I haven’t posted to my blog in a while. Frankly, I haven’t been cooking anything magnificent in a while; With the weather so nice, Mike has been barbecuing a lot lately! In addition, Mike and I recently traveled to Oregon to see my Dad in the hospital. He had some complications as a result of his February Quadruple Bypass. Luckily, he is recovering and will be released from the hospital later this week.
Tonight for dinner I fixed Filet Mignon, Mashed “Potatoes” (made with Cauliflower) and sautéed Red Onions. Everything turned out delish.
For the Filet: Season the meat with McCormick’s Montreal Steak seasoning. Sear each steak for 3 minutes on both sides in a fry pan with olive oil. Put the seared steaks into a 375 degree oven and bake for 7 minutes for Medium steaks. DELISH!
I’ve posted the fake mashed potato recipe; if you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do!
For the sautéed onions, slice a large red onion into thin strips and cook with olive oil over medium heat in a fry pan. Cook stirring, occasionally. Once starting to cook through add a bit of white wine, balsamic vinegar and salt & pepper and cook until soft. Cover at the end. Total cook time: about 15 minutes.
The filet, "potatoes" and onions were a good meal. Everything turned out delish.
Today my Dad’s birthday gift arrived in the mail. I found the “The French Chef with Julia Child” DVD series. It is the original PBS show – Julia Child’s cooking show. My Dad was and is a huge fan of hers and I know this will be a big hit! I can’t wait for his day to come and hear about what he thinks of the gift. He turns 67 on Monday, April 5th.
That’s all for now… I’m cooking a lot this weekend and will post an update then.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Spring is Here!
We spent the weekend at the lake... common for us... and now that Spring is here we are itching for boating season!
I didn't cook a lot this weekend since barbecue season has officially kicked off... I did, however, make a few yummy dishes over the weekend.
I made a delicious quiche for breakfast. I slice this into 8 pieces which is 4 breakfasts for two. YUMMY!
~ 7 oz. Canadian Bacon, chopped
~ 1/2 onion, chopped
~ 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, drained well
~ 1 - 4 oz. can green chilies
~ 1 tsp. minced garlic
~ 1 cup Egg Beaters
~ 2 eggs
~ 1 cup reduced fat Mozzarella cheese
~ 2 cups reduced fat Colby Jack cheese
Pre-heat oven to 350.
In a saute pan, cook the Canadian bacon, onion, drained spinach, garlic and chilies until fragrant and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs and Egg Beaters and in a large bowl combine with cheese and veggie/bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased pie pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
*****
For dinner on Friday (and leftovers for lunch on Saturday) I made a bean less chili bake.
~ 1 -1.25 lb. package Extra Lean Ground Turkey
~ Olive Oil
~ 1 medium red onion, chopped
~ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
~ 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapenos
~ 1/2 teaspoons salt
~ 1/2 teaspoon pepper
~ 2 tablespoons chili powder
~ 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
~ 1 can Rotel tomatoes
~ 1 1/2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
Heat broiler.
In a large oven-proof skillet, add olive oil and onion and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook another minute. Add ground turkey, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, cook until browned, about 6 minutes - stirring to break up meat. Drain any excess liquid/fat. Add Rotel tomatoes and cook another minute. Top the dish with shredded cheese and put under the broiler until bubbly and browned, about 5 minutes.
Enjoy!
*****
On Saturday night, to accompany barbecued chicken, we did barbecued veggies...
~ 3 zucchini
~ 1/2 red onion
~ 2 broccoli flower stems
~ butter
~ salt & pepper
Slice up the zucchini, onion and broccoli and mix in a large bowl. Pull out aluminum foil in 2 - 2 ft. strips & coat with cooking spray. Add 1/2 of veggies to each foil strip. Add salt & pepper and butter (and any other spices you like). Close the foil up tight and cook on the barbecue until soft and delicious, about 20 minutes. Transfer to the top of your grill, cook your meat and enjoy!
*****
I didn't cook a lot this weekend since barbecue season has officially kicked off... I did, however, make a few yummy dishes over the weekend.
I made a delicious quiche for breakfast. I slice this into 8 pieces which is 4 breakfasts for two. YUMMY!
~ 7 oz. Canadian Bacon, chopped
~ 1/2 onion, chopped
~ 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, drained well
~ 1 - 4 oz. can green chilies
~ 1 tsp. minced garlic
~ 1 cup Egg Beaters
~ 2 eggs
~ 1 cup reduced fat Mozzarella cheese
~ 2 cups reduced fat Colby Jack cheese
Pre-heat oven to 350.
In a saute pan, cook the Canadian bacon, onion, drained spinach, garlic and chilies until fragrant and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs and Egg Beaters and in a large bowl combine with cheese and veggie/bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased pie pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
*****
For dinner on Friday (and leftovers for lunch on Saturday) I made a bean less chili bake.
~ 1 -1.25 lb. package Extra Lean Ground Turkey
~ Olive Oil
~ 1 medium red onion, chopped
~ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
~ 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapenos
~ 1/2 teaspoons salt
~ 1/2 teaspoon pepper
~ 2 tablespoons chili powder
~ 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
~ 1 can Rotel tomatoes
~ 1 1/2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
Heat broiler.
In a large oven-proof skillet, add olive oil and onion and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook another minute. Add ground turkey, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, cook until browned, about 6 minutes - stirring to break up meat. Drain any excess liquid/fat. Add Rotel tomatoes and cook another minute. Top the dish with shredded cheese and put under the broiler until bubbly and browned, about 5 minutes.
Enjoy!
*****
On Saturday night, to accompany barbecued chicken, we did barbecued veggies...
~ 3 zucchini
~ 1/2 red onion
~ 2 broccoli flower stems
~ butter
~ salt & pepper
Slice up the zucchini, onion and broccoli and mix in a large bowl. Pull out aluminum foil in 2 - 2 ft. strips & coat with cooking spray. Add 1/2 of veggies to each foil strip. Add salt & pepper and butter (and any other spices you like). Close the foil up tight and cook on the barbecue until soft and delicious, about 20 minutes. Transfer to the top of your grill, cook your meat and enjoy!
*****
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!
We were planning to go out tonight for some green beer (and good people watching) but we wimped out and decided to be old and boring and stay home. I'm actually so glad we did!!
I fixed up Chicken Parmesan and Garlic Mashed "Potatoes" (made with cauliflower instead of the real thing). I have to say I think this is the best low-carb recipe I've made in a while. I imagine a filet sitting on top of these yummy delights.
*****
~ 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
~ 1 tablespoon light cream cheese, softened
~ 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
~ 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
~ 1/2 teaspoon salt
~ 3 tablespoons light butter
Get water boiling in a large pot.
Clean and cut cauliflower and cook in boiling water for 6 minutes or until well done. Drain well, and pat dry with paper towels - don't let cool.
In a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and butter, until smooth.
You can transfer into a saucepan and keep warm covered on low if necessary.
*****
DELISH! I really think I could serve these and people would think they're really potatoes. I might try to trick our next guests! :)
Happy St. Patrick's Day. Hope you are all doing what you want to do and are safe and sound with good food!
**I didn't post the Chicken Parmesan recipe, as this was posted in my first blog post - it is also delish!**
I fixed up Chicken Parmesan and Garlic Mashed "Potatoes" (made with cauliflower instead of the real thing). I have to say I think this is the best low-carb recipe I've made in a while. I imagine a filet sitting on top of these yummy delights.
*****
~ 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
~ 1 tablespoon light cream cheese, softened
~ 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
~ 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
~ 1/2 teaspoon salt
~ 3 tablespoons light butter
Get water boiling in a large pot.
Clean and cut cauliflower and cook in boiling water for 6 minutes or until well done. Drain well, and pat dry with paper towels - don't let cool.
In a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and butter, until smooth.
You can transfer into a saucepan and keep warm covered on low if necessary.
*****
DELISH! I really think I could serve these and people would think they're really potatoes. I might try to trick our next guests! :)
Happy St. Patrick's Day. Hope you are all doing what you want to do and are safe and sound with good food!
**I didn't post the Chicken Parmesan recipe, as this was posted in my first blog post - it is also delish!**
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Weekend Fun… Good Food… Good Wine… Good Friends…
This weekend we spent in Napa with our friends Becky and Chris. What a great time it was!
Mike and I left for the lake on Friday evening and got ready for our weekend guests! On Saturday afternoon, we headed down to the Silverado Trail and went to William Hill and then met Becky and Chris at Luna Vineyards. We hit up Darioush, Staggs Leap Cellars, and Pine Ridge and then went back to our lake house.
Once to the lake house, we enjoyed some Italian meats and cheeses and went in the hot tub for about an hour. Two deer came right down to the hot tub while we were in it!
For dinner I fixed Baked Polenta with baby sweet peas.
****
Baked Polenta
· 1 cup polenta
· 4 cups water
· 1 tsp. salt
· 2 tablespoons butter
· 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
· 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
· 2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 – 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
· 1 – 8oz. can tomato sauce
· 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
· 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
· 15 oz. low fat ricotta cheese
· 2 cups part skim mozzarella, shredded (plus a little extra for topping)
· 1 & ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
· 1 – 10oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
· Salt & pepper to taste
· Olive oil
Gradually add polenta to boiling, salted water, stirring constantly until thickened. Cook in a double boiler, stirring frequently for 25 minutes. Blend in butter. Spread evenly across at greased 9x13 pan, set aside to chill. (You can do this the night before to save time with the rest of the recipe)
Heat 1 teaspoon minced garlic in a medium saucepan and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and oregano. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes.
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a sauté pan. Add onion, bell pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, cook 5 minutes. Add the sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, 5 minutes. Cover and cook until veggies are tender and sausage is cooked through, 5 more minutes. Drain excess liquid/fat. Add the tomato sauce and simmer 10 minutes. Once ready, remove 1 ½ cups of sauce to reserve for topping.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and spinach and mix together. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
Once the polenta is cooled and set, place in the oven 4 inches from the heating element and Broil on high until crispy – about 10 minutes.
Cover the broiled polenta with the sauce (minus 1 ½ cups) and top with the cheese and spinach mixture. Spoon the 1 ½ cups of sauce over the top and sprinkle a small amount of mozzarella over it.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes (or until bubbly) and then Broil on High 2-3 minutes until the top is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
You can also make this ahead – once the polenta is broiled, let it cool and let the sauce and then layer, cover and refrigerate – bake at 375 for 30 minutes and broil for 2-3 minutes.
****
This morning, Becky and Chris fixed us brunch; it was fabulous!
Becky fixed a Prosecco-Berry Sparkler
· 1 packet Splenda
· 2 cups mixed berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and sliced strawberries)
· 1 bottle prosecco or other sparkling white wine, chilled
Pour the Splenda over the mixed berries and toss to coat. Divide the berries among 4 martini glasses and fill each glass with prosecco.
And Chris fixed Fluffy Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Boursin Cheese
· 8 large eggs
· 1/2 teaspoon table salt
· Ground black pepper
· 1/2 cup milk
· 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
· 1 six ounce can Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon, broken into small pieces
· 4 ounces Boursin Cheese, crumbled )
· 1 tablespoon chopped chives
Crack eggs into a medium bowl. Add salt, pepper, and milk. Whip with a fork until streaks are gone and color is pure yellow; stop beating while the bubbles are still large.
Meanwhile, put butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet, then set the pan over high heat. When the butter foams, swirl it around and up the sides of the pan. Before foam completely subsides, pour in beaten eggs. With a wooden spatula or a nonstick-safe egg turner, push eggs from one side of the pan to the other, slowly but deliberately, lifting and folding eggs as they form into curds, until eggs are nicely clumped into a single mound, but remain shiny and wet, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle salmon, Boursin cheese, and chives over eggs and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Brunch was DELICIOUS – thanks again to Becky and Chris!!!
Mike and I left for the lake on Friday evening and got ready for our weekend guests! On Saturday afternoon, we headed down to the Silverado Trail and went to William Hill and then met Becky and Chris at Luna Vineyards. We hit up Darioush, Staggs Leap Cellars, and Pine Ridge and then went back to our lake house.
Once to the lake house, we enjoyed some Italian meats and cheeses and went in the hot tub for about an hour. Two deer came right down to the hot tub while we were in it!
For dinner I fixed Baked Polenta with baby sweet peas.
****
Baked Polenta
· 1 cup polenta
· 4 cups water
· 1 tsp. salt
· 2 tablespoons butter
· 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
· 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
· 2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 – 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
· 1 – 8oz. can tomato sauce
· 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
· 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
· 15 oz. low fat ricotta cheese
· 2 cups part skim mozzarella, shredded (plus a little extra for topping)
· 1 & ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
· 1 – 10oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
· Salt & pepper to taste
· Olive oil
Gradually add polenta to boiling, salted water, stirring constantly until thickened. Cook in a double boiler, stirring frequently for 25 minutes. Blend in butter. Spread evenly across at greased 9x13 pan, set aside to chill. (You can do this the night before to save time with the rest of the recipe)
Heat 1 teaspoon minced garlic in a medium saucepan and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and oregano. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes.
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a sauté pan. Add onion, bell pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, cook 5 minutes. Add the sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, 5 minutes. Cover and cook until veggies are tender and sausage is cooked through, 5 more minutes. Drain excess liquid/fat. Add the tomato sauce and simmer 10 minutes. Once ready, remove 1 ½ cups of sauce to reserve for topping.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and spinach and mix together. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
Once the polenta is cooled and set, place in the oven 4 inches from the heating element and Broil on high until crispy – about 10 minutes.
Cover the broiled polenta with the sauce (minus 1 ½ cups) and top with the cheese and spinach mixture. Spoon the 1 ½ cups of sauce over the top and sprinkle a small amount of mozzarella over it.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes (or until bubbly) and then Broil on High 2-3 minutes until the top is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
You can also make this ahead – once the polenta is broiled, let it cool and let the sauce and then layer, cover and refrigerate – bake at 375 for 30 minutes and broil for 2-3 minutes.
****
This morning, Becky and Chris fixed us brunch; it was fabulous!
Becky fixed a Prosecco-Berry Sparkler
· 1 packet Splenda
· 2 cups mixed berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and sliced strawberries)
· 1 bottle prosecco or other sparkling white wine, chilled
Pour the Splenda over the mixed berries and toss to coat. Divide the berries among 4 martini glasses and fill each glass with prosecco.
And Chris fixed Fluffy Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Boursin Cheese
· 8 large eggs
· 1/2 teaspoon table salt
· Ground black pepper
· 1/2 cup milk
· 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
· 1 six ounce can Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon, broken into small pieces
· 4 ounces Boursin Cheese, crumbled )
· 1 tablespoon chopped chives
Crack eggs into a medium bowl. Add salt, pepper, and milk. Whip with a fork until streaks are gone and color is pure yellow; stop beating while the bubbles are still large.
Meanwhile, put butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet, then set the pan over high heat. When the butter foams, swirl it around and up the sides of the pan. Before foam completely subsides, pour in beaten eggs. With a wooden spatula or a nonstick-safe egg turner, push eggs from one side of the pan to the other, slowly but deliberately, lifting and folding eggs as they form into curds, until eggs are nicely clumped into a single mound, but remain shiny and wet, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle salmon, Boursin cheese, and chives over eggs and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Brunch was DELICIOUS – thanks again to Becky and Chris!!!
Friday, March 12, 2010
BBQ’ing is back in business!
The sun is finally shining again which means barbecue season has officially started. We love to barbecue; it is one of my favorite parts of spring and summer!
Tonight Mike cue’d up marinated chicken breasts and artichoke garlic sausages. As a side, I fixed a cauliflower dish – Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole. It’s like Mac ‘n Cheese without the mac. This cauliflower is easy to do and it really is delicious… rich, creamy, yummy.
Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole
~ Salt
~ 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
~1 cup heavy cream
~ 2 ounces light cream cheese, cut into small pieces
~ 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
~ 1 ½ cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
~ ¼ teaspoon salt
~ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
~ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 375.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with water. Spray a 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water for 7 minutes. Drain well, pat dry, and transfer to the baking dish.
Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, and whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese, salt, pepper and garlic and whisk until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; pour over the cauliflower and stir to combine. Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheese and bake until brown and bubbly hot, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!
You might have noticed that all of the recipes I’ve posted on my blog are low-carb. Mike and I started to cut carbs out of our diet in June 2008. Mike has lost 45 pounds since then. For me, it hasn’t been that easy – it’s harder for me to say “no” to bread when we go out for dinner or “no” to the chips when we get seated at a Mexican restaurant…. But, Spring is in the air, and I’m back on my “hard core low carb diet”! I’ve lost 4 pounds this week and have every intention of keeping it off and losing a bunch more!
Bon Appétit!
Tonight Mike cue’d up marinated chicken breasts and artichoke garlic sausages. As a side, I fixed a cauliflower dish – Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole. It’s like Mac ‘n Cheese without the mac. This cauliflower is easy to do and it really is delicious… rich, creamy, yummy.
Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole
~ Salt
~ 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
~1 cup heavy cream
~ 2 ounces light cream cheese, cut into small pieces
~ 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
~ 1 ½ cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
~ ¼ teaspoon salt
~ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
~ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 375.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with water. Spray a 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water for 7 minutes. Drain well, pat dry, and transfer to the baking dish.
Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, and whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese, salt, pepper and garlic and whisk until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; pour over the cauliflower and stir to combine. Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheese and bake until brown and bubbly hot, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!
You might have noticed that all of the recipes I’ve posted on my blog are low-carb. Mike and I started to cut carbs out of our diet in June 2008. Mike has lost 45 pounds since then. For me, it hasn’t been that easy – it’s harder for me to say “no” to bread when we go out for dinner or “no” to the chips when we get seated at a Mexican restaurant…. But, Spring is in the air, and I’m back on my “hard core low carb diet”! I’ve lost 4 pounds this week and have every intention of keeping it off and losing a bunch more!
Bon Appétit!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Breakfast for the week… and a new dinner experiment
Tonight I fixed a crustless quiche that will feed Mike and I breakfast for the rest of the week. When possible, I like to plan ahead so that breakfast is easy to grab to take to work in the morning rather than trying to figure out what to have. I make a lot of different quiches, this one is tasty, I must say.
Easy Quiche
Ingredients:
~ 7 oz. Canadian Bacon, finely chopped
~ ¼ red onion, finely chopped
~ 1 – 4 oz. can green chilies
~ 1 ½ cups shredded reduced fat Swiss Cheese
~ 1 ½ cups shredded reduced fat Colby Jack Cheese
~ 2 eggs, beaten
~ 1 cup Egg Beaters
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl – mix well and pour into a greased pie pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
For dinner, I experimented by making a new baked chicken recipe. I had been marinating chicken for 5+ hours in Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce with the idea that Mike would barbecue tonight… Well, the weather did not permit, so I improvised!
Baked Buffalo Mozzarella Chicken
Ingredients:
~ 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ Franks Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce (a lot!)
~ 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
~1 cup shredded low fat mozzarella
Marinade chicken in Frank’s sauce for 5+ hours. In a greased shallow baking dish, coat the bottom with Franks sauce. Dip each marinated breast into parmesan cheese, coating generously. Place each breast into pan and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Pull out of the oven and top each breast with shredded mozzarella. Broil until bubbly and brown, about 2 minutes.
I must say it was good! Enjoy.
Easy Quiche
Ingredients:
~ 7 oz. Canadian Bacon, finely chopped
~ ¼ red onion, finely chopped
~ 1 – 4 oz. can green chilies
~ 1 ½ cups shredded reduced fat Swiss Cheese
~ 1 ½ cups shredded reduced fat Colby Jack Cheese
~ 2 eggs, beaten
~ 1 cup Egg Beaters
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl – mix well and pour into a greased pie pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
For dinner, I experimented by making a new baked chicken recipe. I had been marinating chicken for 5+ hours in Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce with the idea that Mike would barbecue tonight… Well, the weather did not permit, so I improvised!
Baked Buffalo Mozzarella Chicken
Ingredients:
~ 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ Franks Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce (a lot!)
~ 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
~1 cup shredded low fat mozzarella
Marinade chicken in Frank’s sauce for 5+ hours. In a greased shallow baking dish, coat the bottom with Franks sauce. Dip each marinated breast into parmesan cheese, coating generously. Place each breast into pan and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Pull out of the oven and top each breast with shredded mozzarella. Broil until bubbly and brown, about 2 minutes.
I must say it was good! Enjoy.
Fun weekend in Tahoe followed by The Oscars!!
We spent the weekend in Lake Tahoe... Left early Saturday morning and returned on Sunday afternoon. It's great that we live close enough for a short weekend getaway to such a beautiful place.
I didn't cook while we were away... but we still ate good :) On Saturday we had delicious freshly made Cobb Salads at the Lodge at Northstar. I was impressed with how fresh they were, and the price wasn't bad either. For dinner, we went to Moody's in Downtown Truckee. I highly recommend it! Delicious food and excellent service. We started with "Tuna 4 Ways", followed by Tomato Soup, and for entree Mike had Big Eye Tuna and I had Pork Scaloppini. Everything was fabulous.
Sunday for the Oscars, I didn't want to be cooking during the show... I wanted to be front and center by 3pm for the Red Carpet, so I prepared a side dish ahead and Mike helped by barbecuing chicken & burgers.
Deviled Egg Coleslaw
~ 2 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
~ 3/4 cup light mayo
~ 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard (Gulden's)
~3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
~ 2 teaspoons white vinegar
~ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
~ 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
~ 1 16 oz. bag Fresh Express 3 color Deli Coleslaw
Combine everything except coleslaw in a large bowl, mix well. Add coleslaw and toss. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy!
I am preparing my meal plan for the week and will be sure to have at least a few good recipes to share!
I didn't cook while we were away... but we still ate good :) On Saturday we had delicious freshly made Cobb Salads at the Lodge at Northstar. I was impressed with how fresh they were, and the price wasn't bad either. For dinner, we went to Moody's in Downtown Truckee. I highly recommend it! Delicious food and excellent service. We started with "Tuna 4 Ways", followed by Tomato Soup, and for entree Mike had Big Eye Tuna and I had Pork Scaloppini. Everything was fabulous.
Sunday for the Oscars, I didn't want to be cooking during the show... I wanted to be front and center by 3pm for the Red Carpet, so I prepared a side dish ahead and Mike helped by barbecuing chicken & burgers.
Deviled Egg Coleslaw
~ 2 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
~ 3/4 cup light mayo
~ 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard (Gulden's)
~3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
~ 2 teaspoons white vinegar
~ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
~ 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
~ 1 16 oz. bag Fresh Express 3 color Deli Coleslaw
Combine everything except coleslaw in a large bowl, mix well. Add coleslaw and toss. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy!
I am preparing my meal plan for the week and will be sure to have at least a few good recipes to share!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
I love my Crock Pot!
My parents gave me their hand-me-down Crock Pot about 5 years ago. It moved with me 2 times, collecting dust along the way. I finally decided to give it a whirl about 6 months ago and I realized immediately what I had been missing out on all these years!! I now have 2 and use them frequently.
Tonight I decided to fix one of Mike and my favorites – Mexican Chicken in the Crock Pot.
Ingredients:
~ Olive Oil
~ 1 onion, sliced thinly
~ 1 green bell pepper, sliced thinly
~ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ Taco seasoning
~ Salt & Pepper
~ 1 can Rotel tomatoes
(This is for two people – add or subtract ingredients depending on how many you’re feeding)
Drizzle the bottom of the pot with olive oil, cover with sliced onion and bell pepper and season with salt & pepper. Coat the chicken breasts with taco seasoning and place on top of the raw veggies. Cover the chicken with a can of Rotel. Cook on Low for 3 hours. Shred the chicken with forks, mix all ingredients well, drain off excess liquid. (NOTE: The more chicken and veggies you cook, the longer it will need to crock in the pot).
We eat this chicken in what we call “burrito bowls”, although we fix them on plates. The typical “bowl” is piled high in this order: shredded lettuce, black beans, Mexican Chicken, grated cheese, salsa, sour cream, jalapenos, black olives.
I have made these several times when we’re entertaining up at the lake. It’s great because once you start the Crock, dinner is ready in a few hours and you don’t have to think about cooking while you’re entertaining.
Enjoy!!
Tonight I decided to fix one of Mike and my favorites – Mexican Chicken in the Crock Pot.
Ingredients:
~ Olive Oil
~ 1 onion, sliced thinly
~ 1 green bell pepper, sliced thinly
~ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ Taco seasoning
~ Salt & Pepper
~ 1 can Rotel tomatoes
(This is for two people – add or subtract ingredients depending on how many you’re feeding)
Drizzle the bottom of the pot with olive oil, cover with sliced onion and bell pepper and season with salt & pepper. Coat the chicken breasts with taco seasoning and place on top of the raw veggies. Cover the chicken with a can of Rotel. Cook on Low for 3 hours. Shred the chicken with forks, mix all ingredients well, drain off excess liquid. (NOTE: The more chicken and veggies you cook, the longer it will need to crock in the pot).
We eat this chicken in what we call “burrito bowls”, although we fix them on plates. The typical “bowl” is piled high in this order: shredded lettuce, black beans, Mexican Chicken, grated cheese, salsa, sour cream, jalapenos, black olives.
I have made these several times when we’re entertaining up at the lake. It’s great because once you start the Crock, dinner is ready in a few hours and you don’t have to think about cooking while you’re entertaining.
Enjoy!!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
My First Blog -- Welcome!!
I love to cook.... I really didn't know it until I met my husband and he cooked for me the first time --- boiled chicken along with boiled broccoli. I ate the meal and thought - I can do better than this!! My passion has grown over the past four years and it really is a passion. I love to cook!!
After watching Julie & Julia twice, I have decided to start a blog for myself. Who knows, I might get famous, but more importantly, I will now have a place to post recipes and experiences in the kitchen and in life.
I am psyched!!
Tonight I made a meal that I agree was GOOD. My husband, Mike, told me it was his favorite of all time!! This is what I did for Parmesan Chicken and Broiled Zucchini:
This meal feeds two people - so add or subtract accordingly.
Ingredients:
~ 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
~ 1 - 2 cups grated parmesan cheese
~ 1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with basil and oregano
~ 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
~ 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
~ 1 tsp. minced garlic
~ 2 eggs
~ 4 medium zucchin
~ olive oil
~ salt
~ pepper
First, get the zucchini prepared:
Cover a baking sheet with cooking spray
Cut the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4" slices
Place the zucchini onto the baking sheet
Drizzle with olive oil
Sprinkle generously with fresh ground pepper and salt
Set aside
Preheat oven to 350
Let's get the sauce going:
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat,
heat 1 tsp. garlic with olive oil for 1 minute
add the crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes and oregano,
and simmer
Next, get the chicken going:
Olive oil into a medium/large fry pan on medium heat
Put 2 eggs into one bowl
Put 1/2 cup ++ parmesan cheese into one bowl
Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt & pepper
Dip each breast in the egg and then the parmesan and place into the fry pan
Cook in the fry pan for 3 minutes on each side
In a sprayed baking dish, place 1/2 of the sauce
Place the two chicken breasts on top of the sauce
Cover the chicken with the remaining sauce
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
Pull the chicken out and cover with foil
Set oven to Broil
Broil the zucchini 5" from heating element for 5 minutes
Pull out and sprinkle with 1/4 - 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Place back in the broiler and cook for another 5 minutes or until browned
Once zucchini is done,
Cover each chicken breast with shredded Mozzarella (about 1/4 cup each breast)
Place in the broiler for about 4 minutes (until cheese is bubbly and brown)
Bon appétit!!
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