I'm back!

Hey guys, I'm back! I had a few days off but I'm here now! I did cook while I was gone but I didn't take any pictures. I made my breakfast empanadas, fajitas, pad thai and some AMAZING lettuce wraps. Don't worry, I'll make everything again :)

Today was my official "farewell" luncheon at work. I am starting my new job on the 28th and we had to do a luncheon with my boss before he left for reserve duty. Everyone (well, mostly everyone) knows that I cook and today, people let it slip about my blog...I wasn't so sure I wanted people to know but maybe they will be followers then they can make their own food now that I won't be in the office anymore! It could be a good situation...

Anyways, lunch at California Pizza Kitchen was great; I had a Chipotle Chicken Pizza on wheat crust...YUM. I also got a new cookbook which shows recipes frame by frame, kind of like my blog, and a new apron that is green and blue (my favorites)! I'm really excited to try the recipes in this book. There are a lot of really good looking ones with different meats and fish that I've never cooked with before. There are also some pretty amazing (but easy) desserts that I might have to try as well. I was also informed that some time next week I would get some delicious cookies from my team lead's wife. I don't know how it's possible to make so many delicious cookies that are all the same size and shape. When I bake cookies they look like lumps and wind up over or under cooked. Hence why this isn't a baking blog... but yeah, I'm convinced these people are trying to make me fat because I think there are a couple other lunches/dinners I have to attend and with the cookies on top...it's going to be a bad couple of weeks. Don't tell my trainer......

Day 22: A website.

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to put for this?? Maybe a website I check daily??

Honestly, other than the typical ones like: Blogger, Google, Facebook, etc. I am an avid CNN checker :) I like try and stay caught up on the news because I rarely watch the news on TV.

boring .... yeah, I know :)

Artichoke Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

Alright, I'm finally up-to-date with my blogs! I made this recipe TONIGHT! I can't guarantee that this will last but for right now, I'm on the ball. I will be out of town Thursday-Monday this coming week so I may or may not be cooking and taking pictures but if I do, I will definitely post it later. My goal is to at least post my meal tomorrow and Wednesday night so I hope that works out!

This recipe was taken from a Pampered Chef cookbook so it was a little tough because the recipes are meant to be used with their ingredients and materials. There are definitely some things that I would change when I make this again.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

6 small red or yellow potatoes

2 tbsp Mayo with Olive Oil

Thyme, Rosemary and Lemon Juice

one 3.5oz can of marinated artichoke hearts

1oz parmesan cheese

1. Preheat broiler. Cut potatoes and steam in microwave for 4-5 minutes. Chop artichokes into small pieces and mix with parmesan cheese and mayo. (The next time I make this, I will only use the cheese and artichoke hearts. Even though not a lot of mayo was used, it still overpowered the taste of the cheese and artichokes). 

2. Heat oil in 2 skillets. Place chicken in one skillet, drizzle with lemon juice, thyme and rosemary. Do the same for potatoes. Add S&P to taste.

3. Cook chicken on both sides until no pink remains but do not cook all the way through. Transfer to pan, coated in cooking spray, and cover with artichoke mixture. Place in broiler, about 5 minutes until cheese melts and starts to turn brown. Continue cooking potatoes.

4. Serve and Enjoy!!! 

This artichoke mixture would probably taste great over fish, like a thick white fish or salmon, as well! 

Super Bowl Menu: Southwest Veggie Pizza and Zucchini Fries

The roommate and I could have cared less about the game this year, honestly. However, we felt we should watch it anyways and even though it was just the two of us, we felt we needed a little party food while still trying to keep it healthy.

The pizza was a MAJOR success but I'd definitely change the way I made the zucchini fries if/when I make them again so I'll tell you how I made them and then how I'd change it!

Pizza Ingredients

1 16 oz, whole wheat pizza crust

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 small zucchini, chopped in small pieces

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp olive oil

1 (11.5 oz) jar of black bean dip

1/2 cup pico

1 cup (4oz) shredded pepper jack cheese

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

Zucchini Fries

3 zucchinis, cut long ways in "fry" shape

1/2 cup fine panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Vegetable Oil

Salt

(these are to FRY the zucchini pieces, the next time, I would coat the zucchini pieces and place them in the broiler until the cheese melts and the breadcrumbs brown. Instead of vegetable oil, just coat the pan in cooking spray)

1. For Zucchini: combine bread crumbs and cheese in a quart or gallon sized ziploc bag. Dip zucchini into egg and place in ziploc bag, toss to coat. To fry, place in hot vegetable oil in skillet, to roast/broil, place on pan and cook to above instructions. The reason I would choose not to fry the zucchini (other than to make it more healthy) is because the oil just kind of washed all the cheese and bread crumbs off the zucchini and soaked the zucchini in oil. I HATE MUSHY VEGGIES!!! So, I recommend broiling :)

2. For Pizza: Heat oven to 350. Place pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

3. Cook carrots, zucchini, garlic and mushrooms in oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. 

4. Spread bean dip over pizza crust. Top with pico and veggies. Cover with cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese melts. 

5. Let cool, cut and serve

"Easy Peasy" Chicken Pot PIe

I decided I needed to steal the term, "easy peasy," from 2 of my favorite people, Fashion Momma and Semi-Homemade Suzie, because they use it quite often. Plus, this recipe is super easy and it's definitely a comfort food for a nasty rainy day, and this past Saturday was.

If you have noticed, lately I've spread out from my normal Everyday Food, Martha Stewart recipes and have scoured my pantry full of cookbooks for new recipes.

You can find the Chicken Pot Pie recipe I used here, on the Cooking Light website. It's actually for small ramekin sized pot pies but I just made a large one.

Ingredients

 1 package of 2 Pillsbury Pie crusts

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1tsp sage (I chopped up about 6 leaves of fresh sage because I had it)

S&P

2 chicken breasts, cut in small pieces

1 10 1/2 oz can of low sodium cream of chicken soup

10 1/2 oz of water (refill the soup can)

1 1/2 cups of frozen mixed veggies (I used the ones with lima beans, green beans, carrots, corn, and peas)

1 cup of mushrooms, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425

2. In a pie dish, place one pie crust onto the dish as listed on the box and bake for 10 minutes

3. Combine flour, sage, S&P into a ziploc bag and add chicken, toss to coat. 

4. Heat a skillet over med-high heat. Coat with oil or cooking spray. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in water, veggies, mushrooms and soup. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook about 10 min.

5. Spoon chicken and veggies into pie crust.

6. Cover with second pie crust and fold edges over to seal. Vent pie crust with fork.

7. Bake for another 10-20 min (based on how brown you want the pie crust). I baked mine for about 15 minutes.

Sorry I couldn't get a good "plate" picture! It fell apart on the plate and didn't look picture worthy but it was delicious to eat, especially with a little hot sauce on top! 

Chicken Curry (and it's not a Martha Recipe)

Yep, I changed it up on you guys. Contrary to what you may believe, I do have other cookbooks besides Martha Stewart. This one is from a Rachel Ray book from her 30 Minute Meals collection called "GUY FOOD." This recipe has a long name, it's called:

Sweet n' Spicy Chicken Curry in a Hurry  with Fragrant Basmati Rice

What.A.Mouthful

It was delicious and it doesn't taste like your typical curry from a restaurant so I highly recommend it!

Ingredients

2 cups of basmati rice (I used Jasmine)

1 tsp each: coriander seeds, mustard seeds and cumin

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, diced

2-4 garlic gloves (I used 2 large ones)

1 to 2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled & minced

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 cup of chicken broth

2 tablespoons of curry paste (I used red curry paste)

For garnishes you can use:

4 scallions, chopped

1 cup toasted coconut

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 cup prepared mango chutney

1/4 cilantro, chopped

(I used scallions, coconut, almonds and cilantro)

1. Toast coriander and mustard seeds in the bottom of a sauce pan. When seeds pop, add water and bring to a boil. Add rice and cumin and cook according to package. 

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and lightly brown. Add garlic, ginger, and onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth (or I added a bullion cube and 1 cup of water) and bring to a bubble. Stir in curry paste and reduce heat to medium low. Add salt to taste and simmer 5 to 10 min.

Serve rice with curry and toppings! I added a vegetable side to my meal because I'm kind of crazy about veggies and I have to have at least one with every meal or it doesn't feel like it's complete. This time I steamed some cauliflower!

You can find the original recipe on the Food Network website! Enjoy!

Whitney's Paella!!!

Ok guys, there isn't a recipe for this. I'm sorry. Ever since I went to Spain, I've been making this yummy dish and it's really easy and makes enough to last for days, or freeze! I usually make it differently each time and in the past year I can think of 2 times where it was definitely the, "best I've made so far," and did I write it down? No, of course not. This past time was pretty good but definitely not the BEST of the best. Anyways, at least I have a picture of the ingredients now! When I make it again, if it's better, I'll post the new recipe and I promise, I'll write it down!

Ingredients

This is what I used this time around:

3 chorizo links (remove casing and then separate in pan)

Vigo Yellow Rice (it already has seasoning in it!)

1/2 red (or any color) onion, chopped

1 orange and red pepper, chopped

1/2 a bag of baby carrots

1 1/2 cups of frozen peas

Asparagus (I use different amounts depending on the size of the stalks)

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 small can (I think it's 6oz) of tomato paste

Chili powder, thyme, oregano and parsley (all to taste)

Cilantro for serving

**You can also add in shrimp, boneless/skinless chicken thighs (cut up) or any other types of pork or seafood

1. In a large heavy pot or dutch oven, cook chorizo and break apart (you can also add chicken or pork at this step too)

2. Once chorizo is cooked, add rice and stir, then add 4 cups of water to pot.

3. Let rice cook (simmer) about 5 min, and stir to make sure it's not sticking.  Add the carrots. 

4. After carrots soften, add peppers, onions, asparagus, tomatoes and tomato paste. You may need to add a cup or 2 cups more of water to allow veggies to cook. 

5. Once the rice starts to cook, you can taste the broth and determine if you want to add additional spices. Cook veggies until desired softness, then add peas (and any seafood).

6. Continue to cook until warmed through and most of the broth is soaked up into the rice.

7. Serve with chopped cilantro, some hot sauce and lemon juice!

Spicy Sriracha Marinara and Meatballs

Chances are, if you've been to an Asian restaurant, Pho, or even just Noodles & Co., you've seen Sriracha Sauce on the table. If not, this is Sriracha:

And its delicious!!!

This is a great twist on your old (sometimes boring) spaghetti and meatballs and for those who like things with a little kick it's a great choice! This recipe was supposed to yield 8 servings. I cut the meat in half and still had enough for 4-6 meals. 

Ingredients

for the meatballs

1 lb ground turkey

1 bag of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/3 cup plain bread crumbs (I used Panko)

1 egg white

3/4 tsp dried oregano

S&P

non stick cooking spray

for the sauce

2 tsp EVOO

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes (I ran out of crushed tomatoes so instead I used one can of diced and 2 small cans of tomato sauce and it did the same thing)

1/4 cup of SRIRACHA SAUCE (I added more...so I would recommend starting with this and adjusting based on your preferred level of spice)

1/2 lb whole wheat (or if you're my cousin, gluten free) spaghetti noodles

parsley

Supplies needed:

1. Heat broiler with rack in top position. Place turkey, spinach, breadcrumbs, egg white, S&P in a large bowl. Mix to combine; use a melon baller (or your hands) and form into 1 inch meatballs. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil until golden brown, 10 min. Rotate pan half way through. 

(1 lb of turkey made 33 meatballs)

2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, and garlic and cook, stirring until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and SRIRACHA and bring to a simmer. Add meatballs and simmer another 10 min.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and add to pot with sauce and meatballs, toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley!