Spice All Things Nice

Easy Enchiladas

2010-01-11T18:05:00.000-08:00

After one bite of my homemade enchiladas, I had a OMG moment. Not to brag, but it was pretty delicious. I was impressed by how easy this was to make and how yummy it was! So, if you invite me to dinner and ask me to bring a dish to pass, guess what -- I'm bringing enchiladas. If I invite you over for dinner, please bring something that would go nicely with the enchiladas. And yes, Tequila counts as a dish to share :)

For the chicken, I cooked it all day on low in my slow cooker. I added water and grill seasoning. When I got home from work, the chicken was ready and I really do find that chicken is easier to shred after cooking in a slow cooker. Once the chicken was shredded, I added taco seasoning. You could use a premade taco seasoning packet, but I made my own.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 enchilada sauce (any variety)
3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

Taco Seasoning -- can use a packet or make your own! (Recipe below)
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz)

1 can black beans, rinsed
1 cup light sour cream
1 can (4.5 oz) green chiles
1 package flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas; 8 inch)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
Chopped avocado or green onions, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of baking dish. In medium bowl, stir together chicken & taco seasoning. Once it's mixed well, add in black beans, Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream and chiles. (Don't even bother with utensils for this. Use your hands!)

2. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; arrange, seam sides down, in baking dish. Top enchiladas with remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.

3. Bake 35 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until hot and cheese is melted. Top with avocado or green onions. If desired, serve with lettuce, chopped tomato and additional sour cream.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix.

One of my favorites meals to make....

2009-12-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

This is not a new recipe for me... and I'm actually surprised this wasn't one of the first things I made after my "no oven rule" was lifted. I really do love making this oven baked fish & sichuan green beans meal. Most of the ingredients are things you already have in your kitchen and it comes together very quickly. Pick any kind of white fish and use whatever spice combinations you like/have on hand.

Oven Baked Fish

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds grouper or other white fish fillets
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon onion powder or garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dill
a little hot sauce (optional if you like some kick)
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Place fish in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine lime juice, mayonnaise, onion powder, dill, hot sauce, and pepper in a small bowl, and spread over fish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs; drizzle with butter.
3. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Sprinkle with parsley.

Hot Sichuan Style Green Beans

Ingredients
1 pound green beans
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1. Rinse and drain green beans; trim off and discard stem ends. Cut beans into 2- to 3-inch lengths. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chili flakes, and white pepper.
2. Set a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add beans, onion and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring once, until beans are bright green and slightly crunchy to bite, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook until any remaining water has evaporated.
3. Add oil, garlic, and ginger to pan; stir until green beans and garlic are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir soy mixture and add to pan; bring to a boil and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce thickens and coats the beans, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into a serving dish. Serve hot or cool.

Comfort Food, Cozy Nights

2009-12-13T10:27:00.000-08:00

Last week's weather in Chicago made me believe all of the reports about "This could be the coldest winter ever" are probably true. 7 degree high in early December?? Ugh, when it's that cold, nothing sounds better than a cozy night in with some easy to make comfort food.

I've been looking for an easy pot pie recipe and I came across on BettyCrocker.com. The recipe is very basic and I did read some reviews that it did lack some flavor... So I made some additions to the recipe with some spices I had and I think everything came together really nice.

If you decide to use chicken (turkey can be used too), I would recommend cooking 3 chicken breasts in the crock pot. I covered the chicken with water and threw in a bunch of spices -- Garlic Powder, Dill & Grill seasoning. I find its easier to shred meat after its been cooking in the slow cooker.

This meal is great for leftovers. The Bisquick topping did not get mushy, which was a concern of mine. I had many co-workers popping over to my desk asking "what smelled so good?" I love this recipe and I'll be making this a lot this winter!!

Chicken Pot Pie with a Bisquick Topper

Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed cream of chicken and mushroom soup
1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed chicken broth
4 cups shredded chicken or turkey
1 bag (12 oz) frozen mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon of dill
2 cups Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 cups fat-free (skim) milk

1. Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for glass pan). In 4-quart saucepan, add olive oil, garlic and onion. Cook onion for 3-5 minutes. Add soup, broth, chicken, dill and vegetables to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Spread in ungreased 13x9-inch pan.
2. In medium bowl,stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour evenly over soup mixture (crust will rise during baking).
3. Bake about 30 minutes or until light brown.

*** Serve with your favorite mashed potatoes recipe.

Spicy White Bean & Chicken Chili

2009-12-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

If you’re looking to steer away from your typical tomatoes & beef chili, I would recommended going for a chicken chili. I threw this recipe in my crock pot 10 minutes before heading out to watch some football on Sunday. The hardest part of this recipe is shredding the chicken, but since it’s cooking in chicken broth all day, it comes apart with little to no effort. My favorite thing about chili is you really can throw whatever you want in it!! You can use this recipe as a guide and then add in extras that you like!!

Spicy White Bean & Chicken Chili

6 skinless chicken thighs (1 1/2 lb)
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sliced jalapenos (add as many as you like)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce
2 cans (15 to 16 oz each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (11 oz) white corn, drained
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Remove excess fat from chicken. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix onion, garlic, broth, cumin, oregano, salt, jalapeños and pepper sauce. Add chicken.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 5 hours.

3. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Use 2 forks to remove bones and shred chicken into pieces. Discard bones; return chicken to slow cooker. Stir in beans, corn, lime juice and cilantro. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 15 to 20 minutes or until beans and corn are hot.

Bacon Lovers - This meal is for you!

2009-11-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

I LOVED THIS MEAL!!! I would make this anytime -- for a Sunday night meal or to entertain friends. It was great and the left overs warmed up just fine.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 scallions, sliced on bias -- they didn't have scallions at Jewel, so I used red onion
4 slices good-quality center cut bacon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
Special equipment: toothpicks
Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butterfly the chicken breast pieces by cutting across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up and pound lightly between parchment paper. Peel paper away and season the meat with salt and pepper.

Cover the seasoned chicken cutlets with blue cheese crumbles, pecans and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken, wrap each roll with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the rolls with salt and pepper. (I did roll two chicken breasts and forgot to add the pecans. I decided to sprinkle the pecans on top of the gravy sauce when the chicken was plated.)

Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a small baking sheet, place in the oven and cook 10 minutes more.

Melt the butter in the same skillet pan the chicken was seared in over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock. Let thicken a minute then whisk in the half-and-half and grain mustard, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to warm.

Halve the chicken and stack to show off the center. Set chicken in gravy or pour over top.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Note -- this recipe is for 12 people. I quartered the recipe and it made a lot!!

10 large russet baking potatoes (about 7 pounds total)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 pound mild Cheddar, grated (3 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Scrub the potatoes well and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels and prick the potatoes in several places with a fork. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

When the potatoes have cooled, cut each potato in half and, using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop the flesh out of the skins, leaving as little flesh as possible. Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and add 1 stick of the butter, the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mash until chunky-smooth. Add the bacon, cubed white Cheddar, half of the grated Cheddar, the green onions, and eggs and mix thoroughly.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole with the remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Place the seasoned potato mixture in the prepared casserole and top with the remaining grated Cheddar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. Serve hot.

What to do with left over BBQ Chicken?? I have an idea!!

2009-10-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas! This was so simple and easy to make, makes me wish I always had shredded meat on hand. This would be a great appetizer or a game day snack. Enjoy!!

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

2 Tablespoons melted butter (don't skip this, it makes the tortillas crispy!!)
6 flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like)
diced onion
leftover slow cooker barbecue chicken or your own bbq chicken
BBQ Sauce or Ranch Dressing for dipping.. I like the Ranch!

Brush one side of the tortilla with melted butter. Place butter side down in frying pan. Sprinkle the entire tortilla with a light layer of cheddar cheese and sprinkle on some onion. Cook over medium heat until under side is browned and crisp and cheese is melted. Top half the tortilla with warmed bbq chicken and fold tortilla in half, then cut in half so you have two triangles.

I'm baaack - Comfort food for fall days

2009-10-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, I've been lazy! It would be silly to say that I haven't had the time to post new recipes I've tried in the past few months. I've just been straight up lazy! I'm going to try to make some postings this week of new things I made... you'll just have to give me a few days to remember what was worth making again :)

So it seems that fall is here in full swing and I'm happy to say my oven can be used again! However I think chili is better the longer it simmers, so here is another crock pot recipe.

This chili recipe is a little different from what I normally make. It uses canned pumpkin, which replaces the high sugar content from tomato paste yet it has the same consistency. You really can't taste the pumpkin but it does help to thicken up the dish. I found the recipe online but I did make a couple changes. I added an extra can of beans (pinto) and a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes. Overall, its a very healthy chili but you might want to mess with the seasoning options. I found myself adding more garlic, chili powder and cumin -- but I like my chili with a kick. The recipe below has the recommended seasoning measurements from Better Homes & Gardens.

Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey ( I used ground turkey instead)
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large skillet, saute the ground turkey, onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through.

There's something about goat cheese...

2009-08-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

I decided to give my grill a break and give up meat for a meal. I can't remember the last time I ate pasta but I wanted to do something different for the normal pasta with marinara sauce. I picked up some cheese tortellini and a couple other ingredients I thought would pair nice together -- sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, red onion, lemon and goat cheese.

The combination of everything really was delish.. But the goat cheese really was the star of the dish. It melted into the pasta it gave the meal so much flavor. This was an easy meal which came together very quickly. It went great with a Cesar side and nice glass of Pinot Grigio :)

Tortellini with Spinach, Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomatoes

2 package(s) (9-ounce) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 bag(s) (5- to 6-ounce) baby spinach, torn
1/2 teaspoon(s) grated lemon peel
1/2 of a red onion, diced
1/4 cup(s) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon(s) oil from tomatoes
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes -- add more if you like some eat
lemon juice - squeeze quarter of a lemon
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
2 ounce(s) herbed goat cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)

Directions

Heat large, covered saucepot of salted water to boiling on high. Cook tortellini as label directs. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water; drain tortellini and return to saucepot with reserved cooking water. Stir in spinach.

Into saucepot with cooked tortellini, add all other ingredients and serve.

PS - I've been eating leftovers for days and it warmed up great. I finished the last of it at lunch today and I wish I had more for tomorrow.

Everything is better with cream cheese..

2009-08-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

I stand by that statement -- Everything is better with cream cheese. (even the light kind!!) Dips, sauces and bagels are meant to be paired with cream cheese... but could it stand up to a burger??

Yes, Yes, Yes!! I made a cream cheese and jalapeno stuffed burger on Monday. I did use light cream cheese and 95% lean hamburger meat. As a side, I created a black bean and corn cake with an adobo chilli sauce. The meal has the potential to be fatty but it really was healthy! I'm sure ground turkey or chicken would taste great, too. If you aren't into jalapenos, try mushrooms or onions.

Cream Cheese & Jalapeno stuffed Burgers

One package of ground beef will make 4 burgers
4 oz of softened cream cheese
1 jalapeno, chopped (keep the seeds if you like some heat)
1/2 of an onion, shopped
4 burger buns

Mix together the cream cheese and jalapeno in a small bowl. Set aside.
Put meat in a bowl and combine it with the chopped onion. Mix together with your hands and make 8 small patties.
On 4 of the patties, put the cream cheese mix on top. Take the other patties on top and pinch together the sides to create the stuffed burger.
Grill burgers till your desired doneness and remember to toast your buns! :)

Black Bean and Corn Cake

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of corn, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
3 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno chopped
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
salt
2 egg whites
1/2 cup of bread crumbs

Sauce
2 adobo chillies
1/4 cup of light sour cream
lemon juice

Please note - I don't measure, so the seasoning estimates are just a guess. Add more or less based upon your taste buds.

Mash black beans so they make a paste. Add the next 7 ingredients. (Taste and see if you need any additional spices.) Add egg whites and bread crumbs. Mix well with your hands. Make your cakes so they look like burger patties.

Add veggie oil to a hot skillet. Add cakes to the skillet and cook about 5 mins per side or until brown.

For the sauce, chop up 2 adobo chillies (you can find these in a can in the Mexican Isle at the grocery store.) Add the chillies and some of the sauce to the sour cream. Add a splash of lemon juice and mix all ingredients together. Place sauce on top of cakes and serve.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Rice with Sautéed Veggies

2009-08-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

I decided to give Mr. Brinkman a break and go back to my favorite appliance, my crock pot. The feeling of having dinner just about ready by the time I get home is a feeling that never gets old to me... and the less time I need to spend in the kitchen, the better!

I came up with this recipe with a few goals in mind..

1. I need to use chicken since I keep buying it because it’s on sale.
2. It needs to be a healthy meal but still have a creamy factor.
3. I’ve got mushrooms and onions, now what??

In order to get the healthy yet creamy dish I was craving, I combined 98% fat free Cream of Mushroom Soup and Reduced Fat Cream Cheese. It was the perfect pairing along with some wine & Italian seasoning to give the sauce a little bite.

For the rice, I bought some Uncle Ben’s Mushroom Flavored rice. Just sauté up some of your favorite veggies and mix it into the rice when it’s done cooking. I selected a zucchini, red pepper, yellow squash and red onion – which gave the rice great color. I added some fresh dill, salt and pepper to the veggies for extra flavor.

Ingredients
4 skinned and boned chicken breasts
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
1 (8-oz.) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (0.7-oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix
½ red onion, sliced
1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms

Preparation
1. Sprinkle chicken with seasoned salt. Cook chicken, in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side or just until browned. Cut up onion and place it on the bottom of the crock pot. Transfer chicken into the crock pot, reserving drippings in skillet.
2. Add soup, cream cheese, white wine, and Italian dressing mix to hot drippings in skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.
3. Arrange mushrooms over chicken in slow cooker. Spoon soup mixture over mushrooms. Cover and cook on a low heat setting. Stir well before serving

Are you looking for a great summer salad??

2009-07-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well, look right here... Having a great side salad is a perfect element to round out any meal. I think the bright colors of all the veggies are very enticing and would be given lots of compliments at your next BBQ. The dressing is simple – sweet with a kick – just how I like it.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey, a healthy drizzle
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, eyeball it
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
Salt and pepper
1 whole celery heart, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 (10-ounce box) frozen corn kernels
1 (15-ounce) can chick peas, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small to medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, honey, lemon juice, and vinegar then whisk in extra-virgin olive oil and season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the celery, carrots, corn, chick peas, peppers, onions, and thyme. Toss to combine the salad and adjust salt and pepper, to taste.

Watch out Bobby Flay - I'm ready for a throw down!

2009-07-23T15:13:00.001-07:00

I'm baaack -- I actually have a couple posts to make but I thought last nights' burger meal really hit the spot! I was watching a Burger Special on the Food Network a few weeks ago and I was inspired by Bobby Flay's Green Chili Burger. I like creative burgers, ones that go beyond your typical toppings.

Bobby's burger had all of the elements I love, spice & cheese, but I thought it needed a little something extra. I decided to stuff the burger with sauteed onions, mushrooms and jalapenos... it really was fantastic! If you aren't a beef person, I'm sure ground turkey or chicken would be a yummy substitute.

As a side, I grilled fruit on skewers and some instant Mexican rice. Be sure to soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes. The ends of my skewers started on fire :)

Green Chili Burger stuffed with Veggies & Cheese
2 pounds ground chuck, 80 percent to 85 percent lean
1/2 of an onion, chopped thin
1/2 cup of mushrooms, chopped thin
1 jalapeno, chopped thin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
thin slices Chihuahua Cheese
Grated Chihuahua Cheese
4 good-quality hamburger buns, toasted
Green Chili Sauce, recipe follows

Directions
Heat grill to high. Saute onions, mushrooms and jalapenos in a skillet.

Form meat into 4 (8-ounce) burgers, stuffed with veggies and grated cheese in the middle. Season each burger on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Grill until charred on both sides and cooked to desired doneness.

Place 2 slices of the cheese on each burger, close the lid or tent with foil, and cook until the cheese has just melted, about 1 minute. Place burgers on buns and top with a few tablespoons of Green Chile Sauce.

Green Chile Sauce:
2 poblano chiles, grilled, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 medium white onion, grilled and chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Grilled Summer Fruit
Nonstick spray
3 firm but ripe nectarines, halved, pitted
3 firm but ripe purple/black plums, halved, pitted
3 firm but ripe peaches, halved, pitted
6 metal skewers or thick wooden skewers soaked in water 30 minutes
3 tablespoons sugar
*Other fruit substitutions can be apricots

Directions
Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread 1 piece of each fruit on each of 6 skewers so that the cut sides line up and lay flat. Sprinkle the sugar over the cut sides of the fruit. Let stand until the sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes.

Place the fruit skewers on the grill cut side down. Grill the fruit until it is heated through and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Transfer 1 fruit skewer to each plate and serve.

Steak with spicy mustard and fresh herbs... and don't forget the garlic potatoes!!

2009-07-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite smells of summer is steak on the grill. You can sniff out that scent blocks away. Instead of being jealous of the person whose making that steak dinner, I decided to throw some steaks on Mr. Brinkman and make a unique meal of my own.

Besides grilling the steak, I also used my grill to make italian style potatoes. They cooked up great in tin foil and I'm thankful I found a way to enjoy potatoes without turning on my oven. (BTW, I have yet to use my oven since mid-May!)

Steak with Spicy Mustard & Parsley

Ingredients
4 steaks
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons Hot & Spicy Mustard (Or you can try Dijon)

Preparation

1. Prepare grill.

2. Lightly coat steak with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Place beef on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Cook a couple minutes on each side.

3. Sprinkle parsley, thyme, and rosemary in an even layer on an 18 x 15–inch sheet of plastic wrap. Brush mustard evenly over beef. Place beef in herb mixture on plastic wrap; roll beef over herbs, pressing gently.

Italian Style Potatoes

Ingredients
4 teaspoons canola oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 a bag of red potatoes, quartered
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Place all ingredients in a plastic bag and give it a good shake. Pour the bag on a long strip of heavy cooking foil. Make into a bag so air can not escape.

Put the tin foil bag on the grill and cook 35-40 minutes.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches and Pinto Bean Dip

2009-06-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

Jeez, I can’t believe it’s almost July! Summer weekends get booked up so quickly and if you don’t have specific plans, the plan is to be outside as much as possible. I made this meal on Thursday and I had good intentions of posting over the weekend but it just didn’t happen.

I’m still 100% in love with Mr. Brinkman and this is another grilled meal. Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with a side of Pinto Bean Dip was a very easy/comes together quickly type of meal... which was great for me because I got home from a work happy hour a little later than expected :) The Pinto Bean Dip might be a new favorite. Expect to see this dip at future get togethers!

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Salsa, Cheese and Avocado

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa
3 whole garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns
1 Avocado sliced
a few drops fresh lemon juice (optional)

Spray grill with cooking spray before setting it to a medium setting.

Rub minced garlic all over chicken and sprinkle taco seasoning afterwards. Put chicken breasts on a hot grill and cook on grill for 15 minutes, or till no longer pink. Put cheese on top on chicken and when the cheese is melted, remove from grill.

Toast buns if you like. Top chicken with salsa and avocado. I like to add a couple drops of lemon juice to avocado to prevent browning and it gives a nice citrus kick!

Mexican Pinto Bean Dip

3 c. cooked pinto beans, drained
Taco seasoning
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. salsa
Hot peppers (jalapeno)

Place beans, taco seasoning and water in a food processor. When it is like a paste, add mixture to bowl and combine cheese, chili powder and salsa. Stir. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Serve hot or room temperature. Makes 3 3/4 cup. Garnish with hot peppers and serve with chips.

Grilled Pineapple & Pork Chops

2009-06-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

I've been using my new grill a lot lately, especially since summer weather has made it's mark and it's here to stay for the next few months. I don't think I've used my oven in over a month! :)

I'm a pineapple lover. It's great as a snack. I enjoy it on pizza. It's also a great addition to fried rice. But pineapple and pork..?? Would that be a match? Of course it was! Move over pork chops and applesauce, hello grilled pineapple and pork chops!!

PINEAPPLE GLAZED GRILLED PORK CHOPS

8 medium sized pork chops about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
1 can pineapple rings, drained (reserve juice)
1 1/2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/4 cup prepared mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
enough water to bring reserved juice to one cup

Drain pineapple and reserve juice. Salt and pepper pork chops to taste.
In a small sauce pan combine pineapple juice, water, brown sugar and mustard and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat and stir in lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and cornstarch mixture. Simmer for 3 minutes until thick, stirring constantly.

Brush sauce on pork chops and place on a prepared grill. Brown pork chops for 2 minutes on each side, brush on more sauce and top with pineapple rings. Cook for two or three more minutes and turn so pineapple rings are on the grill surface and get the nice grill marks and cook for two or three more minutes. Flip once more baste with sauce, check doneness of pork chops, if done allow to rest for five minutes and serve.

As a side for this meal, I made a veggie and pineapple mixture. This was super easy and cooks up fast in a skillet.

Citrus Veggies

1 can of cubed pineapple, drained (reserve some juice)
1 white onion diced
1 jalapeno sliced, use seeds if you like some heat
1 orange pepper, diced
Diced carrots
1 red pepper, diced (this wasn't added to this dish because the red pepper I got was rotting)
Lemon juice
olive oil
honey
salt and pepper

To make marinade, combine the pineapple juice, lemon juice & honey. When the honey disintegrates, whisk in olive oil. Sorry I don't have exact measurements, just taste along the way and make extra additions as needed.

Combine veggies with the marinade. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

Add veggies to a hot skillet. Salt and pepper veggies. Cook until almost all of the liquid is gone.

The best birthday gift -- and a Summer Time Meal!

2009-06-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my birthday this past weekend and I was given an amazing birthday gift from my boyfriend. I've been wanting a grill for about a year but this grill goes above and beyond what I ever thought I would get. It's a Brinkman with 4 burners and has a side burner. It's HUGE and I love it!!

I took the day off on Monday to run some errands but the thing I really wanted to accomplish was to make a fab meal using Mr. Brinkman. A few weeks ago while I was at the gym, I forgot my ipod so I had to watch a tv program during cardio. I decided to watch Rachel Ray (I think I'm the only person who watches a tv program about food while exercising!) and she had a summer year round meal. Since this Chicago Summer is yet to completely appear, I thought I would bring summer to my plate. This meal was adapted from RR -- be sure to break out your EVOO :)

Rosemary-Garlic Chicken with Spring Mix Lettuce, Tomatoes and Asiago Cheese

* 4 Chicken breasts
* 2 cloves garlic, cracked from skin and halved
* Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
* 4 sprigs rosemary very finely chopped
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper or grill seasoning, if desired
* 4 cups Spring Mix Lettuce
* 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1 lemon
* Asaigo cheese, for grating

Rub meat with cut garlic. Drizzle the meat with olive oil, rub with rosemary and season liberally with salt and pepper or grill seasoning. Cook chicken on the grill until no longer pink - about 10 minutes.

Dress greens and halved tomatoes with the juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Pile salad on top of sliced chicken and garnish with long grates of cheese made with vegetable peeler.

Spicy Devil Potato Salad

* 2 1/2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
* Salt
* 1 tablespoon ground fennel
* 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
* 2 tablespoons chili powder
* 1 tablespoon grill seasoning or coarse salt and pepper
* 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small red onion, chopped
* 3 to 4 ribs celery with leafy greens, finely chopped
* A generous handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
* 3 tablespoons chopped yellow hot pepper rings

Place potatoes in pot, cover with water, bring to a boil then salt the water. Cook potatoes 12 to 15 minutes until tender.

While potatoes cook, combine spices and mustard with vinegar, whisk in olive oil and add the onions, celery and parsley to the bowl. Drain potatoes and toss them in dressing while they're still hot, they'll absorb more dressing and flavor. Garnish salad with chopped hot peppers.

Erika and Lori’s Lasagna

2009-06-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

I’ve got a lot of things going on this week and spending a lot of time in the kitchen isn’t part of my plan. I wanted to make something that would allow plenty of left overs and would be more entertaining than a turkey sandwich. In regards to Tuesday nights’ meal, my thought process went like this...

Little attention needed = Crock pot
Yummy leftovers = Lasagna

Thankfully my girlfriends, Erika and Lori, have a crock pot lasagna recipe. It’s from Cooking Light and a wonderful vegetarian option.... but I like meat, so I made a couple changes to the recipe. My additions are marked with an asterisk, so if you want to make it the original way, feel free!!

Seriously, my crock pot was filled to the brim!!

Erika and Lori’s Lasagna

4 cups torn spinach
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup commercial pesto
* 1 package of ground turkey
* 1 jar of Giardiniera, drained
* 2 zucchinis, diced
* 1 onion, diced
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
1 (15-ounce) carton fat-free ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (25.5-ounce) bottle fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Cooking spray
1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles (12 noodles)

Arrange the spinach in a vegetable steamer; steam, covered, 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Drain, squeeze dry, and coarsely chop. Combine spinach, mushrooms, and pesto in a medium bowl, stirring to combine; set aside.

In a heated skillet, cook ground turkey and giardiniera. Set aside when the meat is no longer pink.

Combine mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, and beaten egg in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan, and set aside.

Combine the pasta sauce and the tomato sauce in a medium bowl.

Spread 1 cup pasta sauce mixture in the bottom of a 6-quart oval electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over pasta sauce mixture; top with 1 cup cheese mixture, 1 cup spinach mixture, meat mixture, sprinkle zucchini & onions. Repeat the layers. Arrange 3 noodles over zucchini &onions; top with remaining 1 cup cheese mixture and 1 cup pasta sauce mixture. Place remaining 3 noodles over sauce mixture; spread remaining sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Cover with lid; cook on LOW 5 hours or until done.

Mediterranean Salmon, white bean salad and sauteed spinach

2009-06-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Fish. I love to eat it but I don't find myself cooking it that often. Good pieces of fish can be pretty expensive at the local grocery store and the cheap fillets usually give me a skeptical feeling. I really wish there was a smelling option before you buy at Jewel - might make me less doubtful in the quality and I would buy fish more often. However, last Sunday while doing my shopping for the week I came across a beautiful 1.5 lb piece of Salmon. The guy behind the counter swore up and down it was a great buy even though it was on sale. Sooo, I took a jump out of my comfort zone and decided I would be making a salmon dish this week.

This recipe was adapted from MyRecipes.com. The concept is the same but I added some additional spices (b/c I like to spice all things nice) and the sauteed spinach side is something I like to use on a regular basis.

The salmon was cooked in a skillet which is great since it doesn't break my no-oven summer. The fillet was pretty thick so I wasn't sure if cooking salmon 3 minutes on each side would do the trick, but it was pretty accurate. I was very impressed with how easy everything came together and it tasted pretty good too! I owe a "Thank You" to the Jewel Fish Guy next time I see him. :)

Mediterranean Salmon With White Beans

Ingredients
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
minced garlic
dried dill
dried oregano
crushed red pepper flakes
1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 (6-oz.) salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation
1. Saute onion in 1 Tbsp. hot oil in a saucepan over medium heat 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Add garlic, beans, olives, and tomatoes and seasonings; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in basil.

2. Sprinkle salmon fillets evenly with salt, pepper, dill and oregano. Cook salmon in a large nonstick skillet in remaining 1 Tbsp. hot oil over medium-high heat 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily. Spoon bean mixture evenly over salmon fillets, and serve immediately.

Sauteed Spinach
1 bag of spinach
olive oil
chopped onion
garlic
diced tomatoes
feta cheese
salt pepper

This is super easy and comes together in minutes. Add olive oil to a wok. Let it warm up and add the garlic & onions. Let the onions "sweat" a bit and then add the tomatoes. Add spinach and let the leaves wilt a bit before stirring. Once wilted, add feta cheese, salt and pepper. Stir a few more times to distribute the flavors and serve.

Black Beans & Veggie Burrito

2009-06-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

First off, I'm a huge fan of black beans. When I make Mexican food, I always end up adding them to the dish... so I thought why not make black beans the main star of the meal. I was very happy with the end result and Jim ate 2 burritos. I did find the recipe on allrecipes.com but I made some extra additions. I will defiantly make this recipe again!! Enjoy!!

This recipe will make you 6 big burritos. As you can see, I loaded mine up :)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
minced garlic
2 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ teaspoon of cumin (add more if you like some heat)
½ teaspoon of chili powder (add more if you like some heat)
minced jalapeno peppers
1 can of mild green chilies
3 or more ounces of light cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 diced tomato
chopped fresh cilantro
1 Avocado, chopped
Tortillas – I used spinach & veggie flavor.
Salsa

Directions
1. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapenos and green chilies in skillet, cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour beans, cumin, chili powder into skillet, cook 3 minutes stirring.
2. Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro and diced tomato into mixture.
3. Warm tortillas in the microwave. (15-20 seconds)
4. Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortilla, add avocado & salsa. Roll tortillas up. Serve immediately.

Oooh Crock Pot, you're the best!

2009-05-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

I truly love my crock pot. Besides my blender, which creates protein smoothies and fresh fruit margaritas, there really isn’t a better appliance. I love my crock pot so much, I even named her – Stay at Home Wife. If you have a crock pot, you know what I’m talking about. You’ve had a long day at work, went to the gym and when you come home, dinner is ready and you have barely lifted a finger. If there was some way for my SAHW to have a self cleaning option, I think I would never stray and make everything in my crock pot.

So this brings me to my Wednesday night meal. Almost 3 lbs of pork have been cooking while I was at work today. This recipe isn’t anything formal but I have experimented with pork enough to know what works. Luckily my boyfriend, Jim, has the same food interests as me and he’s always up for a home cooked meal. I have yet to make something he doesn’t like (or so he says), so I was very excited to get home and taste my newest experiment.

I’m not sure what to call this one, maybe Honey Moon Pork..?? The marinade is made up of 2 bottles of Blue Moon’s Summer Ale – Honey Moon, 1 chopped onion, 1 jalapeno (with the seeds if you like extra spice) and some minced garlic. I seasoned the pork with some Montreal steak seasoning and that was it.

So what was the outcome 10 hours later??? Fabulous!

Next step is to shred the pork. In my opinion, I find it easier to shred the pork in the crock pot. Remove the meat and put it on a plate or cutting board. Drain all of the marinade out of the crock pot into a strainer. Add the pork, onions, jalapenos and garlic back to the crock pot. Shred the meat with two forks and there you have it! The pork basically shreds itself since it was so tender. Jim and I topped our pork with our favorite BBQ sauce.

As a side (since I always believe in getting your veggies into a meal), I had some broccoli coleslaw and poppy seed dressing. The sweet of the dressing really complimented the spice from the pork.

My Stay at Home Wife has done it again! This is definitely a meal I will make in the future. It was delish and very easy to prepare!

Tuna and Chickpea Salad With Pesto & Pita Chips

2009-05-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

With summer coming, I'm on the hunt for no-cook recipes. My oven has the power to make my apartment a hot box, so I really try to avoid using it by all costs.

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago, and not only was it no-cook, it was very easy to put all of the elements together. I did make a few changes to the recipe, such as I hate black olives so I added green olives in their place. (Capers would also be a great substitution) Adding onions and carrots will be something I will try next time. I did omit salt because I think the green olives are salty enough. The chickpea salad serves 6 people and has 373 calories per serving

2 15.5-ounce cans (3 cups) chickpeas, roughly chopped
1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and thinly sliced
24 black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, thickly sliced
3 6-ounce cans tuna, drained
5 tablespoons store-bought pesto
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 sprigs fresh basil (optional)

Directions
1 In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, red peppers, olives, celery, tuna, pesto, salt, and black pepper.
2 Divide among individual plates. Garnish with the basil (if using).

An easy side with this dish is to make your own pita chips. (I'm aware this goes against my anti-oven summer.) :)
1. Set oven to 400 degrees
2. Spray wheat pita bread with cooking spray
3. Season pitas with your favorite spices. With this recipe, I used garlic salt, pepper and basil
4. Divide pitas into triangles
5. Cook pitas till brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.