Creamy Balsamic Chicken June 25, 2009

I had planned on making a different balsamic chicken meal tonight – one that called for sun dried tomatoes.  Well, the only ones in stock at the grocery store cost over $7 and I thought that was absurd.  I like them, but I don’t love them, and they are definitely not worth $7 to me.  So, I just figured I’d compromise when it came time to cook the meal.  When I got home and told Ross, he informed me that he doesn’t really like sun dried tomatoes anyway… news to me, but it worked out well!

So, tonight I had to come up with something for our chicken.  I kind of had the balsamic idea in my head, so I searched for some recipes.  I found one on all recipes.com that I modified a bit.  Here’s what I did:

I sprinkled the chicken breasts with salt pepper, and a tiny bit of garlic powder.  In about a tablespoon of olive oil, I sauteed a sliced onion until they were golden brown.  I placed the onion in an 8×8 baking dish and added a bit more olive oil to the skillet.  I browned the chicken on both sides (3-4 minutes on each side) and then put them on top of the onions.

Meanwhile, I made the sauce.  In a saucepan I melted 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  I added 2 cloves of minced garlic and cooked for a few minutes until golden brown.  I added 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and cooked for another minute.  I then added 2 teaspoons of chicken boullion and about a tablespoon of flour and whisked it all together.  I slowly added about a cup of milk and cooked it until it was just at a simmer.  Once I removed it from the heat, I added somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 (maybe 1/3?) cup of parmesan cheese and whisked the sauce until the cheese was incorporated.  I poured this over the chicken and baked it for about 40 minutes at 350.

It turned out so good!  We had this over some whole wheat egg noodles.  I like most healthy things, but I do not like whole wheat pasta at all.  It has a gummy texture to me which just doesn’t seem right for pasta.  Ross loves it and buys it when he is in charge of shopping.  I decided to be nice and cooked the whole wheat egg noodles with the meal tonight, and with the creamy sauce over it, they weren’t all that bad.  I still prefer regular or spinach pasta, but I can handle the whole wheat now and then. 

We had some peas on the side, and for a girl whose food isn’t typically allowed to touch, they even tasted pretty good with some sauce touching them!

Quick and Easy June 5, 2009

Last night for dinner we wanted something simple.  Every now and then I get a craving for something that one of my college roommates would make often when we lived in our apartment.  We’ve always called it just Chicken in a Bag, which doesn’t sound so appetizing, but it tastes so good.  Make sure you get the country style – it has the creamy, tasty sauce.

All you do is put the about 2 pounds of chicken in a bag (we usually do breasts and/or thighs), mix the seasoning with some flour and water, pour it over the chicken, seal the bag and bake for an hour.  It is so tender and has a great flavor.  And it just doesn’t get much easier than that.  If you’ve never had it, buy a packet (they’re about $2) and keep it on hand for one of those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking much.

We had some rice with it to pour the extra sauce over (it calls for 2 1/2 pounds of chicken but we never use that much, so we just have lots of extra sauce) and some fresh green beans.  Delish.

Tomato Curry Chicken March 25, 2009

Tonight’s dinner, mady by Ross, was deeee-licious.  SO good!  And according to him, pretty easy too!  I found this recipe in the allrecipes.com Favorites cookbook, but you can follow the link at the bottom to get the recipe on the website.  Ross prepared it just as it states in the recipe, but it is always fun to read the reviews and get different ideas.  I don’t think I’d touch this one, though.  It is just right as is.

I love curry when it is mixed with the right flavors, and this combination of curry, tomato soup, beer and other herbs and tasty stuff was just perfect.  A little bit of sweetness took the sting off of the sometimes harsh taste of curry.  I loved it and we scraped the dish clean.  We NEVER do that.  Now I don’t know what I will take for lunch tomorrow; I always take leftovers!

We had this along with some orzo.  It was a perfect combination.  If you don’t do the orzo thing, be sure to make rice or something else that you can pour the extra sauce over.  It is too tasty to waste!

Enjoy!

Tomato Curry Chicken

The Best Pizza Ever February 3, 2009

Tonight, we used our leftover Broccoli Pesto and made pizza.  It was incredibly easy, and tasted better than most pizzas I’ve ordered anytime recently (nothing against NC, but it just isn’t easy to find really good pizza).  I cheated and bought the pizza dough, but I am surprised by how good the Pillsbury pizza dough is.  Not as good as homemade, but a pretty good alternative when you don’t have the time to roll out your own.

 

I spread the pizza dough on a cookie sheet and spread about a cup or so of the broccoli pesto on top of the crust.  I put 4-5 tablespoons of red sauce on top and spread that around.  That was topped with shredded mozzarella and a few chunks of provolone here and there.  We topped it with chopped roasted red peppers, some chunks of chicken tenders (Ross cooked up about 1/2 lb of them and seasoned them just a little bit, then we cut them up), and some sauteed baby bella mushrooms.  A little more cheese was sprinkled on top along with a dusting of Parmesan.  It baked for about 12 minutes and came out perfectly.  We decided we could eat this every night this week and be just fine with that.  The zesty garlic and fresh taste of the pesto along with the roasted red peppers and mushrooms made it taste extra good,and made it a little extra healthy, too!

I have a feeling this pesto is going to be a new addiction in our house.

**We wrung out the roasted red peppers and mushrooms in a cooking towel before topping them on the pizza so that the water from the veggies wouldn’t make the pizza soggy.

Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs December 31, 2008

I’m back!  I don’t think I’ve ever gone for quite so long without updating my blog, and without cooking for that matter!  We’ve been spoiled rotten lately and have had meal after meal magically appear before us by one set of our parents or the other.  It’s been a wonderful treat, but I am happy to be back to cooking… I’ve got several new cookbooks and kitchen gadgets to test out!

 

Last night for dinner we made a recipe that we’ve made before and kind of forgotten about.  It is one that Ross found in one of his issues of Men’s Health magazine.  The recipe for Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs  is delicious, and easy to make.  Meatballs are delicious, but when there is a melted chunk of cheese awaiting you in the middle, now that is a real treat.  It is like a meatball truffle!

 

I made the recipe for the most part as directed with a few changes.

• I didn’t have any fresh milk to soak the bread in, so I used it dry (we’ve been out of town and had to majorly clean out the fridge, so it’s pretty bare).
• We didn’t have any smoked mozzarella, but we did have some mozzarella string cheese.  At first I thought this was a bit ridiculous, but it cut up into the perfect sized chunks.  I did miss the smoked flavor of the cheese, but it still had a nice creamy mozzarella taste and that was good enough for me.
• After browning the meatballs, I added about 1/2 cup of red wine to deglaze the pan before adding the onions and garlic.
• While the sauce was simmering I added about a teaspoon of sugar, some Italian seasoning and some rosemary, just because those are the flavors I like in my sauce.
• We served it over linguine instead of polenta.

This recipe makes a quick, easy and cheap sauce, but you could just as easily add these meatballs (once browned) to your own favorite sauce.

 

We’re staying home for New Years, but I am excited about planning a super tasty meal.  It must involve some sort of a creamy soup, because I am dying to use my new immersion blender!!!

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf Patties with Pan Gravy and Sour Cream-Tomato Smashed Potatoes December 10, 2008

Whew!  That’s a mouthful!  Luckily this one is easier to prepare than it is to say.  And let me tell you, it is goooooood.  True to Rachael’s word, this is a quick one to make.  I left work at 5:45, went to Wal Mart  and then to meet Fred and Ginger at the Page Household, got home a little after 7 and we were done eating by 8:00.  Nice, huh?

 

I loved that these were wrapped in bacon, I loved that the cooking directions made the patties come out perfectly and I love that the meal includes a very delicious gravy.  The smashed potatoes were pretty good, too!  You definitely need something to enjoy more of the gravy on top of.

 

OK, here goes:

 

Potatoes:

2 lb small red skinned potatoes, quartered

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 rounded tablespoons sour cream

1/2 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped.

 

Place potatoes in a large pot, covering them with water. Bring to a boil and boil for about 1o minutes or until fork tender.  Drain, place in pot and return to burner (turn burner off) to dry out.  Add remaining ingredients except for tomatoes and mash.  Stir in tomatoes and cover to keep warm.

 

While potatoes are boiling, prepare burgers:

 

1 1/3 lb ground sirloin

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

splash of milk

1 egg

2 teaspoons steak seasoning (such as Montreal by McCormick’s)

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste

1 medium onion, finely chopped (reserve 1/4 for sauce)

8 slices of bacon

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons flour

1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 rounded teaspoon spicy brown mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped.

 

Place meat in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the center of the meat.  Fill the well with the bread crumbs and damped them with a splash of milk.  Add the egg, grill seasoning, allspice, tomato paste, and 3/4 of the onions to the bowl.  Combine the mixture and form into 4 patties.  Place 2 strips of bacon on a cutting board to make an X.  Place burger in center of the X.  Fold the bacon around the patty, place seam side down in a the hot, oiled skillet.  Repeat for each patty.  Cook on medium high for 7 minutes on each side.  Place a loose aluminum foil tent over the skillet while cooking  (The tent reflects the heat and allows steam to escape from the pan).

 

Remove the meatloaf to a platter and return the pan to the heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the remaining onions to the skillet.  Cook the onions for 2 minutes and sprinkle the pan with the flour.  Cook the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in 1 cup of the chicken stock.  Bring the broth to a bubble.  If the gravy is too thick, thin with additional stock.  Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Wedding Picture Slideshow December 6, 2008

http://www.amomentlikethis.net/100408/

Thank you, Bianca!!!

Chicken Pesto Burgers December 3, 2008

I’ve had a packet of pesto mix in the pantry for a few weeks, and lately I’ve really been craving it.  I’ve made some recipes in the past with ground chicken and pesto which were good, but I didn’t really feel like those tonight.  I did have ground chicken that I needed to use, so I figured I’d come up with something new.  I decided to combine the pesto with the chicken and make burgers.  This is roughly what I ended up doing.  I didn’t measure anything, so these are just guesses.

 

 1 lb ground chicken

8 oz fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup prepared pesto sauce (I used a packet of McCormick pesto that I made, but Classico makes some in a jar that is really good too)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 cup breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste

sesame buns

4 tablespoons pesto

4 slices provolone cheese

 

Place mushrooms in a food processor and finely chop.  Mix with ground chicken, pesto, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.  Form into patties.  Grill until cooked throughout.

 

Spread additional pesto on sesame buns.  Place under broiler until golden brown.  Top with provolone cheese and chicken burger.

 

I was super happy with the way these turned out!  They held together well and had a really nice flavor.  We’ll make these again for sure!

The most disgusting moment of my life. November 15, 2008

I work with children.  I deal with a lot of nasty things.  Vomit, diarrhea, mucous and boogers are a part of my daily life.  I even had friends over last night and realized as they were about to leave that I had baby spit up all down my sleeve.  Once, while working on a brain injury unit in a hospital while in college, I had a full urinal thrown at me by an aggressive patient.

 

None of that really bothers me.

 

However, what happened today really bothers me.  Still.  The fact that my husband can’t stop laughing about it is not helping.  Since he is enjoying telling the story, I figured I’d get my version out there.

 

For the past few weeks, my car has had an odd odor.  I haven’t been able to figure it out. I like for things to be clean, so this has really been bugging me.  I’ve looked around the back seat to see if I left a tupperware container with leftover lunch food in it.  Nothing.  Last weekend, I took my car to the car wash and vacuumed out the whole inside.  I went to Wal-Mart and bought cleaner for the inside and car fresheners. 

 

It smelled like nastiness with vanilla mixed in.

 

Today, we headed to Chapel Hill to have lunch with Ross’ family.  On the way, Ross mentioned that my car smelled bad.  I explained my frustration with the issue and we drove on.  We had a nice lunch and walked back to the car.  When we got in, Ross said he wasn’t sure he could handle the ride all the way back with the stench.  He asked me to open my trunk so he could look in before we started driving.  He walked around to the back of the car and quickly called me to join him.  As he informed me that the stench was definitely coming from the trunk (the one place I didn’t check or clean, of course), I had to agree. 

 

It smelled like a dead animal. 

 

And maybe that is because there was one in my trunk.  Not a cat or a dog or a mouse or even a bird.

 

A cow.

 

Apparently a few weeks ago, after grocery shopping, I forgot a bag while unloading the car. 

 

A BAG OF STEAK.

 

I have been driving around for approximately 3 weeks with a rotten steak in my trunk.  It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen or smelled.  I am not sure when I will be able to eat steak again.  I don’t think the image or odor will leave my mind for quite some time.

 

So, now I have to scrub out my trunk.  But I can’t, because it is raining and we don’t have a garage or even a carport.  So I have to sit inside and think of the smell in my trunk.  Sure, the steak is gone, but the smell may still linger until it gets a really good cleaning.

 

In case you’re interested, here’s my side of the story.  Ross helped me bring groceries in a few weeks ago.  I am SURE it must have been he who forgot the bag, not I.

Our Babies November 9, 2008

Here’s Sully and Luna the first weekend we got her, at the end of June.  Below that is a picture of them from tonight, just 4 months later.  Wow.  Luna is big.  And Sully just got a haircut, so now he looks tiny.

 

Last but not least is Hazel, who guards the yard from moles, voles and other cats.  The dogs torture her and she tortures them right back.  Deep down, we’re sure they all love each other.

 

 

 Aren’t they sweet? (minus the spooky eyes)