Chicken Hash

The basil in this dish takes the chicken to another level!

 

Ingredients

• 2 whole chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
• 16 basil leaves
• Olive Oil
• Salt & pepper
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 pounds potatoes, large dice
• 2 red onions, large dice
• 2 red bell peppers, large dice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 minced green onions, white and green parts
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

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

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

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

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

Open face Quesadilla

This is what i call a Mexican pizza, I included all my Mexican favorties on a tortilla!

 

Ingredients

Beef:

• 1 pound ground beef 1 clove of garlic -minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper

Corn mix:

• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 3/4 cup corn kernels, (about 1 ear)
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Bean spread:

• 1 (16-ounce) can black beans
• 1 clove of garlic -minced
• approximately half a cup of heavy cream
• juice of half a lime
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro

• 6 flour tortillas
• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese  to top

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute red pepper and onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add corn, red pepper flakes, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to incorporate and saute for 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the cilantro.

In same skillet add ground beef, add garlic, worstichire, and cumin. Saute till browned. Set aside.

Wash and drain beans. Add them to the same skillet with garlic, then add the heavy cream and lime juice and mash all together with a potato masher. Add cilantro.

Turn on oven broiler.

Assembly:

Spread the bean paste on the tortilla, sprinkle the corn-red pepper mixture evenly over the top of each, then add the ground beef and finally sprinkle evenly with the cheese.

Put under broiler until the cheese melts, about 90 seconds.

Feta Frittata

I woke up this morning thinking about the ingredients in the fridge that were about to expire, the feta cheese was the first thing that came to mind. So I thought why not add it on some eggs. It actually would have been nice if I had some black olives (although I am not a fan of olives) and red onions so I could call it the Greek Frittata. Anyways, this was so good it was meant to serve 4 and it only served 2! Enjoy:)

*note if you want to make yours Greek, add some oregano.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 eggs (beaten)
• 1 tomato
• 3 scallions / spring onions
• 1/2 green pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup feta cheese

Directions

Turn on broiler.
Heat the olive oil in medium heat-proof skillet over medium-low heat. Add tomatoes, green onions, and green pepper, and 1 tbsp parsley to the eggs. season with  salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into skillet and raise the heat a little and cook for 6 to 7 minutes (when base is set and edges start to brown). Scatter the cheese on top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until golden on top, about 4 minutes.  Remove from the oven, add the rest of the parsley and serve.

Cheesy Chivey Popovers

I was sitting with nothing to do, watching food network. Sunny Anderson was on with this easy looking recipe. My kind of cupcake! The best part was I did not have to do any shopping, I had all the ingredients. I decided to do half.. BUT, I did not end up with 12 popovers. I was only able to fill in 3 parts on the muffin tray. Oh well at least they came out right and tasty!

I just wish I took a pic showing you how good it looks from the inside~

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup finely grated Cheddar
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Special Equipment: 24-cup mini muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Whisk in the flour, cayenne pepper, and salt and fold in the cheeses and chives until evenly incorporated. Cover batter and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Put a mini muffin pan on the middle rack in the oven to warm for 10 minutes.

Remove muffin tin from oven (careful, hot!) and pour the batter into the cups of the hot tin, filling almost to the top. Lightly sprinkle with cayenne(only if you like spicy). Bake the popovers until crisp and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Chicken Parmesan served with Lemon Garlic Speghetti

A healthy spin on your usual breaded Chicken Parmesan. This one doesn't come with the breadcrumbs but it is packed with flavor!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped  parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 (3-ounces each) chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce, recipe follows / purchased marinara or arabiatta (if you like it spicy) sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 16 teaspoons grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
In a bowl, mix in oil and herbs (I let it sit for atleast 15 minutes, so flavors infuse). Season with salt and pepper. Brush both sides of the chicken with the herb oil. Heat your skillet over high heat. Add the cutlets and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the cutlets. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mozzarella over each cutlet, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Parmesan over each. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Giada's Tomato Sauce:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 4 to 6 basil leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
• Red pepper flakes (to add spiciness if desired)

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

The speghetti is very light yet flavorful. It really surprised me, I was expecting it to be boring.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound speghetti
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1/2  cup heavy cream
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Handful finely chopped parsley

Directions 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drop the spaghetti into the pot (follow instructions on box).

Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, cook for 1 minute. Add lemon juice, chicken stock, and the cream to the garlic and oil. Bring it to a boil.When pasta is ready add lemon zest. Add cheese to the sauce, and season to taste. Mix the sauce in with pasta, toss around for 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley after plating.

Cheesecake Biscuits

If you don't like cheesecake, you will like this one.. trust me:)
It doesn't have the usual graham/ digestive biscuit crust.. give it a try!

Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 stick butter (8 tbsp) - melted
1 cup chopped pecans

Filling:
2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine flour, chopped pecans, melted butter, and brown sugar in bowl. then press into a 13 by 9 inch pan. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

For the filling, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth using an electric mixer. add eggs and vanilla. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely. Or Freeze for 1 hour to make it easier to cut into pieces. Decorate tops with mint or berries.

not your usual Meat & Potatoes

I always look for ways to jazz-up the meals we love. Meat and potatoes -very typical, but not any more…

This is a delicious meat and potato meal with an Indian touch.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (or as much hot sauce as you like. I like it hot)
• 1 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil
• 8 (1 1/4-inch thick) beef or lamb loin chops

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Toast the coriander and fennel seeds in small pan over a medium flame, make sure they don't burn. Once they've given off a lovely aroma and have turned a darker tone, remove from the hot pan and cool completely on a plate. Then throw them into your spice grinder or pound them out using a pan.

Mix the spices with the yogurt, tomato paste,  garlic, hot sauce, brown sugar, salt, a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, apple cider vinegar, and oil. Taste and season. Cover each chop with the marinade, rubbing it into the meat and fat. You can marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Bake the meat in a baking dish until the lamb is cooked to your liking, (around 20 minutes).

Don't forget the potatoes!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes (you can use any kind)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro/coriander

Directions

Throw the potatoes in a large pot, cover with room temperature water, and season with salt. Set on a high flame and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer around 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cut each potato into bite-size pieces.
In a large skillet or wok, warm the oil until it's shimmering but not smoking. Add the fennel seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the oil. Immediately add the potatoes, coriander, turmeric, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir-fry until the potatoes get crispy and golden brown on the outside. Finish with the fresh cilantro/coriander.

 One more thing.. a minty pea sauce to cool off the spice-



Ingredients

• 1 cup package frozen peas, thawed in microwave about 5 minutes (or fresh cooked peas)
• 6 sprigs fresh mint, leaves only
• 1  cup yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Directions

Throw all the ingredients into a food processor and pure until smooth. (If you want a runnier consistency add yogurt.)