Weeknight Bites: Lemon and Thyme Beef Stroganoff

A few months back, I signed up for a subscription to Every Day with Rachael Ray. I'm now subscribed to at least 4 "cooking" magazines (Cooking Light, Bon Appetit and Southern Living being the other three) and I have to say, I literally squeal with delight every time I get a new one in the mail. Whenever the most current issue of any of these publications arrives in my mailbox, I march right into my house, grab my notebook (where I make all of my lists and menus) and plant myself on the couch so I can scour through it from front to back.

I know, I'm a big dork.

Anyway, I have a point. While browsing the November 2012 issue Every Day with Rachael Ray, I came across today's recipe. At first, I was slightly apprehensive. When it comes to Beef Stroganoff, I pretty much love the classic. While the flavor profile of this variation sounded interesting, I just wasn't sure I was going to like it much...but, in the spirit of trying anything (almost) once, I found that I was intrigued enough to try it. Clearly, it rocked (otherwise I wouldn't be posting about it!). The lemon and thyme are so fresh and bright in this dish. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was really delicious. My husband and I both agreed - it's a keeper, and I'll definitely make it again. Give it a try!

1 12 oz. package extra wide egg noodles

1 pound ground beef

1 vidalia onion, chopped

5 tsp fresh thyme

salt and pepper

1/2 cup beef broth (or vegetable broth)

1 8 oz container sour cream

1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1 lemon

Cook noodles as instructed on package and drain. Meanwhile, brown beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Add onion and 4 tsp thyme to the beef and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the broth and allow the liquid to reduce for 3 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in sour cream, mustard and lemon juice and cook until heated through (about 2 minutes).

Add noodles to stroganoff mixture and stir well to combine. Top with remaining 1 tsp thyme and service with lemon slices.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Weeknight Bites: Baked Chicken Parmesan

Why, hello there! Did you think I'd fallen off the face of the planet? I know I've been MIA lately...in fact I looked at the calendar today and did a double-take when I realized that it's November 9th. How in the world is it already almost mid-November? How is Thanksgiving already right around the corner?!

Well, for me, it's because I've been locked in the whirlwind known as life for the past 3 weeks and frankly, I just haven't been paying attention to the fact that time has been passing by like a speeding bullet. I was quite busy with planning a trip that didn't end up happening (thank you, Sandy, for that), getting ready for our first Halloween in the new house, meeting the deadline for the first draft of my novel (I did it! yay!) and, most recently, taking care of a sick puppy who had a most unfortunate run-in with a snake in our own backyard (it was tiny and not poisonous, and did not live to tell about it...but it turns out that poor little Gus was allergic - no fun).

So, life is never boring. I think that's what makes it so wonderful.

We didn't go to Atlantis for our 2-year anniversary as planned, but we had a fabulous time with each other here in Atlanta instead. And, even though we didn't buy travel insurance (oops...), the resort credited us for the nights we'd already booked (and paid for) due to the Hurricane. We'll now get to enjoy our trip in April, which luckily is NOT in Hurricane season...so hopefully no bad weather!

I must confess: I didn't cook at all while we were enjoying our "stay-cation." My husband and I treated ourselves to several nice restaurants in the Atlanta area that we'd been meaning to try, and we enjoyed being able to just sit back, relax and let someone else do the work. But once the week was up, I found myself dying to get back in the kitchen, ready to get back in the groove of trying new things and cooking up a storm. Today's recipe is the first meal I made after our break was officially over, and I'm pretty darn proud of it if I do say so myself. It's really tasty and easy to make, and I don't know too many people who don't like Chicken Parmesan...including my Italian-food hating husband.

4 chicken breast halves

1 cup Lite Italian dressing

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tsp italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

2 slices provolone cheese, halved

1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce

cooking spray

dried parsley flakes, for garnish

Marinate chicken breasts in Italian dressing for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) prior to preparing. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

 In a small bowl, mix panko, parmesan cheese, italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip marinated breast halves in panko mix until well coated. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and cat rack with cooking spray. Place breast halves on the wire rack and back in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Flip chicken and bake for another 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from the oven and spread marinara sauce over the top of the breasts. Top with provolone cheese (1/2 slice for each) and bake for 5 additional minutes or until cheese is melted. When plating, sprinkly with parsley flakes.

Serve over spaghetti or with veggies/sides.



Until next time...

Cheers!

Mix of the Month: The Caramel Apple Martini

At this time two years ago, my now husband (then fiance) and I were wrapping up our last minute wedding plans, trying to prepare everything and everyone as much as possible for the big day, and packing up our suitcases for our honeymoon. One of the things that we did in those final days was finalize our menu, which included picking out our signature cocktail.

Now, don't get me wrong, the wedding coordinator at our venue had plenty of suggestions, but I didn't want to just pick a drink off of a list and go with it. I knew what I wanted: a drink that would fit in with the season, one that would appeal to the majority of the people at the reception and one that would also fit into my wedding colors (red, orange and purple). So, my husband and I did what any normal couple would do - we invited a couple of our close friends over and hosted a signature cocktail taste test. I came up with 3 recipes that I liked and we sat down, mixed them up, and gave them a try. The Caramel Apple Martini was the winner by a long shot, and I think you'll easily see why. In honor of my anniversary, I'm making it October's Mix of the Month. Enjoy!

2 oz vanilla vodka (or "whipped" vodka)

2 oz sour apple schnapps

1 oz buttershot liqeur

Healthy splash cranberry juice

 Pour all ingredients into shaker with ice and shake until frost begins to form on the outside.Pour into martini glasses.

I'm also including a couple wedding photos, in case you're interested. I'm feeling a little nostalgic ;)

Until next time...

Cheers!

Girl's Day: Origami Owl Jewelry Bar Party

Now that I'm in a home with much more space (MUCH more) and room to move around, I'm basically finding any and every excuse in the book to throw a party and have people over. As I've said before, there really isn't much in life that makes me happier than making my friends and family happy, and this is just one of the ways that I can do that!

On Sunday, I hosted an "Origami Owl" jewelry bar party for some of my friends and family members. If you've never heard about Origami Owl, you really should go check it out. They have the cutest stuff! We really enjoyed learning about the company and looking at all of the goodies. Their biggest seller is something called a "living locket," an "open" locket-type necklace that you can add a variety of charms to in order to represent things that you love and to tell your life story. It was a lot of fun hearing about the different pieces that each of the guests picked out for themselves. My friend JoLynn is the rep who helped me throw the party, and she did a fabulous job (she's pretty darn awesome, if I say so myself!). If you're interested, go check it out here (and tell her Cocktail Cutie sent you!). We had a lot of fun building our "living lockets" and trying on different necklace combinations. It was the perfect girl's day!

Aside from the jewelry bar, I wanted to make sure that I took care of my guests as far as food and drinks go, too - after all, I have a reputation to uphold! I spent a lot of time in my kitchen last weekend getting ready for the party, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Here's a little taste of the menu I prepared for my guests...and some of the recipes, too!

             Hors d'oeuvres                          Sweets                                                     Drinks
        Cucumber-Dill Toasts           Pumpkin Spice Cookies                            Pink Moscato Champagne
        Chicken Salad Cups                  Spice Cupcakes                                            Riesling
        Avocado Deviled Eggs               Lemon Bars                                       Raspberry Limeade Punch
        Prosciutto Purses                     Pumpkin Roll*
        Caprese Salad Skewers   
        Mini Quiches (Variety)
        Sausage Balls*
        Cheese Plate

*Not pictured - thanks so much to my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for sharing these goodies with the group!

Now, I cheated a bit, I'll admit. I used boxed mixes for the sweets. Yep, that's right, I have to thank Betty Crocker for those. However, I did mix everything, bake everything and frost everything myself. So, I'm doing better. I'm still an amateur when it comes to baking, and I'm not ashamed to admit it! Really though, those pumpkin spice cookies are pretty amazing...and I don't even like sweet stuff, so you know that's saying a lot.

I also cheated on the mini quiches, as those were kind of a last minute buy while I was grocery shopping. Apparently I just thought I needed one more item. So, they were there and I bought them. To be honest, they weren't a big hit. I probably wouldn't spend the money again.

Anyway, I'll stop blabbing and give you what you really want - the recipes! Please let me know if you have any questions and I will be glad to help. ENJOY!

Cucumber-Dill Toasts 

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened

1 package dry Italian-style salad dressing

1/2 cup mayo        

1 french baguette, cut into 1/2 inch circles

1 english cucumber, sliced

Dried dill weed

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and toast baguette rounds. Very thinly slice cucumber. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, italian-style salad dressing and mayo. Spread on baguette toast and top with slice of cucumber. Sprinkle with dill.

Chicken Salad Cups

1/2 cup mayo

1 tbs lemon juice

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 container frozen mini fillo cups

Thaw frozen fillo cups as instructed on package. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl until mixed well. Spoon chicken salad mixture into fillo cups and serve immediately.

Avocado Deviled Eggs

12 eggs

1/2 cup mayo

1 tbs dijon mustard

1 tsp caper juice

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1 dash bottled hot pepper sauce (like Texas Pete)

1 avocado, halved, pitted and cubed

Chives (optional)

Place eggs in a single layer in a Dutch oven. Add enough cold water to cover eggs by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat. Remove from heat and cover, allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain and run cold water over eggs. Allow eggs to cool before peeling. 

Once peeled, cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in large bowl. Put egg whites aside. Mash egg yolks with fork. Add mayo, mustard, caper juice, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce and stir to mix well. Spoon mixture into a ziploc bag and seal tightly.

Snip off a corner of the ziploc bag filled with the egg yolk mixture and pipe mixture into egg white. Top each with a piece of chopped avocado and garnish with snipped chives, if desired.

Prosciutto Purses

Thinly sliced prosciutto

Pre-sliced melon

Trim melon into bite-size cubes. Lay prosciutto slices on cutting board and place bite-size melon on top of the prosciutto. Cut prosciutto in a square around the melon piece, leaving enough room to wrap the melon on each side. Wrap up melon completely with prosciutto and secure with toothpick.

Caprese Salad Skewers

Grape tomatoes

Fresh Basil leaves

Marinated Mozzarella balls

Small wooden skewers

Black pepper

Balsamic vinegar (for drizzling, optional)

Slice grape tomatoes in half lengthwise. On each skewer, thread one grape tomato half, one mozzarella ball, another grape tomato half and half of a basil leaf. One skewers are completed, sprinkle with black pepper. Serve with balsamic vinegar, for drizzling.

Raspberry Limeade Punch

1 container frozen limeade, thawed

1 2-liter raspberry gingerale

2 cups pineapple juice

Lime, sliced

Add all ingredients to large punch bowl or beverage dispenser. Stir to mix well, and add lime slices. Serve over ice.

So there you have them! Plenty of hors d'oeuvres recipes (and a drink, too!) for the next get together you have at your own humble abode. A note on the cheese plate - I served havarti with dill, pepperjack and asiago (along with pepperoni and salami) because these cheese went well with the wines I was serving. If you decide to make your own cheese plate as well, think about the drinks you're planning on providing so that you are choosing the cheeses that will best compliment them. 

Until next time...

Cheers!

                                                     

Slow Cooker Special: Broccoli Cheese Chicken

Alright, I'll admit it. I've been seriously slacking on the blog here lately. Truth be told, I've been otherwise engaged in another project of mine, a young adult fiction novel that I've been writing for the past year or so (want a sneak peak? you can check out a couple pages here). The end is finally in view, and I'm under a self-imposed deadline of November 3rd to finish the first draft...so I've pretty much been dedicating as much of my free time as possible to meeting that goal and getting it done! In the meantime, though, that unfortunately means that I haven't had as much time to spend here with you. I'm sorry for that, and I hope you'll understand and forgive me.

Today's recipe is one I threw together with pantry ingredients that I had lying around. With my nose constantly in my keyboard trying to wrap up all of loose ends for my novel, I've even slacked on my weekly menu-making and Sunday grocery store trip. But, a girl (and her husband)'s got to eat, so I did my best with what I had on hand. It worked out really well, and that's why I'm sharing it with you. Got a lot on your plate like I do (pun somewhat intended...;))? You'll love this recipe. It's another one of those super easy slow cooker meals that we ALL need in our recipe boxes. I served it with whole white potatoes and green beans, but you can use whatever side you want. Or, add some rice to the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking to make the main dish itself more filling and substantial. Have fun with it!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 can broccoli cheese soup

1 can cream of onion soup

1 can milk (use one of the empty soup cans to measure)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients until well-blended. Pour over chicken breasts. Cook on high for 1 hour, then reduce heat to low and cook for 4-5 hours more.

This recipe will serve 4. I hope you enjoy :)

Until next time...

Cheers!

Weeknight Bites: Chicken and Prosciutto Salad with Asiago

October is my favorite month for a few reasons. For one, it's the month when the leaves on the trees really start to change (at least here in Georgia), and the world just kind of looks...magical. I love that. I also love the cool, crisp air of the mornings and the chill that sets in after the sun goes down. Then we have Halloween, which is one of my very favorite holidays, again falling in October. Both my dad and my brother have birthdays this month. And, last but absolutely not least, my husband and I celebrate our anniversary. See why I love October so much?

For our anniversary, the hubby and I are taking a trip back to the Bahamas, where we went on our honeymoon two years ago. We enjoyed our time there so much that when we started thinking about taking a trip this year it wasn't too hard to decide where we wanted to go. We'll be staying at Atlantis, though this time we're keeping our budget in mind a little bit more than we did before; last time we stayed at The Cove (which, by the way, was beautiful and I would recommend to anyone going there for a special occasion! it's completely worth it), but this time we're staying at the Royal Towers - which is that big building you see on all of their commercials. Woo!! 17 days and counting until we're on our way!

With a little more than two weeks before we head out, I'm locking myself down on diet and drinks (I know I'm not the only woman in the world who does this) to make sure I feel at least somewhat confident in a bathing suit, considering the fact that I don't normally have to wear one this time of year. So, I've been scouring the pages of Cooking Light to find delicious and nutritious meals to make between now and then. I think the hardest thing for me is to reign in my take-out lunches, but with a dinner like this I can *almost* afford to eat poorly one meal of the day. This salad incorporates 2 of my absolute favorite ingredients (asiago cheese and prosciutto) and is super light and yummy! The rotisserie chicken makes this so easy to make during the week, and the homemade croutons don't disappoint.

2 slices sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Canola cooking spray

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp garlic powder

3 tbs EVOO

2 oz very thin slices prosciutto, chopped

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

2 (5-oz) packages baby arugula (or use mixed greens - as shown in picture)

1 1/2 ounce Asiago cheese, shaved

6 oz shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bread cubes on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with basil and garlic powder and toss to coast. Place in preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes or until crisp.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tbs oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add prosciutto and saute 4 minutes or until prosciutto is crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Combine 2 tbs plus 2 tsp olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and stir well. Place arugula or mixed greens and half of cheese in a large bowl. Add juice mixture and toss well to coat. Divide salad evenly among plates and add chicken, prosciutto, remaining cheese and croutons evenly among each serving.

This recipe will serve 6 two-cup portions or 4 larger servings. I'm also including the nutritional information below, in case you're interested.

Until next time....

Cheers!

Calories: 193

Fat: 11.5g (sat 2.9g, mono 5.8g, poly 1.3g)

Protein: 14.4g

Carb: 8.9g

Fiber: 1.5g

Chol: 37mg

Iron: 14mg

Sodium: 481mg

Calc: 142mg

*All nutritional information from Cooking Light Magazine, April 2012 

Slow Cooker Special: Poblano Jalapeno Chili

It's been a little while since my last post, but don't worry - I still have more slow cooker recipes to give you, even after September comes to an end! My life has been pretty crazy over the last couple of weeks, so I'm sorry for my brief absence. It seems like, lately, even fitting in sleep has been a chore!

Today's recipe is one that my husband and I like so much that we apparently wolfed it all down before I could take a picture. Oops. My mistake! While the meal finishes up in the slow cooker, you will need to put in a little extra effort on the front end (you'll see what I mean when you read the recipe - it's not too bad). This chili is perfect for game day or a relaxed weekend afternoon, and it makes enough that you'll have leftovers for one of those weeknights where heating up is about all you can/want to handle.

After all, isn't chili kind of the quintessential fall meal? It's great for serving guests, versatile depending on flavor preferences, and, generally speaking, it's easy to put together. There are a lot of ingredients in this particular recipe, but don't let that overwhelm you. The end result is truly delish, which makes the effort completely worth it. Thanks go out to Cooking Light for this one. I hope you enjoy it!

FYI - You won't need to finely chop any of the chiles or onion in this recipe - a rough chop will work just fine. 

Poblano-Jalapeno Chili

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 tbs canola oil

3 cups chopped onion (1 large)

1 cup chopped, seeded poblano chile (2 large)

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 12-oz Mexican beer (like Corona)

1 tbs chili powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp kosher salt

2 1/2 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce

1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2 15-oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 14.5 oz can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

3 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded*

1/2 cup light sour cream*

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves*

*optional

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add ground beef. Cook 10 minutes or until browned. Drain and remove from pan. Wipe pan clean.

Return pan to stovetop over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Add chopped jalapenos, garlic, onion and poblano and saute 10 minutes. Add beer, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits. Cook for 12 minutes (liquid should evaporate by half). Add chili powder, cumin and salt and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Add beef, chile-onion mixture, marinara, broth, beans and tomatoes to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 3 hours. Serve with cheese, sour cream and cilantro, if desired.

Until next time...

Cheers!