Pierogy Wonton Soup

Hi there, Cocktail Cutie readers. It's been a long, long time! In the past oh, 6 months or so, a few major things have happened in my life - the most important of those things being, of course, that I had a baby! My husband and I very happily welcomed our first daughter, Zoey, into the world on December 11, 2013. She's all that we imagined and more, and we love her to the moon and back! Becoming a parent really is an amazing experience. I've had 9 weeks of maternity leave so far (out of a total twelve) to enjoy with her, and I have to say that I'm very much NOT ready to go back to work and lose the time I have with her day in and day out while on leave - I'm going to be one sad momma the first day (and likely all of the subsequent days) I have to return to real life. That being said, I'm going to be rearranging some of my priorities so that I can maximize the time I spend with my family during my free time...and I've thought a lot about what those changes mean.

I didn't want to completely give up on this blog, because I really do enjoy sharing great recipes with my friends and family. I don't, however, really have time to continue to maintain it or even write in it as extensively as I might like. At this point, I feel like I really need to focus on one writing "project" at a time. In this case, that project is the urban fantasy trilogy that I've been working on for the past two years (you can read more about it here).

Like I said, though, I don't want to completely give up on Cocktail Cutie. Instead of taking a break, I've decided to simply change the "format," so to speak. I'll focus a lot more on just posting recipes rather than writing a blog post to accompany those recipes. I've already started a Pinterest board for the blog and will be utilizing that as a source of searchable recipes as well as a way to easily share my posts. Those who "like" the Cocktail Cutie Facebook page will still receive updates whenever I post a new recipe, but I'll no longer post the notifications on my personal page.

I'm hoping that this change will be better for both you and me, since only posting recipes takes a little bit of the pressure off of me but still gives you ideas for easy meals that you can make at home. This way, I should be able to share more of the great recipes that I hope you'll love!

Thanks for sticking with me. Here's your recipe for today!

 

Pierogy Wonton Soup



2 1/2 cups baby spinach

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 cans (15 oz) chicken broth

1 tsp soy sauce

1 package Mrs. T's Mini Pierogies (any flavor - I use 4 cheese)

1/2 cup sliced radishes

Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

 

Bring broth, soy sauce, garlic and ginger to a boil. Add pierogies and cook (at a boil) until heated through, 5-7 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until spinach wilts. Add sliced radishes and remove from heat. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using). 

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Special: Shredded Chicken

Happy Fall! I'm so happy that I can officially say that now. I love this time of year!

Today's slow cooker special recipe is a little bit unconventional (as in, it's not really a complete recipe), but I'm really hoping that you'll find it as helpful and enjoyable as I do. Recently, I've found myself purchasing rotisserie chickens almost every time I go to the grocery store, usually so that I can shred it and use it to make one of a few of my favorite recipes (I'll tell you exactly what those are in just a minute). Honestly, though, it's kind of a pain - and somewhat messy - to pull apart by hand. So, I decided that there had to be an easier, less messy way to get the same result...and lo and behold, there is!

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 (14 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth

Salt and pepper

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Pour chicken broth into crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker and place in a small bowl; using a fork, shred the chicken. Store in a sealed container in refrigerator for use in your favorite recipes!

I use this chicken in several of the recipes that you can find on this site, and I've included links to a few of them below for easy access. In the below picture, I've taken the Chicken Salad Cups recipe from the Origami Owl post and simply used the chicken salad mixture on a sandwich with toasted sourdough bread. Yum!!

Chicken Salad

White BBQ Chicken Baked Potatoes

Chicken & Prosciutto Salad w/Asiago

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Special: The Chicken Philly

Happy Tuesday! I hope you're all having a nice week so far. Mine has been quite productive, which makes me happy. You know what they say about finishing the way you start? Maybe, if I'm lucky, my productivity will last all week long...and not just in the workplace! I certainly have plenty to do at home, as I'm sure you can understand.

Today's super easy but oh-so-delicious recipe was inspired by a post I saw on Pinterest recently. I only saw the pictures, but they were enough to spark my interest. Quite honestly, I'm a little surprised that I'd never thought about doing it before! So here you have it, a slow cooker Chicken Philly that you will LOVE...made possible by Pinterest, at least by inspiration. I served them with baked garlic & paprika potato wedges (that recipe is for another day, but I promise I'll share it with you, too!).

By the way, I always said I'd never join Pinterest because I knew it would be a time sink...and guess what? I was right! I am now addicted.And that, my friends, is NOT good for productivity. Sigh. Such is life. ;)

Slow Cooker Chicken Philly Sandwiches

1 1/2 lb. chicken tenders

1 large green pepper, sliced

1 small vidalia onion, sliced

1 tbs McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic Montreal Chicken seasoning

2 tbs water 

2 tbs butter

salt and pepper to taste

8 slices provolone cheese

4 hoagie rolls

Place 2 tbs butter in the bottom of slow cooker. Add onions and peppers, then layer chicken on top. Sprinkle seasoning, salt and pepper over all ingredients. Add 2 tbs water. Cook on low 6 hours. Shred chicken and stir to mix ingredients. Cook on low an additional 30 minutes. 

Spoon chicken philly mixture onto hoagie rolls and top with provolone cheese. To melt the cheese, place sandwiches under a pre-heated broiler until cheese is bubbly.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Special: "Inside Out" Chicken Pot Pie

Hello friends, and welcome to September. You may remember that last year I devoted the entire month of September to slow cooker recipes...well, I hope you liked it (okay, I hope you LOVED it), because I've decided to do it again this year! Welcome to the 2nd annual Slow Cooker September! Stay tuned each Tuesday and Thursday of this month as I share more super easy, super yummy Crockpot meals with you. I know you're going to love them!

Now, before I get into today's recipe, I know that you're probably wondering where the heck I've been all these months. I know, I know. I disappeared. I've severely neglected the blog, and for that I'm truly sorry! I do, however, want to share with you the awesome and exciting reason why I've been MIA...

And here SHE is!

My husband and I are expecting! Our first little one is due January 1st, and we are so unbelievably excited to meet her! I'm right in the middle of my second trimester right now, and luckily I'm feeling a good deal better than I was...I dealt with some pretty nasty "morning" (HA!) sickness from 5 1/2 weeks until week 20-ish, and unfortunately for my husband, that meant I really didn't do much in the way of cooking. It also meant that I really had no recipes to share with you, since I wasn't spending any time in the kitchen.

Luckily, though, the sickness has now passed and I'm back in the swing of things! Today, I'm sharing with you a really flavorful twist on a classic comfort food. I hope you love it as much as we did, and I hope you'll come back and check out all of the great slow cooker recipes I'll be posting throughout the month!

"Inside Out" Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie

1 large can cream of chicken soup

1 regular can cream of celery soup

1 packet onion dip/soup mix

1 package frozen mixed veggies (peas & carrots, or whatever you like!)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup baby red potatoes, quartered

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 can Pillsbury home-style biscuits

Put chicken breasts in bottom of slow cooker and top with remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred chicken with fork and stir all ingredients. Cook on low for additional 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bake home-style biscuits as instructed. Spoon "pot pie" mixture over biscuits for serving.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Grill it! Ranch Burgers

Hellooooo, Spring! I'm not sure where you're from, but here in Georgia the weather has been absolutely, amazingly beautiful this weekend. My husband and I finally invested in a grill about a month ago, and we've been putting it to good use...and this weekend has been no exception!

Yesterday, we had my brother-in-law, his girlfriend and their five-year-old son, Sebastian over to grill out and spend some time together. It was so perfect outside that we spent all of our time sitting out on the deck and just enjoying ourselves. We had so much fun, in fact, that I completely spaced on taking pictures...oops. I promise, though, today's recipe is really yummy - and you'll want to try it!

I have to say, I normally go over the top and make all kinds of yummy stuff whenever we have people coming over...but I've been SO busy with the book lately that I just haven't had time :( Sad, but true. Still, we had plenty of food and going with some cookout staples was a simple and great way to go. I made pasta salad and baked beans, bought a fruit and cheese tray and some mini cupcakes (with red, white and blue frosting, of course). Our guests brought over a veggie tray to complete our spread and it was just the right amount of food.

So what was the main dish? Well, we went with hamburgers (okay, we added American cheese, so technically cheeseburgers), using the recipe below for a little extra "zing." Need a great burger recipe for your Memorial Day cookout? Look no further - it's right here. As a note...this is not MY recipe...it's one that I've seen in so many different cookbooks/websites that you may have even seen it before. The source that I will provide is a cookbook titled Quick Fixes from Brand Name Mixes. I took the "Lipton Onion Burgers" recipe and adjusted it slightly to my tastes, subbing and doubling the ranch mix for the onion soup mix. This recipe will make eight 1/4 lb burgers or six 1/3 lb burgers.

Ranch Burgers

2 lbs ground beef

2 (1 oz) packets dry Ranch dressing mix

1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and form into patties. Grill for 5 minutes on each side or until done. 

We made sure to have a variety of toppings for everyone, including lettuce, tomato, onion, chopped jalapenos, sliced avocado, ketchup, mustard and a homemade spicy mayo (it's really easy - 1/2 cup mayo, 2 tbs hot sauce (like Texas Pete) and 1 finely grated garlic clove, mixed together). At the end of the day, we were all stuffed but happy! It was a great afternoon.

While you're hanging out/grilling out this weekend, take time to remember and celebrate those who fight for our country, no matter where they are in the world. Our freedom isn't free, and we have so many men and women to thank for protecting it!

Until next time...

Cheers!

Not Just Food...Fantasy, Too!

You all may have been wondering where in the world I have been lately...and rightly so. Luckily, I've got a really great and EXCITING answer for you! My debut novel, Nightfire, has been published and is now available for purchase. You can get it on Amazon paperback or Kindle) by clicking the links on the right-hand side of the blog, or purchase the paperback from my eStore. 

Here's a description of the book in case you are interested!

My name is Kaida, and I’m…well, not exactly human. For centuries, my kind has walked the earth, portraying ourselves as humans, fulfilling our purpose by saving the lost and protecting the forgotten. At times our efforts seem futile, but we never stop. We are determined to take down the enemy that plagues the human world, to protect you from the monsters living in your midst. Over the years, we have protected you from the demons that walk among you, all the while keeping our true identities secret. But something has changed. Our enemies are taking too many chances, risking too much. My only hope is that we can stop whatever it is they are planning…before it’s too late.

Snack Pack: Homemade Guacamole (& Cucumber Chips!)

I never liked avocados growing up. I don't know if it was the color, the taste, or maybe a mixture of the two, but I just didn't like them. Of course, that also meant that, to me, guacamole was "ewww, gross!" and I just didn't touch the stuff.

Fast forward 15 years and, like most of the foods I didn't like as a kid (asparagus and any kind of seafood, for instance), I'm suddenly obsessed with everything the avocado has to offer. It's so unbelievably yummy...and good for you, too!  One of my favorite things about it is that it's best when simply prepared, in a recipe that allows it to shine. And you know how I feel about simple and easy. It's kind of my thing. Ok, it's REALLY my thing.

The forecast for this weekend (for my fellow Atlantans) is sunny and warm, and I'm planning on spending some quality time out on my deck soaking up some rays, hanging out with my favorite boys (the hubs and our two dogs, of course), and snacking on some of my fine-weather-favorites...today's recipe included.

The cucumber chips are a great option for  GF-er's, though you can also grab a bag of Tostitos corn chips as well if gluten's a no-no for you. If not, feel free to pair this great guac with any chip or dipper you like!

Homemade Guacamole (& Cucumber Chips)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 avocados, halved and pitted

1 1/2 tbs red onion, finely chopped

1 lime

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 small serrano chile, finely chopped

1 medium cucumber, sliced into rounds or chips for dipping

Scoop the flesh from the avocado halves into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add onion, cilantro, juice of lime, chile and salt. Stir to mix ingredients. Serve in a bowl with cucumber slices. If desired, lightly salt and pepper cucumber.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @Cocktail_Cutie!

Until next time...

Cheers!