchen sink in them. 

When I first married my husband, he was always begging me to make his moms kitchen sink cookies. Well they sounded gross, and they had cornflakes in them, eww! What kind of weird cookie is this. But when I finally relented and made them, I was hooked. They aren't super beautiful but they are super delicious. 

Kitchen Sink Cookies

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter room temp

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups Cornflakes or Branflakes 

1 cup coconut 

1 cup chopped nuts (I like walnuts)

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cook at 350 for 10 minutes. You want them just barely golden on the outside edge. Yum!!!

Asian Glazed Salmon

I don't love fish. (Sorry Nemo.) In fact the only time I like to eat fish is when it doesn't taste like fish. This recipe does the trick nicely.

Asian Glazed Salmon 

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons ginger 

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 salmon fillets

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic and lime juice.  Bring to a boil over medium heat until sauce just begins to thickens. Set aside.  Preheat the broiler to high.  Place salmon in a foil lined baking dish.  Baste with glaze and broil for 4 minutes.  Remove salmon from the oven, turn over, baste with glaze and return to the oven to broil for 4 more minutes.  Remove the salmon from the oven and glaze one more time before serving.

Originally adapted from this: Read more at http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/05/asian-glazed-salmon-recipe.html#cXMf2Xb9mLYcQJeo.99

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last night I helped host a baby shower that looked like it literally came to life from Pinterest. My friend is a professional party planner and the "woodsy" theme was complete with a trail mix station and a s'mores bar with live flame. It was legit. 

I contributed a bunch of stuff for the s'mores bar, including homemade marshmellows. But by far the hit of the night were my chocolate chip cookies. I tried a new recipe because all my current cookie recipes were just good. But these were great. My husband said it was the best cookie he's ever eaten and if I didn't bring back the leftovers, to not bother to come home. 

Turn oven to 375. 

Ingredients

3/4

cup white sugar

3/4

cup packed brown sugar

1

cup butter softened

1

teaspoon vanilla

1

egg

2 1/4

cups all-purpose flour

1

teaspoon baking soda

1/2

teaspoon salt

1

Large handful semisweet chocolate chips 

Bake for 10 minutes and if you feel adventurous add them to a s'mores bar!