1 tbl olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can (29 oz) white hominy, drained
2 cups chicken broth
1 can medium green enchilada sauce
1 cup water
1 tsp mexican oregano
2 cups cooked chicken (I used shredded rotisserie chicken)
1 cup sliced green cabbage
2 tbl chopped fresh cilantro
lime
1. Add oil and garlic to large pot and heat over medium high heat 1-3 minutes or until garlic is golden brown and fragrant. Meanwhile, drain hominy.
2. Immediately add broth, enchilada sauce, water, oregano and hominy to pot, bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 8 minutes.
3. As mixture comes to boil, dice or shred chicken and add to pot, simmer till heated through.
4. As is simmers, thinly slice cabbage and chop cilantro. Slice lime into wedges.
5. To serve, divide into bowls and top with cabbage and lime and cilantro.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
30 Min Meal: Skillet Lasagna
1 jar marinara sauce
3 cups water
8 oz lasagna noodles
1 lb Italian turkey sausage (casings removed - hot or spicey is up to you!)
2 garlic cloves pressed
2 oz Parmesan cheese
2 tbl chopped fresh parsley
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
additional Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)
1. Combine sauce and water in a skillet, cover and bring to boil.
2. Meanwhile, wrap noodles in a towel and break crosswise into quarters. Stir noodles into sauce. Cover and reduce heat to simmer 16-18 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. As noodles cook, place sausage into another skillet and cook until no longer pink, breaking it into pieces as you go (in other words, you want the sausage to end up into little chunks, as if you were browning beef). Add pressed garlic and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir sausage into noodles/sauce mixture.
4. Meanwhile, grate Parmesan cheese, chop parsley, and combine all cheeses and 1 tbl of parsley and black pepper, mix well. Scoop cheese mix over noodles and cover skillet, simmer gently about 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. To serve, sprinkle with remaining parsley and additional cheese if desired.
3 cups water
8 oz lasagna noodles
1 lb Italian turkey sausage (casings removed - hot or spicey is up to you!)
2 garlic cloves pressed
2 oz Parmesan cheese
2 tbl chopped fresh parsley
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
additional Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)
1. Combine sauce and water in a skillet, cover and bring to boil.
2. Meanwhile, wrap noodles in a towel and break crosswise into quarters. Stir noodles into sauce. Cover and reduce heat to simmer 16-18 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. As noodles cook, place sausage into another skillet and cook until no longer pink, breaking it into pieces as you go (in other words, you want the sausage to end up into little chunks, as if you were browning beef). Add pressed garlic and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir sausage into noodles/sauce mixture.
4. Meanwhile, grate Parmesan cheese, chop parsley, and combine all cheeses and 1 tbl of parsley and black pepper, mix well. Scoop cheese mix over noodles and cover skillet, simmer gently about 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. To serve, sprinkle with remaining parsley and additional cheese if desired.
30 Min Meal: Artichoke Chicken with Roasted Potatoes
POTATOES & CHICKEN
3 small red potatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp of a rosemary herb seasoning
2 tsp olive oil, divided
ARTICHOKE TOPPING
1/2 c chopped artichoke hearts
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 oz Parmesan cheese
2 tsp mayonanaise
1. Preheat broiler on HIGH. Meanwhile cut potatoes into quarters. Place potatoes, water and salt into microwave safe dish and microwave on high 6-8 minutes until tender. Drain and place aside.
2. Meanwhile, for artichoke topping, chop artichokes and parsley and place in small bowl. Grate cheese and set aside 2 tbsp for later use. Add remaining cheese and mayo to artichoke mixture.
3. Flatten chicken to 1/2 inch thickness, sprinkle both sides of chicken with herb seasoning.
4. Add tsp of oil to skillet and heat 1-3 minutes 'till shimmering. Meanwhile, add remaining oil and remaining herb seasoning to potatoes, stir to coat.
5. Place chicken and potatoes cut side down into skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes or until chicken is golden brown. Turn chicken and potatoes over, cook an additional 3-4 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and centers are no longer pink.
6. Remove potatoes from skillet, set aside to keep warm. To finish chicken, spread artichoke topping evenly over chicken, sprinkle with reserved cheese. Place skillet as close as possible to heating element in broiler and broil for 4-6 minutes or until topping is golden brown and internal temp of chicken is 170 degrees. (watch carefully for uneven browning, remove immediately)
Serve chicken with potatoes.
3 small red potatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp of a rosemary herb seasoning
2 tsp olive oil, divided
ARTICHOKE TOPPING
1/2 c chopped artichoke hearts
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 oz Parmesan cheese
2 tsp mayonanaise
1. Preheat broiler on HIGH. Meanwhile cut potatoes into quarters. Place potatoes, water and salt into microwave safe dish and microwave on high 6-8 minutes until tender. Drain and place aside.
2. Meanwhile, for artichoke topping, chop artichokes and parsley and place in small bowl. Grate cheese and set aside 2 tbsp for later use. Add remaining cheese and mayo to artichoke mixture.
3. Flatten chicken to 1/2 inch thickness, sprinkle both sides of chicken with herb seasoning.
4. Add tsp of oil to skillet and heat 1-3 minutes 'till shimmering. Meanwhile, add remaining oil and remaining herb seasoning to potatoes, stir to coat.
5. Place chicken and potatoes cut side down into skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes or until chicken is golden brown. Turn chicken and potatoes over, cook an additional 3-4 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and centers are no longer pink.
6. Remove potatoes from skillet, set aside to keep warm. To finish chicken, spread artichoke topping evenly over chicken, sprinkle with reserved cheese. Place skillet as close as possible to heating element in broiler and broil for 4-6 minutes or until topping is golden brown and internal temp of chicken is 170 degrees. (watch carefully for uneven browning, remove immediately)
Serve chicken with potatoes.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Chicken with Lemon-Leek Linguine
As I sit here and sip some white wine, and watch a cooking show on BBC America, I decided to blog my latest recipe I made last night for dinner. This was very simple, and again from Cooking Light Magazine October 2010 issue. They promised quick and healthy meals for weeknights that are still yummy. I've made quite a few of the meals so far and have not been disappointed.
I usually like a more visually prominent sauce on my pasta but was pleasantly surprised at the flavor still packed in this simple sauce. Try it!
6 oz uncooked linguine
4 (6 oz skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (I used pre-chopped garlic, I usually don't but this worked well in a time crunch)
1 leek (or 2 depending on size) thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups or so)
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and keep warm.
Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or a small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with some of the salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge chicken in flour, shaking to remove excess.
(Note, I didn't pound the chicken thin. I sliced mine in half length wise and they were automatically thin just by doing that. In the end, they were almost 1/2" - 3/4" inch thick. Just depends on your preference but the cooking time will vary depending on thickness. Thinner is a bit better because then the chicken will cook quicker and not be as dry. The longer you cook it the more risk of dry chicken)
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from heat and keep warm. Try not to move the chicken too much so that it is able to get a "crust" from the flour coating.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium high heat. (same skillet) Add garlic, leek and remaining salt, saute for 4 minutes or so. Add broth and juice, cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in last tablespoon of butter. Add pasta to leek mixture and toss to combine and coat. Serve chicken on top. Sprinkle with parsley.
**Note, for the leeks, if you have never cooked with them before. ......
They look like this:
The edible portion of a leek is the white and light green stem. Once it goes darker green and starts to go into "leaves" then that is no longer the usual edible portion.
These are notoriously dirty, so the trick is to first cut off the ends that you don't use, then slice the stem in half lengthwise, then place the flat side down and slice thin. The leek will peel apart in layers so they should look like little moon shaped pieces.
Once you have them sliced, place them in a big bowl filled with water. Keep them soaking for a few minutes. The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl and when you're ready to use the leeks, just scoop them off the top of the water (they float) with a slotted spoon.
Also, I made a double batch of the sauce to pour over the pasta, just to be sure it was moist enough. I thought that was a good idea, you might want to try it too.
Hope you enjoy!
I usually like a more visually prominent sauce on my pasta but was pleasantly surprised at the flavor still packed in this simple sauce. Try it!
6 oz uncooked linguine
4 (6 oz skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (I used pre-chopped garlic, I usually don't but this worked well in a time crunch)
1 leek (or 2 depending on size) thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups or so)
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and keep warm.
Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or a small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with some of the salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge chicken in flour, shaking to remove excess.
(Note, I didn't pound the chicken thin. I sliced mine in half length wise and they were automatically thin just by doing that. In the end, they were almost 1/2" - 3/4" inch thick. Just depends on your preference but the cooking time will vary depending on thickness. Thinner is a bit better because then the chicken will cook quicker and not be as dry. The longer you cook it the more risk of dry chicken)
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from heat and keep warm. Try not to move the chicken too much so that it is able to get a "crust" from the flour coating.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium high heat. (same skillet) Add garlic, leek and remaining salt, saute for 4 minutes or so. Add broth and juice, cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in last tablespoon of butter. Add pasta to leek mixture and toss to combine and coat. Serve chicken on top. Sprinkle with parsley.
**Note, for the leeks, if you have never cooked with them before. ......
They look like this:
The edible portion of a leek is the white and light green stem. Once it goes darker green and starts to go into "leaves" then that is no longer the usual edible portion.
These are notoriously dirty, so the trick is to first cut off the ends that you don't use, then slice the stem in half lengthwise, then place the flat side down and slice thin. The leek will peel apart in layers so they should look like little moon shaped pieces.
Once you have them sliced, place them in a big bowl filled with water. Keep them soaking for a few minutes. The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl and when you're ready to use the leeks, just scoop them off the top of the water (they float) with a slotted spoon.
Also, I made a double batch of the sauce to pour over the pasta, just to be sure it was moist enough. I thought that was a good idea, you might want to try it too.
Hope you enjoy!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Ok Everyone, here it is! Proof that I really did bake it! I am trying to make the old saying "practice makes per...err I mean better" (thanks mom) come true. I figured I just have to jump in and start trying and following recipes and getting the hang of measuring EVERYTHING, even the 1/8th of a teaspoon of salt, because with baking, EVERYTHING has a purpose!
I made a double batch of the glaze and saved the second half of it for an extra drizzle when you re-heat a piece for a snack.
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat free yogurt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbl butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 tbls chopped dry roasted peanuts
cooking spray
GLAZE:
1/3 c powdered sugar
1 tbl 1% low fat milk
1 tbl creamy peanut butter
PreHeat oven to 350 degrees.
To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugar; beat until blended.
Measure flour into another large bowl, and add the next 5 ingredients (through the all spice). Thoroughly combine. Add flour mixture to the banana mixture and beat until blended. Stir in peanuts. Pour batter into 9x5 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray and bake at 350 for 1 hr and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick or knife inserted in center comes our clean. Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes, remove bread from pan and cool completely.
To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk and peanut butter in small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.
Yields 16 servings. (1 slice is a serving)
Serve Warm (I think that'd taste best!)
Loaded Potato Soup
I made this last night, which was a rainy night. Couldn't resist making something warm and comforting! Read on....this is a lightened version of this soup, with little tricks to take away some calories. You don't notice though, it tastes so creamy still! This is also a QUICK recipe. Some soups take so long, but this is great for even a weeknight! I promise, as quick as 20 minutes!
4 (6 oz) red potatoes
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion chopped (chop ahead of time to save time)
1 1/4 cups fat free lower sodium chicken broth
3 tbl all purpose flour
2 cups 1% low fat milk (divided)
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 bacon slices (halved)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (we used a reserved aged white cheddar)
sliced green onions to taste
Pierce potatoes with a fork. Place in microwave safe bowl and cover, microwave for 13 minutes on high - or until fork tender. Cut in half and cool slightly.
While potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for about 3 minutes. Add broth. Combine flower and 1/2 cup milk; add to pan with 1 1/2 cups milk. Bring to boil; stir often. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, salt and pepper.
Arrange bacon on paper towel on a microwave safe plate and cover with paper towel. Microwave on high for about 4 minutes, crumble bacon. (TIP: I used kitchen shears to cut up the bacon over the finished bowls of soup)
Place potato chunks into soup and mash into it, until it's the consistency you like. We like ours a bit more chunky. You could probably use an emersion blender if you want it more smooth.
Top with cheese, green onion, bacon, and any extra salt/pepper to taste.
Enjoy!!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Cheddar, Pesto & Arugula Wontons
The other night I made some homemade steamed shu mai (dumplings) which left me with quite a few extra wonton wrappers! Well when I got home from work today, it was too early to make dinner but I still wanted a snack and was in the mood to create something. I spotted the extra wrappers and realized I should use them up before they spoiled! (which has happened to me before) I know that you don't just have to use Asian flavors inside wontons, but you can use them as a yummy wrapper to any kind of flavor!
Pretty much everything you need
I poked around and found some aged cheddar, pesto that my grandma made, some arugula and green onions. So the experimenting began....
Pretty much everything you need
by the way this cheese is SO good!
There are no exact measurements for this as I kinda made it up but here's roughly what I did:
There are no exact measurements for this as I kinda made it up but here's roughly what I did:
1 wonton wrapper (small)
1 dollop (about teaspoon or less) of pesto in center of wrapper
1 small cheese cube (see photo for approximate size) (by the way use any kind of yummy cheese! I just used what I already had...)
2-3 small arugula leaves (stems removed, the soft part of it is better I think for this)
just a snippit of green onion (I just used kitchen shears and cut off a couple small bits)
Using your fingers or a pastry brush, just moisten the edges of the wrapper, then bring corner to corner and tuck up carefully into a wonton like shape. Doesn't really matter the shape I dont think as long as it's sealed up and the filling doesn't poke out.
Top with a tiny bit of olive oil so the wonton will be golden brown after cooking.
I baked at 375 for 10 minutes, then realized it needed to be hotter so I flipped them over and I put the temp to 400 for another 5-6 minutes or so 'till they were golden brown.
I took them off the tray then zested some lemon to add a bit of acid since I knew it'd be salty with the pesto and cheese. And the arugula adds a peppery taste. Yum!
I did only 6 at first to test it out, I'm not sure the cooking time may vary if you do a large tray...
=) aren't they cute? =) Now I need to go make some more so Caleb can eat them when he gets home from class....
Monday, October 4, 2010
Asian Chicken Noodle Salad
This might have a lot of ingredients but TRY IT. It's so worth it ;)
2 tbl seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbl reduced sodium reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbl reduced fat peanut butter
1 tbl packed brown sugar
1 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 lb chicken tenders (NOTE: I've used shredded rotisserie chicken, saves time!)
1/4 lb rice stick noodles (NOTE: I've done it once with that and once with angel hair pasta. We preferred it with the pasta not the stick noodles)
1/2 cup fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut diagonally in 1/2
1/2 cucumber peeled seeded and cut into thin strips
1/2 red bell pepper seeded and thinly chopped (NOTE: I left that out and I liked it like that. But I just don't like peppers) =)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts coarsely chopped
To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic in a bowl until blended; set aside.
Cook the chicken tenders over a nonstick skillet and cook about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Shred the chicken and set aside.
Meanwhile place the noodles in a large bowl and add enough hot water to cover; let the noodles stand until soft, about 10 minutes. (or cook according to package directions)
Drain noodles and transfer to large bowl. Add chicken, sugar snap peas, cucumber, bell pepper, and cilantro. Drizzle with dressing and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.
Arugula and Orange Salad w/ Pine Nuts
Want an easy week night salad that's different than your standard iceberg and ranch? Try this out! It's delicious and fast and easy. Want to add some protein? Get a rotisserie chicken and chop some up and add it.
2 tbls rice vinegar
1 tbls orange juice
1 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
Arugula
1 naval orange, peeled & cut into sections (canned manderine oranges will probably work too)
thin sliced red onion (I hate red onion so I cut up scallions instead)
1 tbl toasted pine nuts (they are expensive, so use slivered almonds instead!)
Whisk together all ingredients except arugula, orange, onion and nuts. Then toss/coat the arugula in the dressing and top with oranges and pine nuts.
And add the chicken too if you like!
DELICIOUS
2 tbls rice vinegar
1 tbls orange juice
1 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp soy sauce
Arugula
1 naval orange, peeled & cut into sections (canned manderine oranges will probably work too)
thin sliced red onion (I hate red onion so I cut up scallions instead)
1 tbl toasted pine nuts (they are expensive, so use slivered almonds instead!)
Whisk together all ingredients except arugula, orange, onion and nuts. Then toss/coat the arugula in the dressing and top with oranges and pine nuts.
And add the chicken too if you like!
DELICIOUS
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
S-L-A-C-K-E-R. What does that spell? LAZY!
Okay, so it's come to my attention that I've been a "tease". Yes Laura, I'm talking to you. :-)
I will make a dinner, post how yummy it is on Facebook, say I'll post the recipe soon and then I never get around to it. You know some days, after sitting at a computer for 8 to 9 hours, I dont always feel like sitting in front of one at night. But, I do love sharing my recipes. I have the pictures ready to go on my computer and the recipes flagged in my books. So, I will try to get back on the ball!
Stay tuned...
I will make a dinner, post how yummy it is on Facebook, say I'll post the recipe soon and then I never get around to it. You know some days, after sitting at a computer for 8 to 9 hours, I dont always feel like sitting in front of one at night. But, I do love sharing my recipes. I have the pictures ready to go on my computer and the recipes flagged in my books. So, I will try to get back on the ball!
Stay tuned...
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Lechon Asado - Citrus Marinated Roast Pork
This smells WONDERFUL in my oven at the moment. So I must admit my blog is a bit premature because I have not even eaten the pork yet but I'm fairly certain it'll be a hit. Overall it was very easy to make and inexpensive as well.
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspooon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (2-lb) boneless center cut pork loin roast, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks.
____________________________________
- Combine the first 8 ingredients into a large zip close plastic bag. Add the pork to the bag. Squeeze the air out and seal the bag. Turn to coat. Refrigerate for about 3 hours, turning bag occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place a rack in a large roasting pan and spray the rack with nonstick spray.
*Note: I used a roasting pan but didnt have a rack that was quite right so I skipped that part. Still sprayed nonstick spray, but put the pork directly in the pan.
- Remove the pork from the plastic bag and place on the rack (*or in the pan*). Sprinkle the pork with salt/pepper. Spray carrots with olive oil nonstick spray (or drizzle olive oil) and arrange them around the pork. Road until carrots are tender and pork registers 160F for medium.
*Note: I also cut up small red potatoes, seasoned them up with salt/pepper and other herbs, then added it with the carrots around the pork.
- When pork is done, transfer to cutting board and stand for 10 minutes. Then cut and serve.
___________________________________
When you make the marinade, then especially when you are cooking the pork, your kitchen will smell SO GOOD. The orange juice/lime juice and the garlic and cumin and red pepper flakes makes such a yummy smell.
The timer just beeped! Time to go check it and so here goes nothin'! ;) Yum!
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspooon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (2-lb) boneless center cut pork loin roast, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks.
____________________________________
- Combine the first 8 ingredients into a large zip close plastic bag. Add the pork to the bag. Squeeze the air out and seal the bag. Turn to coat. Refrigerate for about 3 hours, turning bag occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place a rack in a large roasting pan and spray the rack with nonstick spray.
*Note: I used a roasting pan but didnt have a rack that was quite right so I skipped that part. Still sprayed nonstick spray, but put the pork directly in the pan.
- Remove the pork from the plastic bag and place on the rack (*or in the pan*). Sprinkle the pork with salt/pepper. Spray carrots with olive oil nonstick spray (or drizzle olive oil) and arrange them around the pork. Road until carrots are tender and pork registers 160F for medium.
*Note: I also cut up small red potatoes, seasoned them up with salt/pepper and other herbs, then added it with the carrots around the pork.
- When pork is done, transfer to cutting board and stand for 10 minutes. Then cut and serve.
___________________________________
When you make the marinade, then especially when you are cooking the pork, your kitchen will smell SO GOOD. The orange juice/lime juice and the garlic and cumin and red pepper flakes makes such a yummy smell.
The timer just beeped! Time to go check it and so here goes nothin'! ;) Yum!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Fruit Salad with Mint
Really wanted something sweet and cool on this HOT evening to go along with my fried fish.....I remembered wanting to make fruit with mint. I googled recipes and found this and made it! SO GOOD. Try it - with any seasonal fruit you can find. The almond extract in it is amazing and adds just a hint of yumminess. Also I have a TON of mint in my yard so it was pretty convenient to use...
Oh yeah.....I just bought little containers of the fruit, I didnt pay attention to the actual measurements according to the recipe. For this you can't go wrong!
INGREDIENTS
1 pt strawberries
1 pt blueberries
1 mango peeled, sliced (I got presliced from Trader Joes :-)
1 peach peeled and cubed. (I left this out completely, no ripe ones at the store. . . )
1/8 cup simple syrup (Instructions below)
1/4 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
1/2 cup fresh mint chopped
1/8 tsp almond extract
Chop and mix fruit as desired.
SIMPLE SYRUP
Equal parts water & sugar. Boil water and then mix in sugar until dissolved fully. Remove immediately from heat then cool completely.
_______________
In a blender combine chopped mint, simple syrup, lime juice and almond extract. Blend together then pour over fruit. Refrigerate (overnight is great for flavors to meld) for at least an hour and serve!
It was YUM!!! Hope you enjoy!
Oh yeah.....I just bought little containers of the fruit, I didnt pay attention to the actual measurements according to the recipe. For this you can't go wrong!
INGREDIENTS
1 pt strawberries
1 pt blueberries
1 mango peeled, sliced (I got presliced from Trader Joes :-)
1 peach peeled and cubed. (I left this out completely, no ripe ones at the store. . . )
1/8 cup simple syrup (Instructions below)
1/4 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
1/2 cup fresh mint chopped
1/8 tsp almond extract
Chop and mix fruit as desired.
SIMPLE SYRUP
Equal parts water & sugar. Boil water and then mix in sugar until dissolved fully. Remove immediately from heat then cool completely.
_______________
In a blender combine chopped mint, simple syrup, lime juice and almond extract. Blend together then pour over fruit. Refrigerate (overnight is great for flavors to meld) for at least an hour and serve!
It was YUM!!! Hope you enjoy!
Beer Battered Fish
Beer Batter
1 (12 oz) bottle beer
2 cups all purpose flour
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Pepper
About 1 1/2 lbs flaky white fish (I used Tilapia .... Cod works, so does Ruffy, Halibut, etc.)
Cut fish into strips about 1" wide and between 4-6" long
In dutch oven or large deep skillet, heat canola oil (or just whatever frying oil you want to use) to 375 degrees F.
In large bowl pour 1 large bottle of beer. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour into the bowl (sifting prevents lumps), whisk gently until combined. Stir in salt, pepper and garlic pepper (just pinches to taste...probably about 1 tsp each or so).
Pat fish dry, coat both sides with salt/pepper. Coat fish in batter, then dredge in the rest of the flour (it says 1/2 cup but I used more than that for the 2nd dredge...) and then put in oil (gently). Do it in batches, not too many pieces of fish in the oil at once. about 4 to 5 minutes per piece of fish. Until golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Transfer done fish to paper towel covered plate or pan to drain off oil.
Season with more salt when finished and still hot....!
We loved this! The oil turns a bit brown towards the end so you might want to switch out to fresh oil if you are doing a large batch.
We LOVE Malt Vinegar and tarter sauce.... =) French fries are a great pair with fried fish of course.....
1 (12 oz) bottle beer
2 cups all purpose flour
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Pepper
About 1 1/2 lbs flaky white fish (I used Tilapia .... Cod works, so does Ruffy, Halibut, etc.)
Cut fish into strips about 1" wide and between 4-6" long
In dutch oven or large deep skillet, heat canola oil (or just whatever frying oil you want to use) to 375 degrees F.
In large bowl pour 1 large bottle of beer. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour into the bowl (sifting prevents lumps), whisk gently until combined. Stir in salt, pepper and garlic pepper (just pinches to taste...probably about 1 tsp each or so).
Pat fish dry, coat both sides with salt/pepper. Coat fish in batter, then dredge in the rest of the flour (it says 1/2 cup but I used more than that for the 2nd dredge...) and then put in oil (gently). Do it in batches, not too many pieces of fish in the oil at once. about 4 to 5 minutes per piece of fish. Until golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Transfer done fish to paper towel covered plate or pan to drain off oil.
Season with more salt when finished and still hot....!
We loved this! The oil turns a bit brown towards the end so you might want to switch out to fresh oil if you are doing a large batch.
We LOVE Malt Vinegar and tarter sauce.... =) French fries are a great pair with fried fish of course.....
Friday, June 11, 2010
Miso Soup - Homemade that is....
If you don't already know, Miso Soup is the broth based soup that you order at a Japanese restaurant and it comes in a little bowl. Sometimes if you don't stir it up it looks a bit cloudy, it's very salty, has chunks of tofu and green leafy things floating around in it. Even as I type that - I admit I do always order it while out for sushi. Though, after I tasted my surprisingly easy homemade Miso soup, I'm not sure that I can go back to ordering restaurant style again.
Also, I encourage you to try to make your own Miso at home, especially if the primary reason you don't like it is because of the overwhelming salty nature of the dish. When homemade, you have the ability to control the sodium and your additional veggies or even meats if you prefer(I'll skip the tofu, please!) which can make a world of difference.
I found the recipe in one of my standard cook books that I use for almost everything and thought, what the heck! I'll give it a shot. I was inspired by my friend and co-worker Brianna who told me I should try to cook with seaweed, in response to my last post. It got me on the sushi/japanese kick. :) I'll make it to sushi soon!
I had to go to Lassens in Santa Maria to find the Udon Noodles and Miso but it was worth it. Here's the recipe, then I'll give some more tips at the end.
INGREDIENTS
6 oz udon noodles
5 cups reduced sodium veggie broth (if you dont want to do the math at the grocery store, or make your hubby do it like I did, I'll save you the time - it's just shy of 3 standard cans)
1/4 cup light miso
1/2 medium head bok choy, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper seeded and cut into strips
1/4 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded & caps thinly sliced
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon rice or white wine vinegar (as I typed this I realized I LEFT OUT the vinegar - woops!)
DIRECTIONS
- Cook Noodles according to package directions; drain in a colander. Rinse the noodles under cold running water, drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the broth and miso in a large saucepan. Add the bok choy, bell pepper and mushrooms; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are just tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in reserved noodles, scallions and vinegar. Serve at once.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Things I learned:
My cookbook had this helpful hint:
"Miso is a fermented soy paste which is found in the refrigerated section of Asian markets, natural-foods stores and some supermarkets. If you have a choice between light and dark miso, go for the light variety - it's milder and less salty."
I found a light yellow variety of Miso in the back fridge section of Lassens and I found Udon Noodles (the thicker kind) in Lassens also but in the sunroom space with the Asian foods. Prices weren't too bad, not too cheap but my whole recipe made a ton of soup - 5 cups of broth plus the noodles and veggies added lots of volume. Lots of left over and great for the next day @ lunch.
Also - play around with your ingredients! As long as you have the base of the Miso and broth - then add what you want. I ONLY did bok choy and scallions. The mushrooms were a bit pricey this week for me and I am not a fan of bell peppers. But you could add some meat, or some other veggies anything you like! It is not too salty at all, very mild and more of an actual flavor. Give it a try! You also dont have to do noodles if you aren't a fan of them.
P.S. You use so little of the miso I was wondering what to do with the rest before it goes bad. Well the lid has a salad dressing recipe! I'm definately going to try it. If you look close enough on the picture you can read it too, :) If you try this soup - let me know! What do you put in it?
Also, I encourage you to try to make your own Miso at home, especially if the primary reason you don't like it is because of the overwhelming salty nature of the dish. When homemade, you have the ability to control the sodium and your additional veggies or even meats if you prefer(I'll skip the tofu, please!) which can make a world of difference.
I found the recipe in one of my standard cook books that I use for almost everything and thought, what the heck! I'll give it a shot. I was inspired by my friend and co-worker Brianna who told me I should try to cook with seaweed, in response to my last post. It got me on the sushi/japanese kick. :) I'll make it to sushi soon!
I had to go to Lassens in Santa Maria to find the Udon Noodles and Miso but it was worth it. Here's the recipe, then I'll give some more tips at the end.
INGREDIENTS
6 oz udon noodles
5 cups reduced sodium veggie broth (if you dont want to do the math at the grocery store, or make your hubby do it like I did, I'll save you the time - it's just shy of 3 standard cans)
1/4 cup light miso
1/2 medium head bok choy, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper seeded and cut into strips
1/4 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded & caps thinly sliced
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon rice or white wine vinegar (as I typed this I realized I LEFT OUT the vinegar - woops!)
DIRECTIONS
- Cook Noodles according to package directions; drain in a colander. Rinse the noodles under cold running water, drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the broth and miso in a large saucepan. Add the bok choy, bell pepper and mushrooms; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are just tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in reserved noodles, scallions and vinegar. Serve at once.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Things I learned:
My cookbook had this helpful hint:
"Miso is a fermented soy paste which is found in the refrigerated section of Asian markets, natural-foods stores and some supermarkets. If you have a choice between light and dark miso, go for the light variety - it's milder and less salty."
I found a light yellow variety of Miso in the back fridge section of Lassens and I found Udon Noodles (the thicker kind) in Lassens also but in the sunroom space with the Asian foods. Prices weren't too bad, not too cheap but my whole recipe made a ton of soup - 5 cups of broth plus the noodles and veggies added lots of volume. Lots of left over and great for the next day @ lunch.
Also - play around with your ingredients! As long as you have the base of the Miso and broth - then add what you want. I ONLY did bok choy and scallions. The mushrooms were a bit pricey this week for me and I am not a fan of bell peppers. But you could add some meat, or some other veggies anything you like! It is not too salty at all, very mild and more of an actual flavor. Give it a try! You also dont have to do noodles if you aren't a fan of them.
P.S. You use so little of the miso I was wondering what to do with the rest before it goes bad. Well the lid has a salad dressing recipe! I'm definately going to try it. If you look close enough on the picture you can read it too, :) If you try this soup - let me know! What do you put in it?
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Ingredients.....Give me Input!
So I was thinking...one of the most common comments I get from friends and family members regarding my cooking is something about how they would have never thought to try a certain ingredient (or try to make a recipe because of an ingredient in it) .... or that they are too afraid to try it or they would never know what to even do with it. (Whatever "it" happens to be)
I'm not entirely sure where all of my gusto for cooking comes from, or my willingness to experiment. I know that I owe a lot of it to my mom. Growing up, we did not go out to eat hardly at all. So she cooked a lot! As I was older I noticed more and more how she entertained and loved to have people over and I started to observe how much food is a part of people's lives. Admit it. Even if you aren't a "cook", you love to eat! And if you don't love to eat, or don't want to admit it, then I think you have a whole separate problem. Perhaps my problem is I love to cook AND love to eat. Sigh....okay I digress.
Another aspect that makes up my love for cooking and my willingness to experiment is the shows I watch on Food Network. Yes, I mean those 30 minute, sometimes (okay most of the time) cheesy shows that are just about people cooking. Most people can't stand shows like that. I happen to love them! I recently realized the correlation between my cooking risks and my TV watching. You see, a lot of the fear behind not trying to use an ingredient or use a certain cooking / preparation technique comes from the unknown of it all. But once you see people on TV doing it over and over again, you realize it's not too hard. Some things are a bit tough still, but at least I've seen someone doing it rather than just reading it on a page and thinking "that sounds too hard". So, I've learned a lot from Food Network. (hmmm do I have to pay them for that? Perhaps they should pay me for that shameless plug....)
So now I've come to the main reason I started this post in the first place. I want to hear from YOU! Yes.....the small handfull of you who actually read my blog. Or maybe there are more of you who are silent readers. Well.....please don't be silent anymore :) I want you to leave me a comment and tell me the ingredient that you are most afraid or cautious of using. Whether it is because it seems scary, or you just don't know what the heck to do with it, or maybe it's a cooking technique that you aren't sure about. Tell me! What I'm thinking is I can pick some of the ingredients you all mention and either give you ideas of ways I've used them before....OR if I've never tried them, then maybe I will and then I'll post my experience for you to see.....then it won't be so bad for you to try after all. :)
I can't wait to "hear" what you all have to say!
I'm not entirely sure where all of my gusto for cooking comes from, or my willingness to experiment. I know that I owe a lot of it to my mom. Growing up, we did not go out to eat hardly at all. So she cooked a lot! As I was older I noticed more and more how she entertained and loved to have people over and I started to observe how much food is a part of people's lives. Admit it. Even if you aren't a "cook", you love to eat! And if you don't love to eat, or don't want to admit it, then I think you have a whole separate problem. Perhaps my problem is I love to cook AND love to eat. Sigh....okay I digress.
Another aspect that makes up my love for cooking and my willingness to experiment is the shows I watch on Food Network. Yes, I mean those 30 minute, sometimes (okay most of the time) cheesy shows that are just about people cooking. Most people can't stand shows like that. I happen to love them! I recently realized the correlation between my cooking risks and my TV watching. You see, a lot of the fear behind not trying to use an ingredient or use a certain cooking / preparation technique comes from the unknown of it all. But once you see people on TV doing it over and over again, you realize it's not too hard. Some things are a bit tough still, but at least I've seen someone doing it rather than just reading it on a page and thinking "that sounds too hard". So, I've learned a lot from Food Network. (hmmm do I have to pay them for that? Perhaps they should pay me for that shameless plug....)
So now I've come to the main reason I started this post in the first place. I want to hear from YOU! Yes.....the small handfull of you who actually read my blog. Or maybe there are more of you who are silent readers. Well.....please don't be silent anymore :) I want you to leave me a comment and tell me the ingredient that you are most afraid or cautious of using. Whether it is because it seems scary, or you just don't know what the heck to do with it, or maybe it's a cooking technique that you aren't sure about. Tell me! What I'm thinking is I can pick some of the ingredients you all mention and either give you ideas of ways I've used them before....OR if I've never tried them, then maybe I will and then I'll post my experience for you to see.....then it won't be so bad for you to try after all. :)
I can't wait to "hear" what you all have to say!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Fresh from the garden!
Short and sweet, but basically I am just so happy! My little babies, all grown up.
From this:
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To THIS:
I put these in my Pork & Hominy Stew tonight and it was delicious. My yellow squash are just about ready to start picking also....and I was peeking tonight and there's already 2 more zuchini ready to pick and some red tomatoes! Yum....
:)
Dinner Time - Pork & Hominy Stew
This was another one of those recipes I consistently flipped past in one of my favorite cookbooks. It didn't have a picture. Plus it had words like "Hominy" in it. I had used Hominy once before but overall I was just never drawn to make this recipe. Something changed this week....and I thought I'd give it a whirl. Maybe it was the word "Stew" and the looming weather reports threatening clouds and rain. (which by the way, I saw the clouds, but no rain, and um...it was kind of warm...?) Didn't turn out to be stew weather. Getting done with a work out, being hot, tired and sweaty....the thought of making and eating stew was the last thing I wanted. But I had to do it! The 2 lb pork loin was already fully defrosted so I had no choice.... (some of you cooks out there understand the dilema of the already thawed meat that you just have to use....don't you? I know I'm not alone....)
So, I'll start with the recipe. Then I'll tell you what I added to make it my own. ;)
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup water
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon dried oregano3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin, trimmed & cut into 1 inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (14 1/2 oz) can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can white or yellow hominy, rinsed and drained (So Hominy, if you aren't familiar with it, is almost like a corn kernel. It's a bit more dense but it's almost like a starch in a way, like a bean texture? It adds a mild but delicious flavor and texture. You can find it in most mexican food isles. You just rinse and drain it like a can of beans. Don't be afraid to try "Strange" ingredients!) Below is a pic of it draining after I rinsed. You can see that it does look like little corn - but it does not taste like corn so don't let that fool you!
OKAY: So here's the thing. I forgot to buy cilantro at the store this weekend! I was very disapointed because I love cilantro. So, I had to leave it out. It ended up being just fine though!
Also - I was itching for a way to use my fresh zuchini from my garden so I cut up 2 medium sized green zuchini into chunks and put it in after the carrots were soft (see recipe steps further down). It was yummy!
Last - I also added a can of drained and rinsed black beans at the simmer step (YUM) and another 1/2 to 3/4 of a can of chicken broth for extra liquid since I was adding more veg with the beans and zuchini. Turned out perfect I dare say. :)
1. Puree onion, cilantro, water, garlic, oregano and cumin in a blender; set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a nonstick dutch oven (or large stock pot), add pork and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. About 4 minutes. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. About 2 minutes. (here is where I added zuchini)
3. Add reserved onion mixture and the broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (added beans here and also extra broth), partially covered, until poark and carrots are fork tender. About 30-40 minutes. Stir in the hominy and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
~~I decided to slice up some corn tortillas and toss them in olive oil, salt, garlic powder, a pinch of chili powder and pinch of cumin and put them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degree heat for about 20 minutes (check every so often) until crispy. Whala! Instant tortilla crisps for topping.
~~I topped my soup with the tortilla crisps, some avocado and that was all I needed. I suspect when Caleb comes home he will probably add sour cream. You could also add some chopped tomatoes or green onions. The cilantro would sure come in handy. I did miss it personally but I don't think the recipe lacked without it at all. It was very filling, full of protein, low in fat, easy and fast to make. I was very surprised at how good it was, and the pork in a stew was a nice change from the usual suspects of beef or chicken.
Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries
Last night was home made turkey burgers & home made sweet potato fries for dinner. Super easy, healthy, and yummy. :) I put Caleb in charge of mixing up the meat. No specific recipe for this one - I always change it up with whatever I have in my pantry or fridge. Any flavors I feel like, but I just make sure to put enough flavor since it's very lean ground Turkey .... and I always put an egg in to mix up. It acts as a great binding agent to hold the burgers together while cooking. You can also add a little bit of bread crumbs with the egg for extra umph. So, this is what Caleb came up with, for the most part.
Salt
Pepper
Dried Cranberries
Trader Joes "Soyaki" sauce
Egg
"21 Seasoning" (See pic)
And I'm not sure what else. Seems so simple, if that really was it then that's awesome. I wasn't home to watch him do it either...so we'll just take his word for it.
Mix it up really well, then form into patties. I got 5 patties out of about 1 lb of ground meat. I cook them on the stove top in a skillet but if you want to BBQ then go ahead! :) Roughly 4-5 minutes per side, I can tell when they are done by pushing slightly with my spatula on the top of the patty and when the juices run clear that's a good sign it's done.
We topped our patties with fresh spinach leaves, tomatoes, and I put ketchup/mayo and Caleb used BBQ and Dijon Mustard. The burgers were really juicy though! And as odd as the dried cranberries may seem.....just add them. They add a great slightly sweet little pop of flavor and you're not even sure what it's coming from until you remember what's in them. For buns, we are big fans of the super thin "orowheat" brand, or I think I bought another brand that was on sale (check out the picture) .... less bread so I know it seems like you're getting jipped. But it's a bit healthier and you still get the feeling of eating bread with a burger. Just our preference :)
NOW - for the sweet potato fries. I LOVE LOVE LOVE sweet potatoes. A lot of people get confused. Sweet potato. Yam. Sweet potato. Yam. They are different! Very different! A yam for instance, dark skin and bright orange flesh. This is that thing that you get served sliced open with butter and brown sugar dripping from it.(yummmy by the way) It's also the thing that people bake with marshmallows on top for Thanksgiving meals. HOWEVER.....a sweet potato is actually with the consistancy of a potato. Skin looks like a regular potato skin. The shape is normally longer than a normal baking potato shape and it tends to be irregular and funky looking. Here is a great article on sweet potatoes http://www.sheknows.com/articles/803254/sweet-potato-nutrition-cooking-sweet-potatoes
So what I like to do is peel the sweet potato then slice it in a way that it resembles french fry shape. Personally, we prefer the thicker "steak cut" fry shape. Then you can kind of season how you like, be creative! I like to mix them up with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Play around with dried herbs too though, I have had these fries with herbs in restaurants and it was good! Then I bake at a very high heat, 400 or so, for about 40 minutes until they are good and crispy. Or less time if you like them a bit softer. Anyways, they are tasty, and good for you! A great substitute for regular potato fries. Try it :)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Dinner Time - is Breakfast Time! :-)
Well....not much in the grocery budget this week so I ran short on groceries by today. Good thing pay day is tomorrow! That meant that tonight was breakfast for dinner! Which by the way I love anyways, not just because my fridge was empty.
Caleb was home, which was nice, and he helped me out..... 1) because I burnt the pancakes last time I made them (I think that it's kind of like doing garlic bread. I seem to just burn it each time!) and 2) I'm sick....or getting sick. What the heck? But that's another story I suppose. So either way I was just happy to have company in the kitchen.
Caleb gets into cooking and kind of "goes all in". So.....how can you do that for breakfast consisting of the standard bacon, eggs and pancakes? Well, make a berry reduction sauce....duh! Right....LoL. Well it was very yummy. We had some frozed mixed berries in the freezer that we mixed with water, sugar and some cornstartch and boiled away 'till it was nice and thick. That topped off our pancakes.
As for the pancakes, well I just used boxed baking mix....gotta love it! I had exactly 1 cup of it left, thankfully just enough for the minimal serving. We baked the bacon instead of frying it....nice alternative. The bacon, which I don't normally have on hand....happened to be buy 1 get 1 free at Vons a few weeks ago so I figured it would come in handy.
Gotta love the nights where you just eat everything that's left in your pantry! ;-)
We'll see what next week holds.....depends on what is on sale at the grocery store....
I'm going to take night time cold medicine and pass out in bed now. Goodnight.....
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Verdict...
So....over all the "Hunter Chicken" was a win-win. Some comments/adjustments though: 1) a bit too saucy. my addition of the can of chicken broth was too much, so I'd suggest either cut that in 1/2 or leave it out. 2) it was still lacking in a little bit of flavor though I'm not sure why. Caleb added some additional pizza tomato sauce to his which he said was great, I left mine as-is just added the fresh thyme and some additional salt/pepper.
Some plus sides: chicken is very moist! Also, this is a recipe you can play with and exchange veggies out for ones that you particularly enjoy, etc. If you find something that works well, let me know!
Tomorrow is "breakfast for dinner" at our house. AKA, out of groceries 'till the weekend so eat whatever we have left around the house. :-) I think I will skip the dinner blog about my pancakes and eggs.....
Gnite!
Some plus sides: chicken is very moist! Also, this is a recipe you can play with and exchange veggies out for ones that you particularly enjoy, etc. If you find something that works well, let me know!
Tomorrow is "breakfast for dinner" at our house. AKA, out of groceries 'till the weekend so eat whatever we have left around the house. :-) I think I will skip the dinner blog about my pancakes and eggs.....
Gnite!
Wednesday Dinner @ The Tammars: Hunter-Style Chicken. "Aka Chicken Cacciatore"
Okay so tonight's dinner was called "Hunter-Sytle Chicken". Then of course I see at the bottom of the page a note that says .... "Hunter-Style refers to a dish cooked with onions, peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes. You might be more familiar with its Italian name - cacciatore, which means Hunter."
So, there you go! You learn something new every day. Or, at least I did today.
I am posting this prior to actually eating, however I'm fairly confident it will be good. I altered the recipe a bit because of my strong dislike for red bell peppers, or any bell peppers for that matter. And this recipe happens to call for 2 of them seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. No thanks. Also....because of my husband's fondness for every combo of startch and protein I can fit into a meal, I figured I'd add in some red potatoes, can't go wrong with that!
Tonight I broke my pattern of somewhat Asian themed meals that involve a seemingly long list of ingredients that you might not have on hand. This recipe, however, is stuff that I am pretty sure you have in your kitchen, making it a budget friendly meal that is easy to make for just 2 people or for a family of 4 or more.
INGREDIENTS
1 (roughly 3-lb) chicken, cut into 8 pieces and skinned. (okay - I ended up buying a 'picnic pack' of chicken at the store. Pretty darn cheap, and it included a bunch of drumsticks, breasts and thighs. I did NOT skin them. 1) it's a pain and 2) it adds flavor!)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped3 garlic cloves, minced
2 assorted color bell peppers seeded and cut. (use at your own will!) :)
1/4 lb white mushrooms, sliced (I bought pre-sliced 8 oz package)
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 container tomato pasta sauce
Fresh thyme (optional) (though I was so happy to go snip some from my garden!)
COOK
Sprinkle chicken with salt/pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet and add chicken. Cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in same skillet and add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Add bell peppers, mushrooms and celery. (I only added mushrooms and celery at this point) Cook until softened. Add chicken back into skillet and add pasta sauce and stir to coat. Bring mixture to boil and cover at reduced heat, simmer for 20 minutes till chicken is cooked and veggies are tender. Garnish with thyme if using.
After adding mushrooms and celery, for a few minutes of cooking time, I added some chopped up red potatoes. Then a few minutes after that I added in a can of chicken broth and some more salt and pepper to "flavor every layer". I let that simmer together for about 6 or 7 minutes. THEN I added the chicken back and put DICED tomatoes (From a can) and a can of tomato sauce on top. I put the lid on for about 20 minutes.
We're about to go serve up so we'll see what the verdict is!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Dinner Time - Asian Pork & Broccoli
Tuesday Night Dinner @ the Tammar House was Asian Pork & Broccoli......
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons dry sherry
(Sherry is not something you have on hand, typically. It is alcohol, though it's more of a cookin alcohol than drinking. A few years ago I bought a bottle, it was not expensive, and it's lasted me forever because most of the time you only use 1 tbl at a time, or so. So if you can, then I'd suggest to buy it because you never know when it pops up in recipes. It's good to have as a pantry item. However....Google Sherry substitutes if you need to, and you'll find there's a lot of options involving vinager and broth, etc it just depends....)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth (um....by the way.....I used vegetable broth because oops! I was out of chicken broth...the substitution was just fine in my opinion)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lb. pork tenderloin trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. (I found a pork loin roast at Food Maxx that was reasonable when it came to price. It was in a rectangle shape. No bones or anything. Easy!)
3 teaspoons dark seasame oil (again another great pantry item, lasts forever because a tiny bit goes a long way!)
3 cups (give or take) fresh broccoli florets (chop it up yourself, it's cheaper than buying them already chopped!)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
3 scallions, chopped
COOK
Whisk together 2 tlb of sherry, 1 tbl of soy sauce, 1 tbl of cornstarch, all of the broth, and the sugar in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
Combine the pork, the remaining 1 tbl sherry, 1 tbl soy sauce and 1 tbl cornstarch in another bowl. Set aside.
Heat 1 1/2 tsp of the sesame oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add pork mixture, cook stirring occasionally until browned, 4-5 minutes or so. Transfer out of skillet.
Heat remaining 1 1/2 tsp of sesame oil in the same skillet. Add broccoli and cook a couple of minutes until darker green. Add garlic and ginger....cook until fragrant and it starts to brown....about 1 minute. Then add pork back into skillet and cook until all flavors are blended, about 1 minute. Add reserved broth (from step 1) and bring to a boil and cook until sauce thickens and coats pork & broccoli, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in scallions and serve.
~~~~~
I made some brown rice to serve with this (put the pork & broccoli/sauce over the rice....makes the food stretch longer... for left overs!) and we also put some chopped up salted peanuts to add a salty crunch. It was still in need of a bit more salt, but TASTE first. Sesame oil tends to be salty so your pallet might taste it differently.
Enjoy!
:-)
Tomorrow is "Hunter Style Chicken" with mushrooms & a tomato sauce. We'll see how it goes....
Gnite! It's American Idol Time!
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons dry sherry
(Sherry is not something you have on hand, typically. It is alcohol, though it's more of a cookin alcohol than drinking. A few years ago I bought a bottle, it was not expensive, and it's lasted me forever because most of the time you only use 1 tbl at a time, or so. So if you can, then I'd suggest to buy it because you never know when it pops up in recipes. It's good to have as a pantry item. However....Google Sherry substitutes if you need to, and you'll find there's a lot of options involving vinager and broth, etc it just depends....)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth (um....by the way.....I used vegetable broth because oops! I was out of chicken broth...the substitution was just fine in my opinion)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lb. pork tenderloin trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. (I found a pork loin roast at Food Maxx that was reasonable when it came to price. It was in a rectangle shape. No bones or anything. Easy!)
3 teaspoons dark seasame oil (again another great pantry item, lasts forever because a tiny bit goes a long way!)
3 cups (give or take) fresh broccoli florets (chop it up yourself, it's cheaper than buying them already chopped!)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
3 scallions, chopped
COOK
Whisk together 2 tlb of sherry, 1 tbl of soy sauce, 1 tbl of cornstarch, all of the broth, and the sugar in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
Combine the pork, the remaining 1 tbl sherry, 1 tbl soy sauce and 1 tbl cornstarch in another bowl. Set aside.
Heat 1 1/2 tsp of the sesame oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add pork mixture, cook stirring occasionally until browned, 4-5 minutes or so. Transfer out of skillet.
Heat remaining 1 1/2 tsp of sesame oil in the same skillet. Add broccoli and cook a couple of minutes until darker green. Add garlic and ginger....cook until fragrant and it starts to brown....about 1 minute. Then add pork back into skillet and cook until all flavors are blended, about 1 minute. Add reserved broth (from step 1) and bring to a boil and cook until sauce thickens and coats pork & broccoli, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in scallions and serve.
~~~~~
I made some brown rice to serve with this (put the pork & broccoli/sauce over the rice....makes the food stretch longer... for left overs!) and we also put some chopped up salted peanuts to add a salty crunch. It was still in need of a bit more salt, but TASTE first. Sesame oil tends to be salty so your pallet might taste it differently.
Enjoy!
:-)
Tomorrow is "Hunter Style Chicken" with mushrooms & a tomato sauce. We'll see how it goes....
Gnite! It's American Idol Time!
Adventures in Gardening
Growing up, I always watched my dad do yard work. But not just yard work as in mowing the lawn. I mean, yard work because he really cared about his yard. Plus it was a stress releiver. Even though he has a bad back he still spends time devoted to sprucing up his yard and now (lucky him...) helping me with my yard! I never thought I would enjoy this kind of thing. And I admit, there are some days where I really don't feel like going out to water my veggie planters or flowers. And some weeks I let the weeds get a bit more out of control than I would care to admit. However, once I get my butt outside and start on whatever project it is, I find myself enjoying it and it actually becomes relaxing. A bit of a stress releiver. Almost in the same twisted way that I find peace in cleaning after an argument or a stressful day. It's probably connected to some sort of control issue, and enjoying the fact that I can control something and have an immediate (or almost immediate) result from something I've done. However, that's another issue...
My yard and my garden is now my pride & joy, my little project. I get so excited each day when I see how things are growing! My roses are beautiful and so fragrant. Going through the garden department at stores just makes me excited and I have to restrain myself to NOT spend money on more plants or garden decor. So much fun. =) Mock me if you will.....but if you are a garden lover then you will understand.
Take a look at my "babies" and how they've grown this year....
So here is a look at one of my two raised planters in my backyard. (They came with the house, how awesome is that?) This picture was taken the weekend before Easter. The plants around the perimeter are my tomato plants. A variety of cherry, roma, and more of a robust variety.
This is a close up of ..... peek a boo! A tomato, first of the season. This was taken last night, May 17th. Though this particular plant surprised me. It came out of "nowhere", or more specifically, from a seed that dropped from a plant from last season! And surprise! A huge tomato plant! :-)
This is from last night as well, just 1/2 of that same planter but you get the idea. Everything is growing so big! Except my poor little basil plant in the front there. Snails and birds were attacking it.... so I think I saved it on time. I'm paying special attention to it so that I can hopefully nurse it back to health.....I LOVE basil. It's so darn expensive in the store!
Oh! And this is my cucumber plant. It's in the front/center of the planter with the tomatoes in it. I've never grown cucumbers before but it seems to be doing well. I hear they can take over the space they're in, so....bring it on ..... I'm ready!
This is what my other planter looked like the week before Easter. These are zuchini, yellow squash and yellow onion plants.
Now, look at them! Getting so big! The ones in the front with the different colored leaves, they are my yellow squash plants.
In the middle are my yellow onions. I know they look like scallions, or green onions. But the round yellow onion is actually under ground to be harvested later.
On the other side are my zuchini plants. . . getting rather large as well!
Peeking inside my zuchini plant......I've always wanted to try a recipe with squash blossoms, you can stuff them and fry them....we shall see....
And here are my yellow squash getting bigger each day!
I just had to throw this in here, a beautiful rose from one of my plants :)
And I love this plant, I have two of them but I forgot the name. They are floppy and kind of do their own thing but I like it! The only thing is I have to make sure to cut off the dead ones when they are dead that way it makes room for new blossoms, but overall it's low maintance. Adds nice color :)
My yard and my garden is now my pride & joy, my little project. I get so excited each day when I see how things are growing! My roses are beautiful and so fragrant. Going through the garden department at stores just makes me excited and I have to restrain myself to NOT spend money on more plants or garden decor. So much fun. =) Mock me if you will.....but if you are a garden lover then you will understand.
Take a look at my "babies" and how they've grown this year....
So here is a look at one of my two raised planters in my backyard. (They came with the house, how awesome is that?) This picture was taken the weekend before Easter. The plants around the perimeter are my tomato plants. A variety of cherry, roma, and more of a robust variety.
This is a close up of ..... peek a boo! A tomato, first of the season. This was taken last night, May 17th. Though this particular plant surprised me. It came out of "nowhere", or more specifically, from a seed that dropped from a plant from last season! And surprise! A huge tomato plant! :-)
This is from last night as well, just 1/2 of that same planter but you get the idea. Everything is growing so big! Except my poor little basil plant in the front there. Snails and birds were attacking it.... so I think I saved it on time. I'm paying special attention to it so that I can hopefully nurse it back to health.....I LOVE basil. It's so darn expensive in the store!
Oh! And this is my cucumber plant. It's in the front/center of the planter with the tomatoes in it. I've never grown cucumbers before but it seems to be doing well. I hear they can take over the space they're in, so....bring it on ..... I'm ready!
This is what my other planter looked like the week before Easter. These are zuchini, yellow squash and yellow onion plants.
Now, look at them! Getting so big! The ones in the front with the different colored leaves, they are my yellow squash plants.
In the middle are my yellow onions. I know they look like scallions, or green onions. But the round yellow onion is actually under ground to be harvested later.
On the other side are my zuchini plants. . . getting rather large as well!
Peeking inside my zuchini plant......I've always wanted to try a recipe with squash blossoms, you can stuff them and fry them....we shall see....
And here are my yellow squash getting bigger each day!
I just had to throw this in here, a beautiful rose from one of my plants :)
And I love this plant, I have two of them but I forgot the name. They are floppy and kind of do their own thing but I like it! The only thing is I have to make sure to cut off the dead ones when they are dead that way it makes room for new blossoms, but overall it's low maintance. Adds nice color :)
Monday, May 17, 2010
Yum.
Dinner was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.
:-)
Just had to share. I did the plate so cute with lemon & orange garnish all pretty to take a picture but my camera was charging and we were hungry and wanting to start the season finale of Desperate Housewives, so, we ate it before any picture taking could take place.
You'll just have to make it and see for yourself.
p.s. don't be afraid to alter the recipe. for instance, I just pan cooked the chicken then didn't even roast it in the oven. . . totally worked fine. :)
Gnite.....
:-)
Just had to share. I did the plate so cute with lemon & orange garnish all pretty to take a picture but my camera was charging and we were hungry and wanting to start the season finale of Desperate Housewives, so, we ate it before any picture taking could take place.
You'll just have to make it and see for yourself.
p.s. don't be afraid to alter the recipe. for instance, I just pan cooked the chicken then didn't even roast it in the oven. . . totally worked fine. :)
Gnite.....
Dinner Time - Citrus Chicken Breasts
This is delicious. I've only made it 2 times....but I have had the recipe for years. I kept flipping past it because 1) it had too many ingredients and 2) the blend of ingredients seemed odd and I just never actually felt inspired to give it a shot. However the thing with me and cooking is I'll always at least TRY to make something. The the "TRY" isn't emphasized because of the actual skill in cooking necessarily (though some recipes are intimidating for that fact) but it's more because of flavors. You never know though until you do TRY it. So, that's my encouragement for the day. Don't be intimidated by a recipe because of uncommon flavors or seemingly odd techniques. Just go for it and you never know....it may turn out to be a favorite in your house!
Level: Simple.
Prep time: 15 minutes. (Plus 1 hour chilled marinade time)
Cook time: 35 minutes. (give or take)
Serves: 4.
INGREDIENTS
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger (TIP: use either the back of a spoon to 'peel' the skin off the ginger or use a small pearing knife...don't try to use an actual veg. peeler which is way too cumbersome for this task.) (also, keep leftover ginger in a baggie, freezer safe, in the freezer. Fresh ginger tends to spoil quickly)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel (We thankfully received one of those huge spice racks for our wedding ... and fennel seeds (unground) were included. Well last Christmas my mother in law gave me a mini mortar-pestol to grind my own spices. This came in handy for the fennel here. See pics below)
4 (1/4 lb) bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned. (I just use whatever type of chicken I have on hand or that is on sale .... and it turned out fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 teaspoons e.v olive oil
1 small shallot finely chopped
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil.
MARINADE
Combine 1/2 of the garlic, the soy sauce, ginger, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon orange zest and fennel in medium bowl. Mix well and coat chicken. Cover and refigerate 1 hour.
COOK
Preheat oven to 450º and spray a roasting pan with nonstick spray. Remove chicken from marinade; sprinkle with salt and pepper (just a pinch). Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken (skinned side down, if you used that kind of chicken) and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Turn chicken and cook 2 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to the roasting pan and cook until instant read thermometer reads 170ºF, about 20-23 minutes. (me personally, I use smaller portions of chicken so that it lasts longer for left overs so my cooking time varies and is often shorter than they say).
Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in skillet (same skillet) and add remaining garlic and shallot, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Cook until mixture reduces to about 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining orange and lemon zest, salt, pepper, and basil. Serve chicken with sauce.
~~~~~
I made couscous (super easy whole wheat couscous from Trader Joes in a box, takes about 5 minutes to make) and put the sauce/chicken over the couscous and it soaked up all the flavor, it was so delicous.
So give it a try if you like! Just thought I'd share :)
All mixed and in the marinade. Looks funky I know, but will be so good!
Fennel and mortar/pestol all ready to go...
Grinding away...
There we go! Not bad!
Oh and P.S., I couldn't resist a bite or two of my leftover blueberry crumb cake I made over the weekend. Is it against the rules to take bites of left over dessert while making dinner? I think not! :) Recipe for the cake coming next...
Level: Simple.
Prep time: 15 minutes. (Plus 1 hour chilled marinade time)
Cook time: 35 minutes. (give or take)
Serves: 4.
INGREDIENTS
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger (TIP: use either the back of a spoon to 'peel' the skin off the ginger or use a small pearing knife...don't try to use an actual veg. peeler which is way too cumbersome for this task.) (also, keep leftover ginger in a baggie, freezer safe, in the freezer. Fresh ginger tends to spoil quickly)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel (We thankfully received one of those huge spice racks for our wedding ... and fennel seeds (unground) were included. Well last Christmas my mother in law gave me a mini mortar-pestol to grind my own spices. This came in handy for the fennel here. See pics below)
4 (1/4 lb) bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned. (I just use whatever type of chicken I have on hand or that is on sale .... and it turned out fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 teaspoons e.v olive oil
1 small shallot finely chopped
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil.
MARINADE
Combine 1/2 of the garlic, the soy sauce, ginger, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon orange zest and fennel in medium bowl. Mix well and coat chicken. Cover and refigerate 1 hour.
COOK
Preheat oven to 450º and spray a roasting pan with nonstick spray. Remove chicken from marinade; sprinkle with salt and pepper (just a pinch). Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken (skinned side down, if you used that kind of chicken) and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Turn chicken and cook 2 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to the roasting pan and cook until instant read thermometer reads 170ºF, about 20-23 minutes. (me personally, I use smaller portions of chicken so that it lasts longer for left overs so my cooking time varies and is often shorter than they say).
Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in skillet (same skillet) and add remaining garlic and shallot, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Cook until mixture reduces to about 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining orange and lemon zest, salt, pepper, and basil. Serve chicken with sauce.
~~~~~
I made couscous (super easy whole wheat couscous from Trader Joes in a box, takes about 5 minutes to make) and put the sauce/chicken over the couscous and it soaked up all the flavor, it was so delicous.
So give it a try if you like! Just thought I'd share :)
All mixed and in the marinade. Looks funky I know, but will be so good!
Fennel and mortar/pestol all ready to go...
Grinding away...
There we go! Not bad!
Oh and P.S., I couldn't resist a bite or two of my leftover blueberry crumb cake I made over the weekend. Is it against the rules to take bites of left over dessert while making dinner? I think not! :) Recipe for the cake coming next...
Mother's Day 2010
Let me start by saying, my mom is pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. Though, those of you who have the pleasure of knowing her, I would think you'd agree. She is a wife, a mother, a full-time employee (make that business operations manager at Comcast which is technically way more than just standard 40 hr full time status by the way), women's ministries leader at church, and most importantly a friend not just to others but to me. She's had a pretty straining year by anyone's standard so I decided to make mother's day extra special.
My plan started off being massages, pedicures and lunch in Solvang. Most of this was covered by my super awesome radio contest winning skills, meaning I had a massage and a lunch certificate in my pocket at the Hadsten House Inn & Spa in Solvang. If you have never been there, by the way, this is a shameless plug saying you must try it. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Double Yes. Though, you could always listen to Krazy Country 105.9 on weekday mornings at about 8am for "Family Fued" question of the day to win a 3 course dinner for two at the restaurant, which is how I prefer to do it. But anyways, I digress.... =)
My plan slightly changed to be just pedicures and lunch at the Hadsten House. Between massage and pedicure my mom chose pedicure to have "cute toes" (to quote mother) for Hawaii...(she left a few days later for her 30th anniversary trip with my dad) I made the appointment at Enchante Spa in Solvang, which is another place that you MUST visit if you are in need of some pampering. It is owned by a woman named Debbie and she has owned it for 10 years. It's on Alisal road in Solvang and it's the most adorable cottage you've ever seen, which happens to be a spa!
So, pedicures were all set. Now on to plan lunch. Well, the day before the day,I realized that the Hadsten House isn't open for lunch! Um, DUH. Darn it....so, on to plan B! That would have been great, had I actually made a plan B. So, I made an executive decision that we'd eat at Los Olivos Cafe. No coupon for my plan B, but it's okay cause mommy dearest is worth every penny ;-)
I picked up my mom in a private chauffeured car that morning (okay okay,that was more in my 'dream' plan.....I'll start over.)So I picked her up in my newly washed sparkling white 2004 Toyota Corolla. I know, I know, with such a cool car, why would I even want to hire a privately chauffeured car anyways? I don't know what I was thinking.
And, we were off! It was a lovely day!
Being greeted by a beautiful rose and flower garden, nothing beats that. So pretty!
My plan started off being massages, pedicures and lunch in Solvang. Most of this was covered by my super awesome radio contest winning skills, meaning I had a massage and a lunch certificate in my pocket at the Hadsten House Inn & Spa in Solvang. If you have never been there, by the way, this is a shameless plug saying you must try it. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Double Yes. Though, you could always listen to Krazy Country 105.9 on weekday mornings at about 8am for "Family Fued" question of the day to win a 3 course dinner for two at the restaurant, which is how I prefer to do it. But anyways, I digress.... =)
My plan slightly changed to be just pedicures and lunch at the Hadsten House. Between massage and pedicure my mom chose pedicure to have "cute toes" (to quote mother) for Hawaii...(she left a few days later for her 30th anniversary trip with my dad) I made the appointment at Enchante Spa in Solvang, which is another place that you MUST visit if you are in need of some pampering. It is owned by a woman named Debbie and she has owned it for 10 years. It's on Alisal road in Solvang and it's the most adorable cottage you've ever seen, which happens to be a spa!
So, pedicures were all set. Now on to plan lunch. Well, the day before the day,I realized that the Hadsten House isn't open for lunch! Um, DUH. Darn it....so, on to plan B! That would have been great, had I actually made a plan B. So, I made an executive decision that we'd eat at Los Olivos Cafe. No coupon for my plan B, but it's okay cause mommy dearest is worth every penny ;-)
I picked up my mom in a private chauffeured car that morning (okay okay,that was more in my 'dream' plan.....I'll start over.)So I picked her up in my newly washed sparkling white 2004 Toyota Corolla. I know, I know, with such a cool car, why would I even want to hire a privately chauffeured car anyways? I don't know what I was thinking.
And, we were off! It was a lovely day!
Being greeted by a beautiful rose and flower garden, nothing beats that. So pretty!
Mom....sipping her iced tea and munching on her freshly baked rasberry scone. So delicious! And at no extra cost by the way. And yes that is a lavendar scented warm neck wrap she has on. These ladies at Enchante don't mess around when it comes to pampering you!
How could you not relax in a spa that looks like this? Adorable!!!
Me and Mom, freshly done toes and ready to enjoy lunch. Which was yummy by the way. No pictures though darn it I forgot to take my camera out of my purse, we were too busy gabbing away.... ;-)
Love you Mom!
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