Lemon Chicken

Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa is one of my fave shows. While some of the food she cooks is a little, umm, not my cup of tea, some of it really is! While I was perusing the TV Guide, I saw she was cooking chicken, so I flipped on over and well, let's just say I had to make a last minute trip to the grocery.

This lemon chicken is right up my tasty trail. Also, it's super simple. LOTS of garlic is kind of an understatement. But I love garlic, and lemon, and chicken so I was in heaven. And when it's cooking you just want to sit back and let the olfactory sense do it's job. It's intoxicating.

This dish is quick and perfect for last minute dinner ideas. It's great for entertaining. People will think you're a culinary genius. It's just a few ingredients, takes 5 minutes to throw together, and probably two minutes to eat. Because it's so tasty.

Chop lots of garlic. I used about 9-10 cloves.

Heat up some olive oil.

Add the garlic and cook until tender. Watch it carefully, you don't want it to burn.

Add some wine! This one is my new favorite.

And wine makes everything better, just like garlic. 

Bring it to a bubble and let the wine reduce.

Add lots of yummy lemon zest and juice. 

Stir in your herbs. Lots of savory goodness!

I used dried herbs, I didn't have fresh.

Pour everything into a casserole dish.

Place the chicken on top of the garlic.

Drizzle olive oil over top of the chicken.

Season with salt and pepper.

Top with lots of lemon slices.

Eat it!

I loved the rice. Just plain, salted jasmine rice. With the juice from the chicken, all that garlic and lemon, it really takes it to the next level. 

It's a simple meal, but it's so delicious.

Feel free to use which ever part of the chicken you love. 

I just love boneless, skinless breasts.

Lemon Chicken Breasts

(Recipe from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Lemon Chicken Breasts)

• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

Table for two please!

So there wasn't a large man with an accordion singing Bella Notte table side, and my dad didn't nose the last remaining meatball over to my mom. They didn't share a string of pasta, but the atmosphere was still romantic. Even with me sitting across from them. Well maybe romantic isn't the best word. Regardless, I think my parents enjoyed their anniversary dinner. I thought my platter of spaghetti and meatballs looked just as appetizing as the one in Lady and the Tramp.
Like my fresh tomato sauce, I made my meatballs from scratch. They're perfect for a romantic pasta dinner or just by themselves. Homemade meatballs are so easy to prepare! Just don't be afraid to get your hands a little dirty. They are your best tools.

Here's what you'll need:

1 pound ground beef  

1 pound ground pork

4 garlic cloves, minced or grated (I grate mine into the bowl)

1 shallot, minced

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan and romano cheese

1 1/2 cups italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup of whole milk

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil            

Add all the ingredients, except the meat and oil, to a large mixing bowl. Stir everything together so that it all becomes moist. Add the meat, and using your hands, mix until it's just combined. Don't over mix or you will get tough meatballs. 

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Start making your meatballs. They can be as big or as little as you want them. I make mine into about 1 inch rounds. Add them to the hot oil. Brown each side, gently turning them with a pair of rubber tongs. Once each side is browned put the lid on the skillet and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked through, turning them occasionally.

If you're making them to go into a sauce add the sauce to the pan just before you put the lid on your skillet.

Bread with homemade garlic butter adds that little something extra to your meal

Buon Appetito!!! 

Chicken Mojo with Grilled Onions and Cilantro

I tried a new recipe tonight. I'm always trying to keep it interesting and different in the kitchen. I get a little burnt out on tacos and burritos so tonight I decided to go a different direction than your typical mexican meal. I love Cuban food and chicken with mojo sauce, pronounced MO-ho, is a great addition to the dinner table. It's tangy and citrusy with a little bite to it.

Mojo originated in the Canary Islands but has migrated to the Caribbean Islands. There are many variations of the sauce but all of them center around garlic and olive oil. In Cuban and Puerto Rican variations they almost always have a citrus component. If you're not sure what you think about it do some research. The recipe I found I really like. But there are many ways to make. Just find the one that suits your taste buds. It's like finding Mr. Right, except, it's a sauce. The foundation of my mojo is made of chilies and lots of garlic. Mine is also green. The one you like may be red.

Here's what you'll need:
1 pound chicken - Use whatever chicken you like. I'm a breast tender girl so that's what I use.
4 gloves garlic
2 serrano or jalapeno chilies - seeds removed, if you like it spicy leave some in.
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro - reserve 1/4 cup for garnish
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-4 medium vidalia onions  - thinly sliced

Salt and pepper the chicken and lay it in a casserole dish. Put the rest of the ingredients in a food processor/blender and pulse until combined. Pour over the chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

That was easy right? Yes! Cook the chicken however you want. I prefer to grill anytime I can. I grilled mine! Feel free to bake it though. I also put the onions on the grill. You can sautee them if you like.

I served my pollo con mojo with a bean and corn salsa.
Just rinse and drain a can of black beans and a can of sweet corn. Add to a casserole dish with 4 diced roma tomatoes (take out the seeds) and 1 diced green bell pepper. Add the zest and juice of one lime. No salt and pepper needed unless you have to have it. This side is full of it's own flavor.

Mojo recipe courtesy of Food Network

Italian Fried Chicken

I don't have eleven herbs and spices but my fried chicken is just as good (in my opinion) as the Colonel's. Fried chicken is one of my favorite things, but I'm a little picky about my chicken. Ok, I'm really picky. I don't like to eat chicken on a bone. I don't want to pick the meat off, I don't want anyone to do that. I prefer to buy boneless, skinless breast meat or tenders. So here I take some tenderized boneless, skinless breast and coat and fry them to crispy perfection.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups italian bread crumbs
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

Add about 1 inch of olive oil to a large, deep skillet. Preheat over medium heat. Lightly beat the eggs in a small casserole dish and stir in the milk. Add the bread crumbs and flour to another dish and season with salt and pepper. Cut and clean the chicken then soak it in the egg mixture. Dredge it in flour and add it to the hot oil. Cook it about 3-4 minutes on each side until it is crispy and cooked through. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked! Plate it on your favorite serving dish and sprinkle the cheese and parsley over top the hot chicken.

Parmesan Orzo w/ Peppercorn Crusted Steak

This was a, "What do I have in the kitchen to make for dinner tonight?" kinda night. I was thinkin chicken but never got it out of the freezer. So in a fit of panic I went for steak. I didn't know what to do with it though. So I rounded up some of my trusty ingredients that I always have on hand: peppercorn rub, parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. Of course I had some sort of pasta as well. Dinner isn't compete with starch. So I went with it, and my oh my! Just make it, you'll understand.

This is what you'll need:
3 6oz. New York strip steaks
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
4 tablespoons peppercorn rub (your fave will do)
1 tablesoon butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
3 cups beef broth (get the sodium free/no msg broth)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (divided)
1/2 cup freshly grated romano cheese (divided)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Preheat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and the oven to a low broil. In a casserole dish, coat the steaks with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and the rub. Drizzle a little extra oil in the skillet and add the steaks. Sear 2-3 minutes on each side or until a nice crust forms. Transfer the steaks to a baking sheet and move to the oven to finish. Add the broth to a sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
Remove any left over peppercorns from the skillet. Return the skillet to a medium heat and add the remaining oil and the butter. Add the onion and cook until golden and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the pasta. Mix into the onion and allow it to toast, just a few minutes. Add the broth a ladel at a time, adding the next only after the one before it is completely absorbed. You might not have to use all the broth. The end result should be creamy but not runny. Add a 1/4 cup of each cheese and stir it in! Save any unused broth for leftovers, don't want it to be dry.
Use the rest of the cheese and the pasley to garnish!

 Buon Appetito!

That's A Spicy Meat-a-ball!! Pizza

So took another gander at the meatball pizza last night! I must say this time around was a better success. My sister was here to help me and together we made amazing yummy things happen in my kitchen!!!! I went with a different dough recipe and while it was way better than last time, I'm just convinced dough will never be a friend of mine. I got the recipe out of an Italian cookbook, and still to no avail, it did not rise! I need a dough lesson big time. And not from a cookbook. But the rest was really simple. We used fresh veggies and fresh cheese. I made the sauce (pretty tasty!). 

I loooove pizza! You can do anything with it. This was definitely a happy dinner crowd. This pizza will appear on my table again. And it should appear on yours too! I think you would like it. Feel free to experiment with the crust or buy store bought. 

For my "not so rising" crust: 

1 1/2 all purpose flour, extra for dusting

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tbsp. olive oil

6 tbsp. luke-warm water (I didn't think 6 was enough and used about 10)

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. 

Sift the flour and salt into a medium size bowl. Stir in the yeast. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and add your oil and water. Gradually stir in the flour with your hand. When a soft ball of dough is formed turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Return to a clean bowl and cover with some lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour. 

When (if) it's risen, turn out on a floured surface once more and knock down. Knead briefly, cut in half, and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Bake on a lightly oiled baking sheet. 

This serves 2 so you might want to make 2 batches or 1 bigger batch. Just double everything up.

For my "oh-so-delish" meatballs: 

1 lb. ground beef

2 eggs, well beaten

3/4 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 c. Romano cheese, grated (imported preferred)

1 tsp. salt

Black pepper to taste

1 1/2 tbsp. basil

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 shallot finely minced

Mix all ingredients well and shape into golf-ball size. Place in a non-stick baking pan or spray pan with pan coating. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. When the sauce is ready and the meatballs are done add them to the sauce to stay warm and yummy!

Let's get saucy!!:

1 shallot, minced

2 whole cloves of garlic (I push them through a garlic press but you can mince if you don't have one)

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 tbsp. italian seasoning

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper (for a little zing!!)

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and the garlic and cook until the onion is soft. Add the tomatoes and the seasoning. Bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. 

After all is said and cooked just assemble your pizza! You can use whatever else you like. We chose green peppers, red onion, black olives, parmesan cheese and fresh mozzarella.  And on a more fattening note, we brushed the crust (pre-saucing) with garlic infused butter! 

After baking for about 12-15 minutes it turned out to be something like this:

Meatball recipe courtesy of: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1718,156175-224206,00.html 

Southwest Steak & Potato Stew

You will need:

1 small onion, halved and sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 russet or yukon gold potatoes, diced

1 pound beef roast, cut into 1 inch pieces

14 oz. can reduced sodium beef broth

1 cup salsa, heat of your choice

1/2 cup pico de gallo 

1 can cut green beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 tsp. dried basil

salt & pepper, to taste

Cut your veggies, mix together your broth and salsas.  Pour everything into a crock-pot.  Cook on low 8-10 hours, or high for 4 hours.

Serve with crunchy tortilla strips, shredded cheese, sour cream, or mexican rice. Whatever you like! 

It's soooo yummy!

Homemade Pizza

Made my first pizza! It was pretty yummy, aside from the crust... Not sooo crusty. It was more like a biscuit. But I did use bisquick. I was in a pinch, ran out of flour and it was the only thing I had. But I fulfilled my dream of eating a meatball pizza!
Seriously...I really had a dream about a meatball pizza. And it was the best meatball pizza in the whole world! As soon as I went in for a big bite.....I woke up.

So for the crust I used:
2 1/2 cups of bisquick
3/4 cups of water
1 pack fast acting dry yeast

Dissolve yeast in water. Mix with bisquick until combined. Knead 20 times on lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 2 pieces and roll out.
Feel free to use your own recipe, or store bought. I didn't care tooo much for this so I probably won't be using it again.

Let's get saucy!
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 tsp oregano
salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

sauteé garlic and shallot in oil until tender, 4 minutes. Add sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low until sauce had slightly thickened.

That's a spicy meatball! (said in cheesy italian accent!)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 lb. ground beed

Mix all ingredients together and roll into 1 inch balls. I had 12 balls total. Cook in 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
I like to put a lid on them and let them steam then take the lid off and brown them, turning the heat to med-high for browning.
Cool to room temp and cut into slices.

Sprinkle italian bread crumbs on a baking sheet and top with rolled out pizza dough. Spoon sauce all over the dough. Top with meatballs and whatever toppings you like! I put tomatoes and onions on mine. Sprinking with shredded parmesan cheese and be generous with the mozzarella. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees. When the crust is golden turn off the oven and turn the broiler on high. Broil until cheese is slightly golden.

Roast Pepper Chili

Sooo good! And good for you :)
You will need:
1 pound ground sirloin
1 purple onion (chopped)
2 poblano peppers
1 red, yellow, & green pepper
2 tbsp freshly minced garlic
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
14 oz. petite diced tomatoes
14 oz. black beans (drained but not rinsed)
14 oz. kidney beans (drained but not rinsed)
1 12 oz. beer
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tbsp: garlic powder, onion flake, paprika, salt, black pepper
1 tbsp cumin, ancho-chili powder, cayenne pepper
2 packages chili seasoning

Wash and dry the peppers, put the onion in the freezer. Put the peppers on a preheated grill or grill pan,  high heat, cooking until the skin is slightly charred and looks wrinkled and pulls away from the meat of the pepper. Rotate the pepper to ensure even, all-around cooking. Make sure to cook the bottom and the top as well. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the pepper.

When the peppers are nice and charred put them in a baking dish and cover with plastic wrap to cool. The plastic wrap allows condensation to form and the peppers stay moist. This allows to the skin to peel more easily.

Preheat a large stock pot or dutch oven to medium high heat. Add olive oil. Take the onion out of the freezer, chop, and add to the pot. Turn the heat to medium and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add sirloin. While the meat is cooking peel and seed peppers. Dice the peppers and add them to the onions and sirloin. Add all your spices and seasoning. Mix well. Add the beer and cook until almost completely evaporated. Add the beans, tomatoes, and stock. Stir to mix everything together and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Let simmer for at least an hour.                                                    

Café Rio Pork

  I got this recipe off a friends blog and please let me tell you, it is SO GOOD!!!


Café Rio Pork
3 lbs pork roast (butt or shoulder)
1 c dark brown sugar
1c worcestershire sauce
1t dried oregano
1t powdered ginger
1t salt
1t chili powder
1t garlic powder
2T dried minced onions

  

   In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients.

Wisk in worchestershire sauce

.

 

Put the pork in the crock pot and cover with mixture.

Put the lid on and set your timer! 

Now being me, I didn't have 3 pounds of pork lying around. I had 6. So I doubled the recipe. And it turned out great! If you do have 3 pounds of pork then cook it for about 8 hours. I left it in the crock pot for 10 hours over night. I kept it in the crock pot while I was at work and when I came home it was cool and ready to shred! It looked like this:

YUM! 

Good pork when prepared for shredding should fall apart in your hands when you go to shred it. 

I hardly did any work here. It was so tender! I strained some of the mixture it cooked in.

Put the pork back in the crock pot & prepare 1 cup of dark brown sugar

Add the brown sugar to the pork along with: the strained mixture and 1 can of red enchilada sauce

I cooked that on low for about on hour.

End result:

The closest this pig will ever get to heaven! 

Simply Scrumptious

 I love Giada de Laurentiis. I was shopping in Target the other day and saw her newest cookbook, "Giada At Home" and I just had to have it. It is full of amazing recipes and I've been DYING to try some! So since I love eggs and my boyfriend loves steak I decided to go with the Grilled Tuscan Steak with Fried Egg and Goat Cheese. It's a really simple recipe and it turned out sooo good.  I omitted the goat cheese because Anthony (my bf) doesn't think it's cheese unless it comes from a cow. I substituted shredded parmesan and it worked great. You can find the recipe in Giada's cookbook or online

Grilled Tuscan Steak w/ Fried Egg

Need a little more? I made fried tortellini to go with my steak! 

Get your favorite store bought ravioli or tortellini

Beat 2 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk

Mix together 1/2 cup of flour with 1/2 cup of italian seasoned bread crumbs

Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper

Coat the pasta with egg then dredge in the flour

Heat about 3 cups of vegetable oil to about 300 degrees

Deep fry until golden and serve with your favorite marinara sauce. YUM!

Summer is here!! Lets grill!

Hey all!

So it's official! SUMMER IS HERE!!!

I know, I know. The first day of summer isn't until the end of June!...Technically! But I consider Memorial Day weekend to be the beginning of summer. The grills come out full swing, kids are out of school, the pools open up, the weather is sunny and warm! It's a great reason to kick off the season.

I just love summer! And what's summer without great food? NOT SUMMER!!

My faves are probably just about everyone else's. I love grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, brats, summer veggies, the whole shebang! and then wash it down with an ice cold brewski. But I like to spice things up a bit and throw in a little change. I mean, I don't want to eat just a plain ol' hamburger everyday!! Don't get me wrong, plain is good, but sometimes you just need a little extra something. Especially when you're entertaining! You want to impress your guest don't you? Trust me, they will appreciate it. After all, who wants to go to a party where there is no flavor variety? So put on your favorite tunes and get out your grill cause we're gonna be cooking this summer!

Now I'm not a master griller. I usually leave the grilling to the men in my life. I have not mastered that art so I worry about what's going to be on the grill and they worry about making sure it ends up on my plate just right. I can think of a lot of things that can be cooked on the grill but for now lets stick with the basics and lets change it up just a little; add that little wow factor into it and see if we can't keep people from guessing what it is that's making their food extra delicious. We'll start with the main courses for right now, my 2 favorite cookout entreés. And stay tuned in cause later this week we'll talk about some scrumptious sides that will make your taste buds tingle!

For starters...

I love brats, preferably grilled. I will hardly eat one cooked on anything else. I like them steaming hot, slightly charred with that great smokey flavor seared right in there. I also like to pile on the toppings. One of my all time favorite toppings for a good brat is of course, sauerkraut. I love the texture and the tanginess and I think the two go really well together. But what's so special about sauerkraut and brats? Well I like to cook my kraut with a little bit of paprika. Not a big deal but it certainly adds a little magic there.

Just pour the kraut into a sauce pan to heat it up and add the paprika. Put it over a medium/medium low heat and let it come to a simmer. About 15 minutes or so, until most of the excess liquid from the kraut as evaporated and the paprika has melted into it. Put a big heaping pile on your grilled bratwurst and enjoy. I add a little mustard too! What else is good? Well if you don't like sauerkraut, I also like adding different types of relish. Sweet pickle relish and sweet and spicy red pepper relish are top picks. Chase it down with a slightly sweet, super refreshing hefeweizen.

Second is the almighty, can't have a cookout without it, HAMBURGER!!!

One of my all time favorite variations of the hamburger is one I modeled after my meatloaf, minus the oats.

Mini Meatloaf Burger:

1/2 pound ground sirloin

1 tbsp onion flakes

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste.

Mix it all together and form into patties. These burgers are sooo juicy and sooo yummy. The next burger I was just trying to get rid of some items I had left over from a previous dinner and didn't want to spoil. I call it Burger D'italia

1 pound ground sirloin

1 small vidalia onion finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely minced

1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped

1 egg

italian seasoned bread crumbs

Chop the onion and pepper and mince the garlic. Add to the ground sirloin along with a medium sized handful (about 1/4 cup) of bread crumbs. Mix together and form patties. When it only has about one minute left to cook add on a big slice of provolone and let it melt over the patty. I love this one! The red pepper really gives it some zing.

My South of the Border burger is muy delicioso!

1/2 pound ground sirloin

1/2 pound ground pork

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Mix together and make your patties! For a little extra extra, add a slice of pepper jack cheese! When working with the jalapeño, make sure you use a separate knife than what you would use to say, slice the tomatoes with. The spiciness will cling to it and also, make sure you wear gloves or wash your hands throughly before touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

And to top off my burgers I like an wide array of condiments. You must have ketchup and mustard of course, pickles, tomatoes and lettuce, the whole nine yards. But I like some other toppings too. I like slicing up green peppers and cucumbers for my burgers, pickle relish, avocado, and mayo. You can spruce up your mayo a little too.

1 cup of your fave mayo

1 clove of garlic

1 cup fresh basil

Pulse in a food processor until smooth. It's especially delish on the Burger D'italia.

I like avocados and corn relish on my south of the border burger, with mayo con cilantro!

1 cup of your fave mayo

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Pulse in a food processor until smooth!

As for the cerveza, well I think anything light and crisp will do! I really like peroni, modelo, and almost any wheat beer for my burgers. Leinenkugal is one of my choice breweries and they make a great seasonal, Summer Shandy. It's made with real lemonade! Great refreshment!

These recipes are super delish and have so much flavor! You're tongue won't know what to think! But you're guest will! They'll think you've got it going on with the grill and you know how to serve up some fancy fare! Try them out and let me know what you think! Try them with your favorite side or check back later for some of my suggested serve alongs!