Black Bean Tacos

Can we just pretend that the picture above is a beautiful, nicely arranged plate of tacos? Can we just pretend that I didn't take a picture of them in two seconds right before I scarfed them? Because let's face it, sometimes by the time I make dinner I don't have the will power to wait on eating my plate of food before I can arrange it for a photo. This was one of those times-but now that all of our imaginations are in gear, let's talk about these super yummy black bean tacos!

I am always looking for ways to make vegetarian versions of things (by the way, if any of you have good vegetarian main dish ideas please pass them my way!) I am not a vegetarian by any means, but I do try to cook with meat only once a week, sometimes less. I've seen tacos made with TVP, but never thought that sounded very good (but I could be wrong!) So I decided to replace the meat called for tacos with black beans. I get the big spice jar of taco seasoning from costco and just followed the directions but replace the black beans for the meat. I didn't know how these would turn out, I guessed that they would be decent, but I never would have guessed that they would be amaaazing! They were seriously so good that I am excited to say I have my vegetarian version for tacos that I think I will stick to forever. They are better for you, cheaper, and just as good if you ask me. Little Eleni loved the beans, which is always nice:) I will post the recipe that I kinda made up, but it really is a "add a little bit of that, maybe a little more of that " recipe:)

Black Bean Tacos
makes 4-6 tacos

1 can black beans
1/2 cup water
2-4 tablespoons taco seasoning (I did 2ish because I didn't want it too spicy for Eleni, but if I didn't have to worry about that I would have done more)

*simmer black beans, water, and seasoning about ten minutes. Then it's ready to stuff into your taco shells! Top with your toppings and give it a fresh squeeze of lime:)

Toppings (of course you could do whatever you liked, but this is what I did)
lettuce
avocado
red onion
queso fresco (i used feta but queso fresco would be better)
thinly sliced red onion
fresh cilantro
lime

Best Meal. Ever.

Seriously. This is a good one. And I know this wont surprise any of you that it is an Ina Garten recipe. I'm sure if you follow my blog you are getting the jist that I LOVE Ina's recipes. I recently saw her make this steak with bernaise sauce on her show for her and Jeffrey's 35th anniversary. Don't you just love Ina and Jeffrey? I think they are so cute:)

So first of all, I have never made a Bernaise sauce before. But it looked so divine I was so excited to try it. After reading the reviews of this sauce online many people said it tasted way too vinegary and they would next time completely leave the vinegary out and just use all white wine. That's exactly what I did and I have to tell you, this sauce was one of the best things I have ever had. I made this meal for my family for Sunday dinner and everyone's eyes were practically rolling in the back of their heads-it was so good! We couldn't get enough of it-we were dunking our potatoes in the sauce and I ate way too much steak because I wanted to keep eating the bernaise sauce! It's so so good. I'm excited to make this meal some sort of family tradition of mine, maybe I will make it for every Christmas Eve or something.

I served the steak with green beans and shallots and garlic roasted potatoes. It was all so very yummy. The recipes for everything is bellow. Bernaise, where have you been my whole life?! You are my new favorite thing:)

Steak with Bernaise Sauce
by Ina Garten
Ingredients
For the sauce:
• 1/4 cup Champagne or white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup good white wine
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves, divided
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 extra-large egg yolks*
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 6 (1-inch thick) rib eye steaks
• Olive Oil
• Coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
For the sauce, put the Champagne vinegar, white wine, shallots, 1 tablespoon tarragon leaves, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is reduced to a few tablespoons. Cool slightly.
Place the cooled mixture with the egg yolks and 1 teaspoon salt in the jar of a blender and blend for 30 seconds. With blender on, slowly pour the hot butter through the opening in the lid. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of tarragon leaves and blend only for a second. If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon of white wine to thin. Keep at room temperature until serving.
Season the steaks liberally with salt and coarsely ground black pepper on both sides. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat until it's almost smoking, then sear the steaks on each side for 1 minute. Lower the heat to low and cook the steaks for about 7 to 10 minutes, turning once, until very rare in the middle. Remove to a plate, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Serve with the bernaise sauce on the side.
Note: To make the sauce in advance, prepare an hour before serving and allow it to sit in the blender. Before serving, add 1 tablespoon of the hottest tap water and blend for a few seconds.


String Beans with Shallots
by Ina Garten

Ingredients

* 1 pound French string beans (haricots verts), ends removed
* Kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 tablespoon good olive oil
* 3 large shallots, large-diced
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes only. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water.

Heat the butter and oil in a very large saute pan (12-inch diameter) or large pot and saute the shallots on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned. Drain the string beans and add to the shallots with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper, tossing well. Heat only until the beans are hot.

If you're using regular string beans, blanch them for about 3 minutes, until they're crisp-tender.


Garlic Roasted Potatoes
by Ina Garten
Ingredients

* 3 pounds small red or white potatoes
* 1/4 cup good olive oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.

Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings

Operation no sugar has been going ok. After today I will have finished up my 5th day. Yay! I actually made a really yummy sugar free treat today. I will share that with you soon. But first...let's talk Chicken n'Dumplings.

A while ago I remember watching Tyler Florence's show "Tyler's Ultimate" and I saw him make Chicken and Dumplings. They looked amazing. I finally got around to making them about a week ago. They were de-e-li-ciouos!!! I was a little intimidated to make the dumplings but they were easy peasy. To cut a lot of the work and time out of this recipe I just used a store bought rotisserie chicken and used store bought stock. I did discover something interesting about the recipe though. After I was done making the sauce it looked so yummy I couldn't wait to try it. Luckily I did before I served it because it had no flavor! It was so bland. I knew I had done everything right, but just to make sure I re-read the recipe over and over. I finally realized-he calls for no salt in the sauce! It has to be a mistake. So I added salt and it was fine. But next time I am going to saute the carrots and celery with the salt, I think it gives dishes a much better flavor when you layer the salt in, as opposed to just throwing it all in at the end, which sometimes gives the dish just a salty flavor.

Hope you are all having a wonderful beginning to a new year and are sticking to your resolutions :) So far I'm sticking to mine-which is crazy cause we all know how I like me some cupcakes:)


Chicken and Dumplings
by Tyler Florence

Ingredients
Chicken and Stock:

* 1 (3 to 31/2 pound) whole organic chicken
* 2 bay leaves
* 6 sprigs thyme
* 4 to 5 black peppercorns
* 1 head garlic, split through the equator
* 2 tablespoons salt

Directions

Buttermilk-Chive Dumplings:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 1/4 cup chopped chives
* 3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Sauce:

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons oil
* 2 carrots, diced
* 2 stalks celery, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 6 cups chicken stock
* 1 cup frozen peas
* 1 cup frozen pearl onions
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
* Chopped chives, for garnish

For the stock:

Place the chicken and all stock ingredients in a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour until the chicken is tender. Skim the surface of fat and scum as it cooks.

When done remove the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the stock and shred the meat into big pieces - the stock will be used for the sauce and the chicken will be folded into it.

For the dumplings:

Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, using a whisk, lightly beat the eggs, chives and buttermilk together; pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold. Mix just until the dough comes together; the batter should be thick and cake-like.

To prepare sauce: In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the butter and oil. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, and bay leaves and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add frozen peas and pearl onions.

Let sauce simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream.

Fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce and bring up to a simmer. Using 2 spoons, carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce, but should not be touching or crowded. Let the dumplings poach for 10 to 15 minutes until they are firm and puffy. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and garnish with chopped chives before serving.

A Yummy, Easy Dinner

Hey everyone, hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was really nice, a fun day with fabulous food surrounded by wonderful family. I will share pics later, but first, here is a very quick dinner recipe!

Life has been pretty busy, I have some news to share, I will probably post about it within the next week. A couple weeks ago my house was full of a couple of sickies. Micah got really sick with the stomach flu and Eleni got her first cold. It wasn't fun. One night I decided to go over to my moms and have dinner over there with them to get me and Eleni out of the house and so Micah could rest. My mom and I that day had watched "Ten Dollar Dinners" with Melissa d'Arabian. I have to say, I have never really watched her show, but the meal she was making this day really intrigued me. She made Crispy-Skinned Chicken a l'Orange. It seemed so easy and so yummy, so my mom and I decided to make it! My mom watched Eleni while I made the chicken, it was such a nice break! The chicken turned out great, very flavorful and moist, and so quick and easy. This is a great, inexpensive meal, and you probably will have most, if not all of the ingredients already in your fridge/freezer!

So now I am going to have to give some more of Melissa's recipe's a chance, because this one was a winner! Go here for the recipe

Hey! I'm back! And with a great enchilada recipe:)

Well I can't believe it's been almost a month ago since my last post! I bet most of you are sure sick of seeing my birth story every time you stop by:) There are a couple other blogs I check out and the girls running them have had babies about the same time as me, and they all have like 15 posts up! Why can't I keep up on my posting? Or keep my house from looking like a disaster? I often think what's wrong with me that I don't have energy like these other women or why don't I have order in my life like they do. I have been feeling like I've been in survival mode these pasts couple months, it's been difficult with a colicky baby who demands all of my time. She is getting better though. I think one day my house will be spotless, and one day I will post every single day, and one day I will have time to blow dry my hair and make it look pretty:)

Eleni had to get some shots today. I still have a knot in my stomach from seeing her so upset. I gave her some infant Tylenol and she loved it. She is snoozing right now-but I know not for long, but hopefully long enough for me to share with you guys this amazing recipe...

A few weeks ago I saw Tyler Florence make enchiladas. I have been obsessing over them ever since and finally got a chance to make them. They are delish. The roasted tomatillo sauce is so yummy and really makes these enchiladas special. They are on my make again list. Go here for the recipe.

Wow! I can't believe I was able to get a post up! Finally! I'm back! Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things and you will be seeing a lot more recipes on here:)

And just cause I can't help it, here are a few pics of the little one..
Eleni loves being in this sling!

and I caught this precious photo of Eleni and her daddy-these are the moments
that make living off of no sleep ok:)

Amazing Lemon Fusili Pasta and Key Lime Tart

Yesterday was such a fun day. We went up to my moms and had dinner. She made Ina's lemon fusilli pasta. It was delicious! So yummy, I can't wait to make it again. For dessert I made a key lime tart (however, I just used limes). I love this tart recipe, it's so delicious and so easy. We threw some whipped cream over the top and some raspberries. I think the raspberries really took it to another level, we are making this tart again for Sunday dinner tomorrow:) You can find the recipe for it here. Pasta recipe is bellow.

I have some great news! Eleni slept from 12-5:15 last night! It was a miracle! Her sleeping increments at night have only been about 2-2 1/2 hours, and then when she gets up I have to feed her then try to get her back down for 45 minutes or so. I've felt like I've been running on fumes, but I know it comes with being a new mommy. But she was such a good girl last night and gave me a decent nights rest! I feel like a new person today, much more rested:) I had energy today to clean my house so it no longer looks like a war zone. Cross your fingers that she will do it again tonight! :)

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 lemons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1 pound dried fusilli pasta
• 1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

O little Eleni, please sleep like an angel tonight! :)

Copy Cat Panda Orange Chicken

During my pregnancy there have been a few things that I have been craving, and one of them is Panda Express' Orange Chicken. I love the stuff! I just can't seem to get enough of it, but I have been trying to cut back:) A few months ago I saw a bottle of Panda Express Orange Sauce at the grocery store in the Asian aisle. I have resisted getting it, but last week I just couldn't resist any longer. I was excited to try it out and see if it really resembled Panda's orange sauce. I found this copy cat orange chicken recipe online, tossed it with the orange sauce, and it was delicious! My husband loved it. It was such an easy meal as well. And I figured that it is so much cheaper to make the orange chicken from scratch using the bottled sauce rather than buying it from Panda Express. I will definitely be making this again! :)

"Panda Express" Orange Chicken

2 lbs. chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 egg
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 T. oil
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. flour
Oil for frying
1 bottle panda express orange sauce

Coat chicken in egg, salt and pepper and 1 T. oil; mix well. Stir cornstarch and flour into the chicken. Heat oil in a wok (about an inch deep in a wok) over medium heat, and add chicken in batches, frying until crisp and browned on the outside. Heat up some of the orange sauce and toss with chicken.

Happy Birthday to me!!!....a little bit ago:)

Ok, so my birthday was a while ago, September 22 to be exact, and I have all these yummy pictures from my birthday that I just have to post, even though it's ridicioulsy late. I had such a wonderful birthday filled with great food and yummy goodies. The Sunday before my birthday we went to my moms for a birthday dinner. She prepared Ina Garten's pot roast which was so delicious! And she made me the yummiest, homemade white cake. I got to be with my little niece who I love to pieces! She tried on her Halloween costume for us and was grinning ear to ear while she was wearing it. I think she knows how cute she looks in that precious costume.

The most delicious white cake, so moist and perfect.
Me and the little chicky- seriously, have you ever
seen anything so cute?!

Ok...this may be even cuter, my husband holding the little chick,
am I the only one who gets all tingly when they see their man holding a baby?
I can hardly wait for him to be a daddy, he looks too
good with a baby:)

I woke up on my birthday to this display of all of my favorite
goodies. Have any of you ever tried rips?? They are sooo good!!!

On my birthday I went to lunch with my mom and sis inlaw at blue lemon bistro,
then went to my moms where she got me some goodies from Dippidee.
This pumpkin cupcake was delicious!

Now this little cookie doesn't look like much, but
it's called a Heavenly Pieces, and it's from Dippidee...and
the name says it all. The first bite will take you straight to Heaven:)

For dinner Micah took me to Chefs Table, one of my favorite restaurants.
I always tell him I would rather you take me to a wonderful dinner
than get me presents. Chef's Table has the most amazing Tuscan
Tomato Soup, I always get that along with the herb roasted chicken. So delish!

It was such a lovely and yummy birthday, and here are the recipes for the pot roast and cake so you can experience the yumminess that I did:)

Ina's Pot Roast

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour
• Good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
• 5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 cups good red wine, such as Burgundy
• 2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree
• 1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 3 branches fresh thyme
• 2 branches fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.

Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

White Cake

from the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter or shortening, softened
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/3 cups buttermilk or sour milk

Directions

1. Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour two 9x1-1/2-inch or 8x1-1/2-inch round cake pans or grease one 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set the pan(s) aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add egg whites 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Spread batter into the prepared pan(s).

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for 9-inch pans, 30 to 35 minutes for 8-inch pans or 13x9-inch pan, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. Or, place 13x9x2-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with desired frosting.

Delish Homemade Mac n' Cheese

On Sunday I went to my moms for dinner and was so excited to find out that she had made Ina Garten's macaroni and cheese. I had just recently watched an episode with Ina making this dish and was completely salivating while I watched! I couldn't wait to make it, but luckily for me I got to have someone else make it:) It was absolutely delicious, so yummy and comforting. Just what me and the baby were craving:)

Ina Garten's Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

nocoupons

• Kosher salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Basil Chicken Hash

I recently was organizing my recipes when I came acrossed this basil chicken hash recipe by Ina Garten. I had never made it but apparently I wanted to because I printed it out and put it in my book. I decided to give it a try. It sounded delicious, but I was a little nervous for the chicken part. For some reason, I dont know why but I always get intimidated when a recipe calls for chicken breast with skin on and bone in. I had never cooked with it before but I decided to give it a try. I was so surprised at how easy it was to make. It comes out incredibly juicy and moist and the flavor is unbelievable. For this recipe you tuck fresh basil leaves under the skin, the flavor of the basil just seemed to infuse the whole piece of chicken. It was so good! And another plus to chicken breast with bone in is that they are a lot cheaper than boneless chicken breast. This is such a yummy recipe. I have made it twice in two weeks. It is such a comforting meal while at the same time not leaving you feeling stuffed. You could make this dish for any meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have some extra that I can wait to eat for breakfast! O-and my husband looooves this! Hope you have time to give it a try!

Ingredients

• 2 whole (4 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
• 16 basil leaves
• Olive Oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and large diced
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, large diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 minced scallions, white and green parts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh leaf parsley
• Sour cream, Cheddar and sliced lemons, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving one side attached. Place 4 basil leaves under the skin of each chicken breast. Pull the skin over as much of the meat as possible so the chicken won't dry out. With your hands, rub each piece with olive oil and sprinkle very generously with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken is just cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones. Cut the chicken in large dice pieces and set aside.

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan. Add the potatoes and onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until evenly browned and cooked through.

In a separate saute pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the red peppers, garlic, thyme, paprika, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the edges of the peppers are seared.

Add the chicken and the pepper mixture to the potatoes and heat through. Add the scallions and parsley, toss together and place on a serving platter.

Missing; One Very Important Camera!

I can not begin to tell you how frustrated I am! I have been missing my camera for almost a week now! I never knew how much I depended on my camera but life just hasn't been the same. I have made a few things and am so upset I coudln't take pictures. I also have pictures on my camera of things I have made that I can't wait to post about but the pictures aren't uploaded onto my computer. So...the search continues! However I do have a recipe to share! I found this picture I took of the chicken piccata dinner I made a while ago. I didn't think it was a great picutre so I never did a post about it, but I am so desperate right now that any picture is better than none!

So Chicken Piccata- this is Ina Gartens recipe and it's wonderful. My husband loves chicken and I always put him in a good mood when I make this. It's very simple and looks very elegant so take a wack at it! You'll love it!

Chicken Piccata by Ina Garten

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 extra-large egg
• 1/2 tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
• Good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Sliced lemon, for serving
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Happy birthday with a big coconut cake, monte cristo sandwitches, and salad de maison

So last week was such a busy week for me and I am finally able to take a breather and share with you what I have been up to! First off, it was my moms birthday on Thursday! The big 50! And I know she wouldn't mind me sharing her age because she looks fabulous for 50. For her birthday cake I wanted to make something extra special. She loves coconut as much as I do so I thought a coconut cake would be very appropriate. But it couldn't be just any coconut cake it had to be extra fabulous. I found Ina Garten's coconut cake recipe and decided to give it a go. I also found a yummy lemon curd recipe on the joy of baking site and thought that would be amazing as a filling. The cake turned out delicious! Such a moist cake with a perfect coconut flavor. I find I am never unhappy with Ina's recipes and this wasn't an exception. Mom said, "It could be in a restaurant," and dad said "This is the best cake I have ever had!" It truly was a delicious cake. The lemon curd filling paired beautifully with the cream cheese frosting which was to die for by the way! I will be making this cake again soon, maybe next time I will make them into cupcakes with a lemon curd filling...mmmmm....

Happy Birthday Mom!
So lucky to have a mom like you! Love ya!

For my mom's birthday dinner we made monte cristo sandwiches with salad de maison. Some may think having sandwiches for a birthday isn't special enough, but let me tell you, I would prefer these sandwiches over a steak dinner. So delicious and unique. Definitely suitable for a special occasion. And as for the salad...amazing. My family has been making this salad for a while and there hasn't been a salad that has come close to how amazing this one is. It could be the 3 whole garlic cloves in the dressing that makes it so tasty. I am definitely a garlic fan and tend to overdose on it. It is a common comment from my husband at the dinner table when he says "I see you put some extra garlic in" , I guess it's the Greek in me which makes me always want to add more to recipes, but with this dressing 3 cloves or garlic is just right. I hope you have a chance to try all of these fun recipes!

Whenever I take pictures at my moms house people
always comment on how beautiful my kitchen is...although
I would love to pretend that my mom's kitchen is mine I wont:)

Coconut Cake

ingredients:
nocoupons

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting:

nocoupons

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).(Ok so this is the one time I deviated fromIna's recipe, I did whip it and it was delicious, smooth and creamy!)

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Lemon Curd:

3 large eggs

1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)

1 tablespoon (4 grams) finely shredded lemon zest

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces

Lemon Curd: In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate until cold. The lemon curd can be made several days (up to a week) in advance.

Salad De Maison

Yield: 10 servings

Salad:
2 cups Romaine lettuce, torn in pieces (I use a whole head to romaine)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated (I cut mine into cubes)
2/3 cup almonds, slivered
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup croutons
1/4 cup bacon (or bacon bits), to taste

Dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Lightly toast almonds. Cut up bacon in 2-inch pieces and cook until crisp (or use bacon bits). Toss lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, almonds, Parmesan cheese, crou-tons and bacon together and set aside. Prepare dressing by blending lemon juice, salt, canola oil, garlic and pepper together at high speed in a blender or food processor. Pour over salad, toss and serve immediately.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

This longtime favorite is on the menu at the Blue Bayou Restaurant

1 egg

1 3/4 cups plus 2 T water

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2 inch thick

2/3 pound ham, cut into 4 slices

2/3 pound turkey, cut into 4 slices

1/4 pound Swiss cheese, cut into 4 slices

3 cups canola oil

Confectioners' sugar

Blackberry preserves

1. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside

2. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk thoroughly, scraping side of bowl. Continue to whisk for 20 minutes, until smooth.

3. On one slice of bread arrange a slice each of ham, turkey, and cheese, covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice sandwich in half diagonally.

4. Heat oil to between 365 degrees F. and 375 degrees F. in a 10 inch pan. Do not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter, allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat for other three sandwiches. Cook the sandwiches one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature in between each batch.

5. Sprinkle sandwiches with confectioners' sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on the side.

Thanksgiving dinner take 2: Curtesy of Kelsey Nixon

A few weeks ago now I took a cooking class with my mom from Kelsey Nixon who made it to the final four of last seasons "The Next Food Network Star". She is as fun and bubbly in person as she is on tv and will definitely do very well in life. She did a class featuring a quick and easy Thanksgiving meal and after tasting how delicious it was wanted to give it a wack myself.

So let's begin with the Turkey: Instead of a whole turkey she did a turkey breast then made an herb compound butter with lots of garlic, fresh thyme and rosemary. Then she sprinkled it with some Italian sesasoning. Fabulous! It turned out very moist and super flavorful. This was the first turkey dish I had every made and it turned out pretty good which means that this is definitely a full proof recpe!

Now for the cranberry sauce: Let's just put it this way, I have never eaten cranberry sauce on my turkey till this recipe came along. It is wonderful, the orange and the cinnamin pair so perfectly with the cranberry that anyone will love it.

Sweet potatoes: So don't laugh but I just found out that yams and sweet potatoes are two completely different things. I am not a yam fan but I loved how she prepared her sweet potatoes. Roasting them with the garlic and thyme was very delicious. So delicious that I have made them since.

So if you are wanting to make a wonderful turkey for your family dinner and want to go even further and pair some cranberry sauce with it and sweet potatoes, try these recipes out! They are most definitely full proof and very flavorful.

ROSEMARY ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

Ingredients
½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup garlic, minced
½ bunch rosemary, chopped
½ bunch thyme, chopped
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 (6-8) lb turkey breast bone in

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a small bowl, mix the butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme; set aside
3. Wash the turkey inside and out; pat dry. Remove any large fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin. Work it loose, being careful not to tear the skin.
4. Using your hands or spatula, spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin. Rub the remainder of the butter mixture over the outside of the breast. Use toothpicks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat. Season the outside of the Turkey breast with Italian seasoning, paprika, black pepper and kosher salt.
5. Arrange the carrot, celery and onion inside the bag to create a base for the turkey to sit on. Place the turkey on top of the vegetables breast side up. Roast in the preheated over 1 ¼ to 2 hours, or until the internal temp of the bird reaches 170 degrees.
6. Allow turkey to rest in bag for 10-15 minutes before removing from bag and carving.

THYME ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
yield: 6-8

(sorry! I can't believe I didn't take a pic of the potatoes! Guess you will have to make them and see how they turn out yourselves!)

Ingredients
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minces
1/3 c. fresh thyme leaves, plus 6 thyme psrigs for garnish
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and toss. Arrange potato slices in single layer on heavy weight rimmed baking sheet.

Place on top rack of oven and roast until tender and slightly browned, about 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp, garnish with thyme sprigs.

Cranberry Sauce
yield: 2.25 cups

1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 12-oz package fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine sugar and orange juice in a med saucepan. Bring to boil' add cranberries and cinnamon, return to boil. Reduced heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temp. Refrigerate until serving time.

Dinner is served...

Ok- so to prove that the food I make in my kitchen doesn't only consist of butter, sugar, and flour, I made these yummy chicken crescent rolls for dinner (which are both Micah and my favorite). They are so simple and so yummy! Hope you try them out and enjoy!

3 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. melted butter
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup. cubed cooked chicken (about two breasts)
1 pkg. crescent rolls
1 cup. bread crumbs
1 can cream of chicken soup, prepared with milk.
2 T. chooped green onion

Mix cream cheese, butter, pepper and salt. Add onions and chicken. Roll out crescent rolls and seprate into triangles. Sppoon chicken equally onto rolls and roll up sealing edges together. Coat with butter and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 15 min. Serve with soup on top.