Grilled Pesto Pizza

I don't know why I've never tried grilled pizza before! It's so easy and tastes like you slaved all day in the kitchen! If you need a quick meal for entertaining, I definitely recommend this. You can make the dough ahead of time and then just throw everything together on the grill when the guests are there.

I used Emeril's pizza dough recipe below. It was easy and simple. I wasn't sure how long to keep the mixer going, but it took about 10 mins for the dough to ball up the hook and allow me to transport it into a bowl. 

Then I added the topping of my choosing. My basil has been thriving in my garden. So you know pesto was in the future! I paired it with some steak and peppadew peppers. If you're not sure where to find peppadew, check the salad bar area at your grocery store like Kroger. It's not really spicy, has a bit of sweetness to it. It was a great pairing with the basil pesto and steak. 

Grilled Pesto Pizza

Ingredients

2 c basil

1 clove garlic

1/2 - 3/4 c olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste

5 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

5 oz smoked cheddar cheese, shredded

Arugula 

1 lb Sirloin steak

1 c Peppadew pepper, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil for drizzling

Directions:

Make the pizza dough ahead of time (see recipe at the end).

To make the pesto, combine the basil and garlic in a food processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Then season with salt and pepper. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use. (Pesto is usually made with pine nuts. I usually add any nuts I have in the pantry but I didn't have any this time. Also usually like to add lime juice.  It still worked out well for this. But feel free to use any pesto you like.)

Next, season the steak with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Grill until it's done to your liking. Let it rest for a few mins, then slice into strips. 

To assemble the pizza:

Take your prepared rolled out pizza dough, brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Grill over medium heat for about 3 mins until you get nice chargrilled marks. Then flip the dough over. Layer with pesto, arugula, cheese, steak and peppadew. Grill until the cheese had melted, about 3 mins. If your dough is cooking too fast and your cheese hasn't melted, turn the heat to low and close the grill lid. Monitor your pizza though. Enjoy!

Pizza Dough Recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pizza-dough-recipe.html

Ingredients

1 cup warm water, about 110 degrees F
1 packet dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 cups flour (may use a little more or less)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

To the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the warm water and yeast and sugar and stir to dissolve the yeast. Add the olive oil, flour, and salt. Mix with the dough hook until the dough comes together and climbs up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the mixer and, on a floured surface, form into a smooth ball shape. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a clean towel. Place in a warm, draft free place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll to desired size.

Bistro quality burger

A burger topped with caramelized onion and blue cheese spread. Yum...

For the caramelized onions:

4 large onions, sliced

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt

For the burger patties:

3 lb ground chuck

1 lb ground sirloin

Garlic salt

Pepper

Onion powder

Smoked paprika

Cumin

Chili powder

Dried parsley

Cayenne pepper

For the blue cheese sauce:

1/4 c mayo

1/4 c fat free sour cream

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped chives

.3 lb crumbled blue cheese

Salt and pepper to your liking 

For the burgers:

12 Kaiser Buns

Arugula for topping

To caramelize onions:

Heat butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and generous pinch of salt. Occasionally stir and cook for about an hour until the onions are caramelized. 

To prepare the burger:

Mix both ground meat together and portion out the meat to 1/3 lb each. You should get 12 patties after portioning them out. Shape them into parties. Next season the parties with the garlic salt and next 7 spices. Grill the burger patties to your liking. 

To prepare the blue cheese sauce:

Mix all the blue cheese sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve. 

To serve:

Toast the buns with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place one cooked burger patty on a bun, top with caramelized onions, arugula, and the blue cheese sauce. 

Artichoke Bacon Ravioli

When I worked at Comcast, one of my good friends would often eat Trader Joe's pasta. She loved Trader Joe's and so did many others. Unfortunately there isn't one too close to me so I never got to experience this "great" place. 

Until this weekend...we were in the area and in need of groceries. Trader Joe's had a lot more prepared items then raw ingredients. It was kinda difficult for me because I wanted to buy everything. And I ended up just picking up anything that caught my eye. Artichoke ravioli, pesto tortellini, truffled ravioli, bacon cheddar cheese, pesto cheese, curry marinated chicken, you name it!

When I got home though, I realized I didn't plan out my meals well. What was I to pair together? And I had a lot of carbs here! I decided to try the artichoke ravioli with the bacon cheddar cheese. Why not?

You can't really taste the artichoke in the ravioli. I get more of the olive flavor than artichoke. The bacon cheddar sauce was what made this dish. Its smoky flavor really was the star. They say everything is better with bacon, right?

Artichoke Bacon Ravioli

Ingredients 

9 oz pkg Trader Joe's Artichoke Ravioli

1 tbsp unsalted butter 

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 c 2% reduced fat milk

1 c Trader Joe's bacon cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper

Chopped chives

Cook the ravioli according to the package's instructions. 

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir for about a minute to cook out the raw flour. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a gentle boil then slowly stir in the cheese. Bring to a gentle simmer then reduce the heat to medium low. Cook until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the cooked ravioli and top with chives. Enjoy!

Fresh Creamed Corn

Creamed corn. You might think of the canned stuff that is all milky, and think it has some cream in it based on the name.  What if I told you you can make creamed corn in 30 mins from just fresh corn? No cream. And to make it even more special, let's throw in some bacon. Everything is better with bacon right??

Fresh Creamed Corn

Ingredients

3 ears corn

4 slices bacon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 sprig lemon thyme, chopped

Salt and pepper

Chopped chives for topping

In a deep skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, until crisp. (I used center cut bacon which is less in fat, but gives enough fat to coat the corn and still crisped up like I needed.) When the bacon is cooked and crispy, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside for later. 

To prepare the corn, first shuck the corn. Using a large shallow dish as your working bowl, use a chef's knife to cut half the corn kernel off the cob. (The working bowl should catch the cut kernels.) Then with the back of the knife, carefully scrape off the remaining kernel on the cob. You'll notice that this method will extract the corn juice from the kernel and cob. This is the natural cream you're looking for. You should have about equal parts kernel and liquid. 

Turn the skillet you cooked the bacon in to low heat. Add the corn kernel and liquid to the bacon fat. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally for 30 mins. 

Then transfer to a bowl. Chop the cooked bacon from earlier. Mix in the chopped bacon and top with chives. Enjoy!

Creamy Polenta

Needed a side with our Valentine's Day steak dinner. It was last minute so I turned to the pantry. We had some yellow corn meal in the pantry. In just 20 mins we had some creamy polenta with our steak! 

Bring 2 tsp kosher salt and 4 c water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Whisk in 1 c of yellow corn meal, and cook, whisking constantly, 45 seconds. By whisking the grits into the boiling water, it'll encourage even, lump-free cooking. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot. Return to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Covering the  meal while they simmer in a pot reduces the cook time by more than half. It also allows the polenta to retain their flavor and texture as they cook to a velvety consistency. Cook 20-25 mins or until tender. For a looser consistency, whisk in 2-4 tbsp water halfway through cooking. Stir in 2 1/2 - 4 tbsp butter until melted. I also added in some cheese. I had feta around, but any other would work. Adding fat is the final ingredient to add that natural creaminess. Season with salt and enjoy!

Herbed Spaghetti Squash

I've never had spaghetti squash before. It  was actually pretty good! I tossed it in a homemade pesto made of parsley. It was a great way to eat a new veggie, and was flavorful and healthy! You know it's January and most are watching their weight. So I encourage you to give this recipe a try!

Note: be careful cutting the squash. It's pretty tough cutting down the middle from the top. I found it easier to stab it in the middle of the squash and try cutting it in half that way. Also helps to call over your strong husband to help cut it 😉

Herbed Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 med spaghetti squash

1 lg garlic clove

1/4 c pecan

1/2 bunch parsley

1/4 c olive oil, plus more for drizzling 

1/4 c San Pietro-Honeywax cheese, grated (or Asiago)

1 1/2 tsp lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

Salt and pepper for seasoning 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Drizzle the cut sides of the squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then place the spaghetti squash cut side down on the baking sheet. 

Cut the top off of the garlic clove. Place the clove in aluminum foil. Drizzle the cut clove with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Gather the foil together and place on the baking sheet with the squash. Bake for about 35-40 mins until tender. Let it cool enough until ready to handle. Taking a fork, scoop out the flesh of the squash into a bowl. It should resemble spaghetti strands. 

To make the pesto: In a food processor, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the bowl. Add the pecan, parsley, and 1/2 tsp salt. Process until chopped, then slowly add the 1/4 c olive oil. Mix in the cheese and lime juice. Toss the pesto with the spaghetti squash. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Potato Pinchos

I discovered pinchos reading through the Food Network Magazine. It's basically a Spanish appetizer served on a toothpick. This is a really easy and great idea from the Food Network Magazine. You can also customize it to your liking. 

The first time I made it I used Manchego cheese as the recipe indicated. 

The second time I made it, I used Chile Jack with Hatch Pepper cheese made by Great Midwest that I found at Sam's Club. It's a Monterary Jack cheese with Habanero, Hatch, and Chipotle Peppers with added smoke flavor. I loved it and so did the party guests. The cheese added more flavor and a slight kick to these easy appetizers. 

Unfortunately Food Network Magazine didn't list out ratios for this recipe. Below is approximately the ratio I used so hopefully you will give these a shot as well! 

Potato Pinchos

In a pot, add a couple of Yukon potatoes, cover with water, and salt the water with some kosher salt. Bring to a boil until fork tender. Not too tender. You do not want it where it’s too soft. You want it to be able to pick them up and eat.

When cooked, drain the boiled potatoes and let cool enough to handle. Peel the potato skin. Then slice into about ¼  inch thick rounds. Then slice each round in half (it makes it easier to eat, otherwise it’d be too big).

In a small mixing bowl, mix together about ¼ cup of mayo, 1 tablespoon chopped capers, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, salt and pepper to your liking. Spread some of the mayo sauce on each sliced potato round. Then top each with a slice of the Chile Jack with Hatch Pepper cheese, slice of dried chorizo, and a piece of sliced green olive with pimento. Skewer with toothpicks and enjoy! 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/potato-pinchos-recipe.html

Jalapeño Poppers

It's Saturday and there's lots of football on TV for Matt! One of my best friend also came over and since we love food I decided to whip up a snack! I wish I bought 10 jalapeños to make 20 jalapeño poppers! Shouldn't have listened to Matt. Now they're all gone and I just want more of this delicious, cheesy goodness!

On another note, Go Dawgs!!

Jalapeño Poppers

5 large jalapeño

4 oz cream cheese, room temp

1 ear corn

1 c fontina cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Cut the tops off each jalapeño and discard the tops. Cut each jalapeño in half. With a small spoon, scrape out the seeds and discard the seeds. Place the halved jalapeños on a baking sheet. 

Cut the kernels off the ear of corn. 

In a small mixing bowl, mix the corn kernels, both cheeses, season with salt and pepper. If you mix it well the corn and shredded fontina should be incorporated into the cream cheese, and will allow easy scooping. 

Scoop a spoonful into each jalapeño. Bake for about 30-45 mins until the jalapeños are tender and the cheese is golden brown. Enjoy!

Veal quesadilla

Another great meal made from the veal Matt's grandparents gave us! This packet of ground veal we got was taco-seasoned. So what did we do? Made quesadillas! In a large skillet over medium-high heat, I added the 16 oz package of ground taco-seasoned veal. Broke up the meat to cook evenly. Then added to the skillet a few spoon of Mexican crema. Spooned some of the cooked meat on one side of a flour tortilla, then topped with some shredded mozerella. Then folded over the tortilla and pan-seared both sides in a buttered skillet. Delicious!! If you can't find taco-seasoned ground veal, I would think adding a packet of taco seasoning to ground veal would do it. 

Veal Bolognese

I miss cooking like this. This would be a great date night meal. Enjoy a great pasta dish with a glass of Merlot. The Merlot takes this pasta dish to the next level, and there's just the right amount of heat from the crushed red peppers. It was pretty good we had to try not to eat a third helping!

Veal Bolognese

6 bacon slices, sliced

1 shallot, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lb ground veal

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c merlot

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 c heavy cream

.66 oz package basil leaves, torn

Merlot Parmesan, shredded 

16 oz angel hair pasta, cooked 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. 

Heat a large Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat. Cook the sliced bacon until almost crispy. Discard all but 1 tbsp of the bacon fat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for a couple mins. Add the veal and cook until it's no longer pink. Add the nutmeg, crushed red peppers, and oregano. Add 1/4 cup of the Merlot. Cook for a few mins. Then add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for about 10 mins. Salt and pepper to your liking. Then add the remaining 1/4 cup of Merlot, cream, and basil. Cook for a few more mins then serve over pasta topped with Parmesan.

Simple baked Chicken Breast with flavor

You know most of us have tried to watch what we eat at some point. So what do we usually turn to? Grilled chicken breast. One of my coworkers who eats out every lunch had gone on a diet. We saw her in the cafeteria miserably eating her grilled, skinless chicken breast. Of course she wasn't enjoying it. All they did was grilled up some frozen chicken breast. You can enjoy a healthy meal though if you added a bit more flavor to it. 

Our dinners have been pretty simple lately: lean protein and veggies. So you can imagine we've been cooking lots of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. One night I cranked the oven on 425 degrees F. In a small baking dish I drizzled a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of the baking dish and laid about 6 chicken breast in there that's been seasoned with salt and pepper. Added a splash of apple cider vinegar, splash of white wine, couple cloves of garlic, couple of sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Baked it until a meat themometer registered 165 degrees F. The chicken came out juicy and moist. And there was so much wonderful citrus flavor from the vinegar and wine. It was just a simple, healthier meal I cooked up, but then it hit me, some people wouldn't know healthy can taste good. You just need to add a bit of flavor. 

Golden Chanterelle Gnocchi

If you ever come across golden chanterelle mushroom, you must try them. Matt's coworker introduced us to these mushroom. His coworker found a ton on his hike and was nice enough to give us a couple bags. The mushrooms are meaty and very earthy. It adds a lot of flavor to this pasta dish. We really enjoyed them and are sad we don't see them at the stores around here. 

Golden Chanterelle Gnocchi

2 tbsp butter

2 c golden chanterelle mushroom

2 tbsp flour

1 pint heavy cream

2 c morel and leek cheese, shredded

1 lb gnocchi, cooked

Salt and pepper

Chopped parsley

Heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 mins. Add the flour and cook for a couple of mins to cook out the flour taste. Slowly whisk in the cream. Bring to a simmer. Slowly add the cheese, a little at a time so it can all incorporate. Cook over medium-low heat until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the gnocchi and finish with some chopped parsley. 

For the gnocchi, I tried Marc Forgione's Gnocchi recipe in Food Network Magazine's April 2012 Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage. It was really easy. And I was able to freeze the rest and cook it up real nicely. It wasn't gummy like another gnocchi recipe I tried. Below is the gnocchi recipe I used:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pour a mound of kosher salt onto a rimmed baking sheet. Prick 3 large russet potatoes (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 lbs) all over with a fork and nestle them in the salt; this prevents the potatoes from browning and draws out their moisture. Bake the potatoes until fork-tender, about 45 mins. Let sit until just cool enough to handle. 

2. Halve the potatoes lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a bowl; discard the skin. Break the flesh with a fork. Put into a floured cutting board. Let cool 3-4 mins. Spread out the potatoes slightly. Beat 1 large egg with 1/2 tsp salt in a small bowl and drizzle over the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes mixture with 1 c flour and knead until a smooth dough forms, adding up to 1/2 c more flour if the dough is sticky. When you press your finger into the dough it should come out clean. If it doesn't, continue to knead. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest 10 mins. 

3. Lightly flour your surface. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll into "snakes," about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut into 1/2-to-1-inch lengths with a knife; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly dust with flour. 

You can transfer to a gallon sized bag and freeze any gnocchi you won't be cooking right away. 

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi; wait until they float to the surface, then simmer 30 more seconds. Scoop the gnocchi from the pot with a spider or slotted spoon.

Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Oh yes, you read the title right. Cinnamon toast crunch covered in chocolate? These can become addicting. I found myself going back into the kitchen and grabbing for more. They would make a great party snack too!

These were part of Matt's early Valentine's Day present. I made the chocolate for some chocolate covered strawberries. Had some chocolate left over so I threw in some sliced bananas. Still had about half a cup of chocolate left over so I threw in a couple cups of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Which led me to discover these addicting treats.

The chocolate has been spiked with some orange liqueur too bringing another depth of flavor to the chocolate. Tossed with that cinnamon sugar cereal, it made a sweet and crunchy snack. I also tossed some mini M&Ms in there. Why not? You could throw in marshmallow, pretzels, whatever else your heart desires!

Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Toast Crunch

6 tbsp heavy cream

1/2 tsp orange extract

7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 tsp instant coffee granules

3 tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur

2 tbsp light corn syrup

Cinnamon toast crunch cereal

Optional mix-ins 

Set a heat-proof bowl over simmering water, careful to not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. You're basically creating a double boiler. Heat the cream and orange extract in the bowl. Add the chocolate, coffee, Grand Marnier, and corn syrup and stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Toss some of the cereal into the chocolate, adding as much cereal as needed to use up all of the chocolate and coat the cereal. You can also mix in any mix-ins of your choosing (I chose mini M&Ms). Transfer to a baking sheet lined with wax paper and chill in the fridge until set. It won't take long for the chocolate to set. Enjoy!

Chipotle Chicken Salad

Whipped up some chicken salad with the chicken tenders, celery, and lettuce we had. The result ended up being blog-worthy. It had a nice bit of kick to it from the chipotle chile pepper and lots of flavor from the other spices making this salad a keeper. And it was so easy and quick to put together. I had to blog it to remember what all I threw together. 

Chipotle Chicken Salad

6 chicken tender

1 bay leaf

6 sprig thyme

1 sprig rosemary

1 clove garlic, smashed and halved

1 tsp Kosher salt

Grinds of Grains of paradise or black pepper

Put all contents in a medium saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and let it cool. 

To prepare the rest of the chicken salad, mix together in a medium bowl:

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

4 tsp capers, chopped, plus 1 tsp brine

1 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 lg spoonful mayo

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp chipotle chile pepper

Pinch of salt and pepper

Dice the cooked chicken and toss with the contents of the bowl. Serve over mixed greens and with some mozzarella. 

Artichoke and Pesto Grilled Cheese

I just had the best grilled cheese sandwich. Melted muenster cheese, topped with artichokes, and homemade pesto...yum! 

Homemade pesto is so easy too. It's the perfect way of using leftover herbs. The basic things you need are usually some kind of nuts, herbs, and olive oil. Other optional additions can include Parmesan, lime, spices, etc. 

For today's pesto, I grounded 1/4 cup of pistachio, bunch of parsley leaves, 1 garlic clove, 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper in a mini food processor. I also decided to mix in a tablespoon of grated Parmesan. The parsley and garlic made the pesto so flavorful, and the pistachio really added texture to it. 

I spread a generous portion of pesto on two slices of whole grain bread. Then topped one side with three slices of muenster cheese. Yes, three. They were thin slices. Plus what's a good grilled cheese sandwich without the cheese, right?

On the other slice of bread I topped it with artichoke hearts from the salad bar. Okay, I must confess. I'm addicted to these little artichokes from the Kroger salad bar. I have seriously bought $10 worth before, just for snacking. 

These artichoke hearts are so much better than the jarred. It's fresher and tangier, which really adds a nice bite along with the pesto. 

Arranged the sandwich together and grilled it in a buttered skillet over medium heat. Be patient in letting it melt together. It'll be worth it. 

Roasted Sweet Potato and Sprout

Now don't turn away when you see that brussel sprouts are in here! I think these little guys get a bad reputation. My friend, who doesn't like brussel sprouts, decided to give them a try when we were out at dinner one day. I tried one and told her no wonder they get a bad rep! It was barely cooked nor seasoned. 

My favorite way to have brussel sprouts is roasted in the oven with some olive oil, salt and pepper, until fork-tender. For this dish, I also threw in some sweet potato and tomatoes we had in the fridge. All the colors were beautiful together. It made a nice presentation. I was thinking it could even be a great veggie dish for Thanksgiving!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Sprouts

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into small cubes

1 bag of brussel sprouts, halved

1 c grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 c fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 tsp thyme leaves

2 roasted garlic cloves, chopped 

4 slices of bacon, sliced 

Salt and pepper (about 1 tsp)

Olive oil (about a qtr to half a cup)

2 tbsp butter, cut into small pats

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large casserole dish, add the potatoes, sprouts, tomatoes, bacon, oregano, thyme, and garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Top with the butter and roast in the oven for about 30-45 mins, until it's fork-tender. 

Chicken Piccata

I don't know why people complain about how cooking a good meal takes too much time out of their schedule. Or requires too much planning for the ingredients. I whipped up this dish in less than 15 mins, including prepping, and with ingredients I had leftover in the fridge! This chicken dish had a bit of tang from the wine and capers, and subtle sweetness from the honey butter. They complimented and balanced each other so well. It reminded me of a chicken piccata dish so I guess you can say this is an adaptation. 

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients approx.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 c white wine

2 oz caper brine

1/2 tsp capers

1 lg garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp dried oregano 

1 tsp honey butter

Salt and pepper

Flour for dusting 

Olive oil

Place one chicken breast between a piece of Saran Wrap. With a meat mallet (the prickly side) pound the chicken breast out until it's about 1/2 inch thin. Repeat with the other chicken breast. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Then coat in flour and shake of any excess. 

Add oil to a deep skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken breast about 3-4 mins per side. When done cooking, let rest on a plate. 

To make the sauce, deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the capers, brine, garlic, and oregano. Then melt in the butter. Cook for a few mins until slightly reduced. Serve the sauce over the chicken. Enjoy!

Honeyed Citrus Vinegrette

Have you ever bought something for a recipe and never have to use it again? Of course we all have. Orange extract was one of those culprits in our pantry. We actually didn't even end up using it! Well I decided to open that little bottle up and incorporate it into a last-minute salad dressing. It turned out surprisingly well - so light and refreshing. I encourage you to give that extract bottle a chance outside of baking!

Honeyed Citrus Vinegrette

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp orange extract

1/2 c olive oil

1-2 tsp honey

3 sprig thyme leaves

Salt and pepper to taste 

Whisk everything together. Taste and adjust the flavors to your liking. 

Healthier Caesar Salad

If you're looking for a salad without all the oil, but still full of flavor, try this salad! I took some spring mix salad, added a couple of chopped anchovies, capers, parmesan, croutons, and a poached egg. The salad was quite tasty!
I had ran out of olive oil to make caesar dressing. So that's why I decided to try adding a poached egg instead of having plain lettuce with anchovies. I guess you can say this is a deconstructed caesar salad?

Creole Fettuccine

This pasta dish is like having a taste of New Orleans in the comfort of your home. It's creamy and full of that Cajun flavor you're looking for.

Creole Fettuccine

1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled
1/2 tbsp Creole seasoning
Salt and pepper

1. Pat the shrimp dry, season shrimp, set aside.

1 egg
1 pint heavy cream

2. Mix with a fork until combined, set aside.

Olive oil
1 garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 tbsp Creole seasoning
1 c Parmesan, shredded
1 lb cooked fettuccine
1/4 basil, julienned
2 scallions, chopped

3. Add olive oil to a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and bell pepper and cook until tender. Add the creole seasoning. Add the seasoned shrimp prepared earlier. Cook for a couple of mins. Then slowly add in the cream mixture prepared earlier. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened. Mix in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in the cooked fettuccine. Finish with the scallions and basil.