Chicken Parmesan

A Lighter Version of the Classic Chicken Parmesan. It's made with fresh ingredients, Pan Seared Chicken (Not Fried) & Whole Wheat Pasta.
The Deets For the Chicken
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Butterflied
1/8 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
1 TBS Olive Oil
The How To
Dredge Chicken in Flour
Dredge Chicken in Egg wash
Dredge Chicken in Bread Crumbs
Heat Oil over medium high in Medium Skillet
Add Chicken & cook for 2 minutes on each side
Remove from Heat and Cover

The Deets For the Sauce
3 Cups Tomatoes Diced (or 2 Cans) Today I used Yellow Sunshine Baby Tomatoes - hence the yellow sauce instead of traditional red
5 Leaves of Basil Roughly Chopped
1 Clove Garlic Minced
1 Shallot Chopped
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pinch Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

The How To

In Medium Sauce Pan Heat Oil, add Garlic and Shallot until clear
Add Tomatoes,  Basil, Salt, Pepper and Sugar
Cook over Medium Heat for 10 minutes

The Deets for Assembly 
Tomato Sauce prepared above
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
8 Slices Fresh Mozzarella
4 Large Basil Leaves

The Assembly 

Place Chicken Breasts on Baking Sheet
Top each with 2 TBS Tomato Sauce
Sprinkle with Parmesan
Top with Basil & Mozzarella
Bake at 450 for 10 Minutes

Add Cooked Whole Wheat Spaghetti to left over Tomato Sauce Top with Parmesan. Add your favorite Salad or Vegetable

Plate, Pray & Enjoy

Baked Mac & Cheese

It's Cold.  It's Darn Cold. You know what that means? Comfort Food.

When I think Comfort Food, I think Mac & Cheese.

*Warning* This Recipe is not in any way shape or form healthy.  It is slightly "less bad" than normal, but not healthy - sorry, but sometimes you've got to have the real deal. We are getting our Dairy for the day. Hooray for Vitamin D & Calcium.  Also, we are eating whole "real" foods that aren't overly processed - can't say that about the mac in a box...

The Deets

1 1/4 Cup Shredded Sharp White Cheddar (Tillimook Vintage White)

1 1/4 Cup Shredded Medium Cheddar (Tillimook Medium Cheddar)

1/4 Cup Goat Cheese (No Goat? add more Cheddar or your favorite Cheese {Gouda, Gruyere, Monterey Jack are all good options})

1 Cup Sour Cream (I used reduced fat)

1/4 Cup Milk (I use skim)

1 TBS Butter

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

3 Cups Whole Wheat Penne or Elbow Macaroni (It's best to use a pasta with ridges to hold the sauce)

The How To

In a Medium Sauce Pan mix 1 Cup of Extra Sharp & Medium Cheddar with Butter and Milk

Cook over Medium Heat until smooth 

Add Goat Cheese and Sour Cream

Add Salt and Pepper 

Cook to a smooth consistency 

Prepare Pasta according to package directions - usually 8 minutes in boiling water

Do NOT overcook the pasta

Drain and Rinse Pasta and add to cheese mixture

Mix until pasta is coated 

Transfer to a baking dish (9x9) 

Top with remaining Cheese and cover with tin foil

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

Uncover for the last 5 minutes

What goes great with Mac & Cheese?
Fried Chicken? Not Quite, but close.
UnFried Chicken 
The Deets
4 portions Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
Seasoned Salt (Lawry's)
1 TBS Canola Oil
The How To
Butterfly Chicken Breasts (lay breast flat & cut parallel to cutting board cutting breast almost in half {thickness wise} stop prior to cutting through & "fold" breast open, pound or smooth by hand)
Mix egg in a bowl large enough to dip/dredge chicken in
Dredge Chicken through egg & then through the Panko Bread Crumbs (I sprinkle the bread crumbs on my cutting board - less dirty dishes)
Sprinkle with  Seasoned Salt to taste (less is more)
Heat Oil in Skillet to Medium High 
Cook Chicken for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown
Cover and remove from heat to continue cooking

Add a Salad and/or your favorite Vegetable

Plate, Pray & Enjoy!

Note: We don't eat "White" in our house - this means no white bread, rice or pasta - we make exceptions for rice noodles, Panko Bread Crumbs & mixing flour for baking (50/50 Whole Wheat & All Purpose). This is one small way we can eat less processed foods & up our whole grain intake. 

Seared MahiMahi with Tomato Confit

Seared MahiMahi over Saffron Quinoa with Tomato Confit 

Quinoa

Seep 1 Pinch of Saffron in 1/2 Cup Boiling Water

Boil 1 1/2 Chicken Broth

Add 1 Cup Quinoa to Boiling Broth

Cook on Medium of 20 Minutes

Add Saffron Water and continue cooking until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes

Tomato Confit

1 Cup Grape or Cherry Tomatoes diced

1 TBS Olive Oil

1 pinch Sea Salt

1 pinch finely chopped Basil

Heat over Medium-High for 5-7 Minutes

MahiMahi

2 Portions MahiMahi Filets

Season with Lemon Pepper

Heat 1 TBS Olive Oil in a Pan on high

Sear Filet for 2 minutes on each side

Remove from Heat and cover to continue cooking for 5 Minutes 

Plate by making a circle of Quinoa on a plate, place seared MahiMahi Filet on top of Quinoa, top with tomato confit

Plate, Pray & Enjoy!

Meatless Mondays - Veggie StirFry

       Did you know that the average American eats 200 lbs of meat a year? Did you know that going meatless one day per week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity?  Did you know it can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save natural resources like fresh water and fossil fuel?  Did you know it can also save time in the kitchen?
       I am by no means a non-meat eater, in fact when I eat a meal and realize it is {Shudder} Vegan, I must eat some type of animal to make up for it.  However, sometimes, I just need a lighter meal & as I'm sure you know by know I love veggies! So I've decided to join the Meatless Monday Movement. You can learn more about Meatless Mondays here.
      For our First Meatless Monday I decided to revamp an old favorite: StirFry.  I love stirfry! It's quick, it's healthy, and it's a kitchen sink recipe - add what you've got & it will still be tasty. 
The Deets
Whatever You've got!
5 Large Mushrooms
1 Large Carrot
1 Stalk Broccoli 
1 Zucchini
1 Cup Snow Peas
1 TBS Oil (Olive or Canola)
1 tsp Sesame Seed Oil
1 Package Flat Rice Noodles (I used 5mm)
Soy Sauce
Tempura Sauce
Garlic Salt
Other great add-ins
Asparagus
Bok Choy
Bean Sprouts
Celery
Onion
Nappa Cabbage
Peppers
If it's a veggie it's in!

The How To
In a large pan place rice noodles in warm water over low heat (cook until soft usually about 15 minutes)

Chop Veggies to desired size - I mix up the sizes & cuts to keep it fun

In a Large Skillet heat Oil on High
Add Mushrooms, sprinkle with Garlic Salt and Sear mushrooms to desired texture
(Note the order depends on your desired crunch factor - I like my mushrooms & Zucchini cooked well & my other veggies crunchy, hence the order)
Next Add Zucchini & Broccoli
Sprinkle with Tempura Sauce
Add Carrots & Snow Peas
Once veggies are seared, sauteed or cooked to your version of perfection add the noodles
Sprinkle with Soy and Tempura Sauce to Taste
Mix and cook on Med-High for 5 minutes

Plate, Pray & Enjoy!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Dirty Rice with Sausage

If you're anything like me 1/2 way through the day you start wondering what you are going to make for dinner. Then your mind runs through what you've got in the fridge in an attempt to avoid the market on the way home.  Then you end up making one of a handful of quick & easy recipes that you & your family are pretty tired of.

This is a great easy recipe to mix up your midweek routine.   Dirty Rice uses staples you likely already have around & if not these ingredients are easy to add to your staple list since they have a long shelf life. Another great thing about this recipe is it's kind of a "kitchen sink" recipe, add what you have, leave out what you don't.  Here's my take on Dirty Rice:

The Deets

2 Cups Rice (I use long grain brown rice)

4 Cups Chicken Stock

1 Shallot

1/2 Bell Pepper

2 Jalapeno Peppers

10 Mushrooms

1 Can diced tomatoes + a handful of chopped fresh tomatoes

1 large Sausage (I prefer turkey, or better yet, elk if I can get it)

1 TBS Olive Oil

Instructions

Bring chicken broth to boil & add rice

Cook Rice to package directions (using the broth instead of water)

Chop Vegetables to desired size

Heat Oil to pan

Add Shallot & Mushrooms

Once cooked through remove 

Cook Sausage in same pan

Once Sausage is cooked 90% add peppers, mushrooms & shallots 

Next add Diced & Fresh Tomatoes 

Stir occasionally until hot

Add Rice and mix throughly 

Simple, Quick & a Delicious Break from the Usual Menu

Enjoy!

Ace of Cakes I am Not...Adventures in Rainbow Cake

This Week I decided to try my hand at cake decorating.  Now, I think I'm pretty good at making things taste good, but Martha Stewart I am not  & my buddy Chef Duff not a chance - I can make it tasty, but pretty not so much. So of course for my first attempt of making a pretty cake I had to go all out. 
I started with this rainbow cake recipe from Martha Stewart (note do NOT try the frosting recipe it is awful! I ended up scraping it off the cake & tossing it).  I substituted Almond Extract for Vanilla in the cake, but other than that followed Martha's lead on the cake.  I used about 1 1/2 cups of batter for each layer & used 8 inch pans instead of 9 inch ones. The pans headed to the oven.

For the Frosting I used my mother-in-law's amazing frosting, since Martha led me astray.  

The Best Frosting Ever

1 Cup Butter

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

4 Cups Sifted Confectioner's Sugar (Must be Sifted!)

2 TBS Milk

After layering it was time for a trim & crumb coating

Next it was time to try my hand at Fondant; not only had I never made the stuff, I'd never even used it before. My sister gave me the following recipe which she says is the best she's ever tried, it's found on allrecipes.com. My sister makes some pretty darn cute cakes, so I figured she'd know a good one. Amazingly the fondant actually tastes good! Again I subbed Almond for Vanilla, but other than that I didn't deviate. It was actually edible in comparison to most fondants I've tasted. 

Here are my colors after what felt like hours of kneading and gallons of coloring. {Notes 1. You must use Gel Coloring, liquid will not work. 2. it's really hard to get "true" colors & it takes a lot of time & color}

Finally it was time for the assembly, I have to admit I was a bit intimidated & had to text a good friend who makes beautiful cakes for some tips. {Thanks Heather!} After getting some tips I got to work. Once I got started it was pretty fun & by that time I was so tired I wasn't so hard on myself for the cracks and gaps...

 Jen's 30th Birthday Rainbow Brite Cake!

 I know it's far from perfect, but I have to say for a first attempt I was pretty happy with the results. 

Besides, how can you not smile when you see this? It was so fun to see Jen's little girl's face when she cut into the cake & there was another rainbow! 

I give the Rainbow Cake Recipe 5 stars. The Fondant 4 Stars (it still cracked a lot as you can see in the photos, but that's likely user error).  And my Mother-in-Law's frosting 5 Stars!  If you've got a lovely girl in your life whose 3 or 30 she'll love this cake.  Enjoy!

The Bounty of the Food Co-Op

Recently I joined a Food Co-Op.  The premise is simple - for $50 a month, you receive 2 mystery baskets of produce, each weighing in around 25 lbs!

Week One arrived the Tuesday before Thanksgiving & Oh my was I ever shocked when I saw the bounty! The contents went something like this: apples, asparagus, bananas, carrots, celery, green beans, kiwis, limes, napa cabbage, onions, oranges, potatoes, pomegranate, pineapple, pears, romaine lettuce, spinach, sweet potatoes...

Week Two I was a little more prepared when I received this:

20+ pounds of apples (3 kinds), bananas, bell peppers, carrots, clementines, cucumbers, grapes, kiwi, leaks, limes, jalapenos, mushrooms, mandrin oranges, oranges, potatoes (2 kinds), pears, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini & fresh herbs

Week Three contained 3 kinds of apples (including my favorite HoneyCrisp), Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, Carrots, Clementines, Cucumbers, Celery, Green Onions, Garlic, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Lemons, Mandrin Oranges, Oranges, 3 kinds of Potatoes, Asian Pears, Romaine Lettuce, Sprouts,  Sweet Potatoes, Onions, Tomatoes & Fresh Herbs

Getting my share is like getting a present - I never know what I'm going to get & I get to pick it up from my friend Jen - Double Bonus.

All this extra produce has not only saved me time running all over town to find good produce, but it has also caused us to break out the juicer on a more regular basis.
This week we've had Apple, Carrot, Kiwi, Pear, Grape, Celery Juice.

 Apple, Carrot, Lemon, Orange, Kiwi Juice

And Apple, Carrot, Pear, Lemon, Orange, Juice

We Love having Fresh Produce Year Round!

Happy, Healthy New Year! Grapefruit Avocado Salad

I Love Salad. I do Not Love Salad Dressing.

I know that other than my 3 year old niece most people would disagree; they either dislike salad or drown it in dressing.  So, to appease the masses, I present my latest salad creation:

Grapefruit Avocado Salad

The Deets 

Spinach or Romaine Roughly Chopped (I do 1 cup per person)

1/2 Ruby Red Grapefruit

1/2 Avocado

1/2 Cucumber

10 Raw Almonds (roughly chopped)

1 TBS Grapefruit Juice

1/2 TBS Lemon Juice

1 TBS Soy Sauce

Salad Construction

Cut up Grapefruit, Avocado & Cucumber (I cut into quarters)

Place cut Grapefruit, Avocado & Cucumber in Bowl

Add Grapefruit Juice (I set aside the end & squeeze it in), Lemon Juice & Soy Sauce

Let sit for 10-15 minutes

Add Greens & Mix

Top with Almonds

Enjoy!

Grandma G's Cheese Strata

Strata is something that I was not familiar with until now...

One of Husband's family Christmas traditions is Grandma G's Cheese Strata

So being the good wife I am {he he shameless pat on the back} I called my sister-in-law & got Grandma G's Recipe.

The Deets

8-12 Slices of White Bread 

1/2 Cup Sharp Cheddar

1/2 Cup Swiss Cheese

5 Eggs

2 Cups Milk

1 tsp Seasoned Salt

1/2 tsp Garlic Salt

Assembly

In buttered casserole dish alternate layers of bread & cheese

Combine remaining ingredients in bowl & mix until smooth

Pour over Bread & Cheese

Cover & place in fridge overnight

Place in larger dish of water  

Bake at 325 for 55 minutes

And that is Gramma G's Cheese Strata. Enjoy. 

Scandinavian Christmas Kringler

One of the Traditional Christmas dishes my family has is my Dad's Scandinavian Kringler which he makes every Christmas.  This year was the very first year of my life that I did not spend Christmas with my parents, as such, it was up to me to make the Kringler.


As I've stated before I'm still trying to figure out this non-high altitude baking...so I am going to use that as my excuse for now.  Though the Kringler wasn't as good as dad's it wasn't too bad & next year I'll know the tricks to making it just right...if a voyage to the home land isn't in the plan...


Anyway, Christmas Kringler is a three part pastry. First there is a crust layer, then a puff layer & then the oh so important icing.


Crust
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Butter
2 TBS Ice Water


Mix Flour & Butter until crumbly, then add water & mix.  This is one recipe where I mix everything by hand & give my trusty Kitchenaid a break. Divide Dough in 1/2 on a cookie sheet and press into two 5 inch rows.  

Puff Layer

1 Cup Hot Water

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Cup Flour

3 Eggs

1/2 tsp Almond Extract

Mix Butter & Water in pan on stove & bring to a boil. Add Flour, Eggs & Almond Extract, cook until fluffy.  Beat until Smooth.  Spread on Crust Layer.

Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. {Note - I think next time I will bake it at 375 at low altitude}

Icing

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 TBS Butter

1/2 tsp Almond Extract

2 TBS Milk

Mix Icing & spread on cooled Kringler, sprinkle with sliced almonds & enjoy.

Merry Christmas to you & yours!  

Homemade Baked Potato Chips

In case you haven't heard the head of the Washington State Potato Commission recently finished a 60 day all potato diet.  Shockingly he lost 21 pounds & his cholesterol dropped 67 points!  You can read more about his diet here.  I don't like potatoes that much, but I am a big fan of the little root-veggies.

As you know potatoes are constantly being attacked as junk & not a vegetable on a regular basis even though they are actually quite healthy (hence Mr. Washington's potato diet) because most people only eat them in some sort of fried manner...potato chips, french fries, hashbrowns...

The way I see it, if it grows from the ground & you eat it in whole form it can't be bad for you - so long as you remember that little thing about moderation & don't deep fry it to oblivion.

Anyway, I've been on a potato kick lately.  Fingerlings, baby reds, purple passions, yukon gold, sweets & even the classic russet.  The other night we were having paninis with our good friends (another post on that later) & I felt like having some chips...which we don't usually keep in our house.  So I decided to try my hand at making homemade baked potato chips.

They are super simple.  Just thinly slice up your favorite potatoes - we used russets, sweets, baby reds & purple passions.

As you can see My slices aren't very uniform. This created various textures in the finished product.

Next rinse the potatoes in warm water.  Pat dry with a paper towel & lay on baking sheets (I recommend Williams-Sonoma Gold).  Spray with cooking spray - I used Pam Olive Oil Spray.  Bake for 15 minutes, then switch the pans from top to bottom rack so that both sides get crispy & bake another 15 minutes. {Time may very based on thickness of potatoes}

Sprinkle with Sea Salt & enjoy!

Banana Bread

Banana Bread is one of those perfect treats on a cold day.  

It's sweet, it's bread and it has fruit in it, so you don't have to feel bad about eating it, even if it is loaded with chocolate. Plus you can add flax or nuts for a little more of a health kick.
I started experimenting with banana bread recipes back in college, my friends enjoyed countless trial runs of various recipes, even after I came up with "the one".  But no matter how many things I add, take away or mess with the ratios,  this is the best one I've come up with, I always come back to it.  I think it's perfect.  Let me know what you think.


The Deets
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Milk
4 - 5 Bananas (I prefer to freeze mine & then thaw them out when it's baking time)
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
1/4 Cup Flax Seeds


Instructions
Mix Wet Ingredients 
Add Bananas & Mix Well
Add Flour, Backing Soda & Salt
Add ChocoChips & Flax Seeds
Heat Oven to 350 Degrees

I'm a big fan of the mini loaves.  
This recipe will make 4 minis or one normal loaf of Banana Bread
For the minis bake @ 350 for 35 minutes
For the normal loaf bake @350 for 50 - 55 minutes or until toothpick pulls out clean.

Enjoy!

The McRib: a $3.00 Trip Down Memory Lane

If you haven't heard, the McRib is back.
Now, as I'm sure you know by now, I am not a fast food type of girl & I haven't eaten at McDonalds in years. But, when I heard they were bringing the McRib back, my interest was peaked.  I have fond memories of the McRib as a kid, even though I'm sure that I only had a McRib once or twice in my life.


So after a long day of work, followed by a long night running errands I decided it was time to take a trip down memory lane.  I called Husband & told him my plan, the conversation went something like this:
Me: I'm going to stop & McDonalds to get a McRib do you want anything?
Husband: Really? You're going to McDonalds?
Me: Yes, I'm sure I'll eat like 3 bites & throw it away, but I've got to see if it's as good as I remember.
Husband: Hmmm this is a bad idea
Me: I know, but I just have to try it.
Husband: laughing, ok. 


So I pulled into the McDonalds' drive through & ordered a McRib, then was confused by the whole 2 window set up (yup it's been so long that I didn't even know how to go through a drive through!)  The 12 year old behind the window looked at me like I was retarded & explained the process. It was pretty embarrassing.


Anyway, at the second window I was handed a paper bag that contained the oh so anticipated McRib.  I must say it smelled fantastic, so much so that the 15 minute drive home was a bit torturous & I'm pretty sure I was salivating for the last 5 minutes.  Ridiculous I know.

This is what was waiting for me after the long drive home.

Yup, that's pressed reconstituted mystery meat, BBQ sauce, pickles & onions on a bun, or as Tim McGraw would say "Another supper from a sack, a 99 cent heart attack"

The First Bite was ok, the edge was a bit firmer & immediate flavor wasn't too bad.  But bites 2 & 3 were like eating already been chewed meat stuffs & the nasty aftertaste already crept in, plus raw onions are on my no-no list.  3 bites & to the trash it went, just as expected.


The best part was that no one believed me when I told them I tried the McRib!  No offense to Micky-Ds but I plan on going another 5 years or so before trying their delectable cuisine again.  The trip down memory lane was worth the $3.00, but the tummy ache that came with was not worth it.  


This is what I made after having my Third & Final Bite in an attempt to make peace with my tummy:

Grilled Asparagus & Mushrooms, yummy!


Next time the McRib comes around, I'll have documentation & an adult memory to keep me away.  But hey, that just means more McRib for all you fanatics out there! Enjoy your ABC Pressed mystery meat sandwich.