Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

About an hour ago, I finished watching the movie, Julie & Julia - and I must admit, I'm a little bit intimidated! You see, Julie & Julia is the story of an average blogger (like me), who loves to cook (like me), is still very much a beginner (like me), and decides to take on a year's worth of recipes by Julia Child in order to find herself in a deeper, more meaningful way.

Now, when I started this blog in December 2008, I didn't really set out with any specific "goals" such as, attempting every single recipe in a book called "Mastering the Art of the French Cooking," within the span of one year. I did, however, start this blog with the intention of encouraging myself to try new and challenging recipes, to find unique and uber-fresh ingredients, and to record the many recipes that I try for future use. I have printed almost all of my recipes and put them in a binder, and I refer back to them frequently. So in every way possible, this blog is for me. I do love that some family members and friends read my blog and try my recipes - but that's not why I keep writing. I keep writing and cooking because it is truly fulfilling - it has become and will remain an inherent part of who I am and what I love.

I highly doubt that I will ever receive phone calls from the Food & Wine editors, or the producers of Food Network, as Julie did at the end of the movie. But, that is okay with me. Whether your kitchen is a private sanctuary or a place for millions to know and enjoy, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you are having an absolute blast with just a few things in front of you - fresh ingredients and a hot pan to cook them in.

And with that, here is the latest from my small, yet perfectly functional and enjoyable, kitchen:

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

salt + pepper

garlic powder + dried oregano

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

olive oil

2 large bell peppers, cut into thin strips (3 if they're small)

1 large shallot, thinly sliced (I omitted)

couple sprigs of fresh rosemary (leaves only, trash the stems)

1 C chicken broth (or 1 C water + 1 cube chicken bouillon)

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Using a meat pounder, pound chicken until 1/2-inch thick. Brush chicken with a bit of olive oil on each side and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano onto chicken. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat and add a bit of oil. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over and cook for a couple more minutes. Place chicken in a baking dish and bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Add a bit more olive oil to pan, if needed. Add rosemary, peppers and shallots. Sautee 3 minutes. Add broth, scraping pan to loosen brown bits. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done. Before serving, stir vinegar into broth (add a bit of salt and pepper if you like.) Serve bell pepper sauce over chicken.

Hummus

If there's one snack that I can't get enough of, its hummus on pita. I recently went looking for an easy, basic hummus recipe. By "basic," I mean something that can serve, literally, as "base" for any type of hummus - roasted red pepper, chipotle, jalepeno, etc. This recipe definitely serves my purpose: its awesome on its own, and could easily be played with to add any ingredient you may like. The texture is identical to what you find in a restaurant, and the flavor is great, too - pretty garlicky, but if you don't like that, just reduce the number of garlic cloves.

Now, normally when I try a new recipe, I set out to find inexpensive ingredients (trying to save for a house, you see....) However, there is one ingredient in hummus, called Tahini, that is somewhat expensive. Some people say that you can either eliminate the Tahini or replace with a few drops of sesame seed oil (Tahini is, after all, essentially sesame seed butter.) But at the store, as I held the jar of Tahini in my hand with a pricetag of $10.99, I had to give in. Cooking is like candy to me. And sometimes, its ok to indulge in the things you love. The jar will last me for years, its imported from Greece, and when I try a new recipe, I want it to be the real thing.

So, whether you skip the Tahini for the sake of your checkbook, or indulge in it for the sake of living life to its fullest.... serve this hummus on warm pita with a sprinkle of paprika, and I promise that you'll have yourself a very healthy and delicious snack :)

Basic Hummus

2 (15-oz) cans of garbanzo beans, drained (set the juice aside, don't trash it)

3 TBS Tahini*

2 TBS lemon juice

sprinkle of salt

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 TBS olive oil

pinch of paprika and cumin

*can be found at health food stores, or at the grocery store in specialty goods, or near peanut butter

1. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings as you prefer. Add reserved juice from the beans as you try to achieve a good consistency. I added about 1/3 C of the juice throughout the blending process.

2. Before serving, drizzle a bit of olive oil over hummus and sprinkle with paprika.

Ham & Beans

Brett and I decided to spend last Halloween at my sister Kellie's house, so we could be with my nieces and nephews as they ran from house to house trick-or-treating. We had such a great time! My brother-in-law Ryan recently bought a tractor, so he was able to hook up a trailer for the adults to ride along in (beer in hand, of course...) Of course, at the end of October, the weather was a bit cold so by the end of a couple hours trick-or-treating, we were ready to get inside and eat something warm and filling. Ryan and Kellie had the perfect thing waiting in the crockpot for us - ham n' beans!!!

While this isn't the exact recipe, c'mon, its ham n' beans! Its impossible to screw up and has such a classic flavor. This recipe calls for brown sugar which I love, since I tend to like things a little sweet.

I'm trying to get all these winter recipes posted before springtime arrives. Before we know it, I'll be cooking all sorts of fresh tomatoes and basil-based sauces. I love cooking in sync with the season. Ingredients taste better and more than anything, its fun! This may or may not be my last "soup/stew" post of the season. I'm sort of a spontaneous cook, and never know what's next!

Thanks to my sister Kellie for this inspiration on this one! Love you!

Ham and Beans!

1 lb dry Great Northern beans

1/2 lb cooked ham, diced

1 small onion, diced

1/2 C brown sugar

salt, pepper, cayenne, parsely

1. Rinse dry beans in a large pot; discard shells or broken pieces. Add 8 cups of cold water and let stand overnight.

2. Drain beans and pour into slow cooker. Add ham, onion, brown sugar and seasonings. Add enough water that beans are just barely covered. Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Taco Salad

After our New Years Eve party with our friends, we found ourselves with 4 large, unopened bags of tortilla chips. Now, Brett and I love chips and salsa, or chips and cheese dip, or chips and guacamole. But four bags of chips....that calls for something bigger. As I sat there wondering about the best way to get rid of the chips, I decided on two things - first, to give two bags of chips away to our friends. Second - TACO SALAD! I've never even made taco salad, so this idea was a winner. Even better, I was able to find other necessary ingredients already in my pantry: taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, Rotel. I sort of "invented" this taco salad on my own, based on things I already had.

This meal will take you about 20 minutes to throw together, and you end up with a heaping plate of yummy finger food! The first night, we ate the taco salad out of bowls because I was worried it would end up all over the floor.

Brett's suggestion for this near-perfect taco salad: jalepenos. I really don't know I overlooked this the first time but I totally agree, jalepenos would be the perfect addition!

Taco Salad

1 bag of Santitas corn tortilla chips

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 TBS olive oil

1 package taco seasoning

1 can chili beans

1 can spicy Rotel

1-2 C shredded cheddar cheese

shredded lettuce

canned jalepeno pepper slices

sour cream

2 TBS ranch dressing

3 TBS enchilada sauce

1. Cut chicken breasts into thin, small strips. Heat olive oil over medium heat, and add chicken. Cook until no longer pink inside (shouldn't be long since the chicken pieces are small.) Add taco seasoning and water according to taco seasoning package.

2. Assemble the rest of your taco salad. Take a couple handfuls of chips and place on a plate. Sprinkle some shredded cheese and add a few spoonfuls of beans. Zap in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove, and top with warm chicken, a couple spoonfuls of Rotel, a small handful of lettuce and a few jalepeno slices. Add a dollop of sour cream on top.

3. Mix ranch dressing and enchilada sauce in a small bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Crab Croissants

I don't like beginning stories with "When I was younger...." but I can't think of how else to start this! So, when I was younger, we would always go to my Aunt Ellen's for Halloween. She lived in the perfect neighborhood close to my grade school. Once school let out, my dad and I would make the short trip to her house where she would always be making a huge pot of tomato, beef and potato stew. We would have this for dinner, along with a salad and often times, these little crab croissants. After dinner, I would go trick-or-treating with friends or cousins in Aunt Ellen's neighborhood.

During the years in which I was too old to trick-or-treat at Ellen's, but too young to have discovered the joy of cooking, I didn't get to enjoy these crab croissants. Eventually, I decided to try out the recipe (it wasn't hard to remember the two "ingredients") and at this point, I've made more of these than I can count! They are super easy (did I mention they call for two ingredients?) and super fun to eat. The flavor is great, too - a creamy, crab-y filling inside a buttery crust. I've made them for parties, for weekend snacks, or even as a side dish for dinner!

I am so thankful to my aunt Ellen for all the wonderful memories and meals. As I say at the very top of the page - the single best part of cooking is sharing it with ones you love. Whether its an elaborate pasta dinner, or a simple crab-filled croissant, if it makes your family and friends smile....its a job well done.

Crab Croissants

1 tube Pillsbury Crescent dough (reduced fat!)

8 oz crab dip/salad

1. Unroll crescent dough. There will be 8 triangles. Cut each triangle into two small triangles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

2. Take a small tablespoon of crab dip and put in the center of each triangle. Roll into a small crescent.

3. Bake crescent rolls as directed on package.

A couple notes - - -

a) I use Santa Barbara Bay Krab Salad found at Wal-Mart in the specialty cheese, sauce, etc. section. Crab salad is less thick/creamy than crab dip, but its a bit sweet and has small chopped veggies in it, so we really like the texture and flavor. Most grocery stores have their own type of crab dip somewhere in the refrigerated section. Have fun experimenting! Also, I actually prefer the texture of imitation crab to real crab, so I've never attempted making homemade crab dip for this recipe with canned or fresh crab.

c) As written, this recipe makes 16 little croissants. They do not last long!! I almost always double the recipe.

Cocktail Meatballs & Chicken Skewers

Looking back exactly a year ago, I was making a blog post for carmelized onion dip that I made for friends on New Years Eve. Well, its funny how nothing and everything changes in a year. My love for cooking, my wonderful friends, the place I live, the job I go to each day....none of it has changed. I did, however, acquire a new nephew as well as another very good friend, and biggest of all - I got engaged! I have so much to look forward to in 2010, and its fun to imagine where I will be on January, 1, 2011 - a married woman! Will I be in a new house? Will I be in my same position at work? Will I have made another new friend? It's all very, very exciting :)

Let's get to these yummy appetizers. I know cocktail meatballs are a total classic, but they were new for me, and I post almost every new recipe that I make on this blog. They were seriously delish! A bit sweet and so flavorful. Everything just goes in the crockpot for 3 hours and the only "accessory" you need is a toothpick! These little guys go down fast.

Next up are chicken pineapple skewers. This recipe is so fun to eat - anything on a skewer is! The recipe is easy to make, and since its broiled, the cook time is super fast. I made these in the afternoon and threw them in right when my friends arrived. These skewers were a HUGE hit; the chicken is very juicy (I attribute it to the fast cook-time) and the marinade is so flavorful.

Here's to a wonderfully exciting and peaceful 2010. I know I can't wait :)

Cocktail Meatballs

14-oz can jellied cranberry sauce

1 bottle Heinz Chili Sauce

2 TBS brown sugar

3 tsp lemon juice

2 lb frozen meatballs

1. In slow cooker, place all ingredients on high for 2.5-3 hours. Stir occasionally. Eat with toothpicks and keep slow cooker on warm.

Chicken & Pineapple Skewers

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 C soy sauce

1/3 C sugar

1.5 TBS olive oil

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 drops toasted sesame oil

1 can pineapple chunks

wooden skewers

1. In bowl or container, mix all ingredients from soy sauce through sesame oil.

2. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks, ensuring that you remove all fatty pieces. Place chicken in marinade and refrigerate for several hours.

3. Place wooden skewers in water for approx. 30 minutes. This prevents charring once they are broiled.

4. Thread chicken and pineapple onto skewers. I put about 4 pieces of chicken and 4 pineapple chunks onto each skewers, and cut the skewers in half after baking, so each "mini" skewer had two pieces of each.

5. Turn oven to broil, and broil skewers for 5 minutes on each side. If chicken still looks slightly pink, turn oven to 350 and bake for several more minutes.

Oven-Fried Chicken Parmesan

I have felt so guilty about not posting any blog entries in two weeks! What can I say, the holidays are a good excuse :) Well, now I gotta get back to it. I wish I had a more fun and creative recipe to share with you today, but there is a lot to be said for something classic, filling, and delicious - even if it isn't the most unique recipe in the world!

There are so many variations on "chicken parm" out there. Different spices, crumb coatings, cuts of chicken, marinara sauces. My intention in sharing this recipe with you is to give you something simple, quick, healthy, filling - and with no strings attached. This is chicken parm at its best, without bells and whistles.

We always use whole wheat pasta, and I'm convinced that once you've tried it, you'll never go back! The texture is totally different - it may be a big strange at first - but the health benefits are huge and you'll reach a point where plain white pasta noodles just taste...plain! We love whole wheat pasta and I'll never cook with anything else.

Enjoy! And Happy Holidays to you and your family!

Oven-Fried Chicken Parmesan

1/4 C flour

sprinkle of dried oregano + basil

pinch of salt + pepper

2 large egg whites, beaten

3/4 C bread crumbs

4 boneless chicken breasts

olive oil

1/2 jar marinara sauce

1 C mozzarella cheese

hot, cooked pasta

1. Preheat oven to 450. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness.

2. Combine flour, seasonings, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow dish. Dredge each chicken breast in flour mixture, then dip in egg whites, letting excess drip off. Then dredge in bread crumbs.

3. In large skillet, heat 1 TBS oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts to pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side, adding another TBS of oil when you flip the chicken breasts. Place chicken in pan and place in the oven. Bake at 450 for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over, top with several TBS of marinara and cheese. Bake another 6 minutes, or until chicken is done.

4. Serve chicken breasts on top of hot, cooked pasta with additional sauce.

Mini Reese's Cheesecakess

This dessert recipe is one of my most favorite EVER. I first made this in high school, when we needed to bring a dessert for a class function. Since that time, I've made these cheesecakes over and over...and over and over! Everyone loves them. They're addictive! When you first bite into one, you get that classic cheesecake flavor and texture. Take one more bite and you hit a crunchy, peanut-buttery, chocolate-y Reese's candy! To finish it all off, its made with a crunchy and buttery graham cracker crust. It seriously does not get any better than this.

That's all I can say about these little desserts - to find out more, try 'em yourself!

*note - as written, this recipe makes 6 cheesecakes. When I made these last week for a work holiday party, I quadrupled the recipe!

Mini Reese's Cheesecakes

1/3 C graham cracker crumbs

1 TBS white sugar

1 TBS butter, melted

8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened*

1/4 C white sugar

1.5 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

mini Reese's peanut butter cups

1. Preheat oven to 325. Insert muffin liners into a muffin pan.

2. In small bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Place a tablespoon in the bottom of each muffin liner. Press down firmly. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes, then remove and cool.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on its own for a minute or two until smooth. Add sugar, and beat until smooth. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla; beat until smooth. Mix in the egg and beat until smooth (sorry for sounding like a broken record...)

4. Pour cream cheese mixture into muffin cups using a small measuring cup or large spoon. Fill the cups 3/4 full. Unwrap your peanut butter cups and place in the center of the cream cheese filling, pressing down slightly.

5. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and refrigerate until ready to eat, or at least 2-3 hours.

*to soften, pleeeeease don't microwave your cream cheese. I haven't had the best of luck with this, as the cream cheese seems to lose some its creamy quality. I leave my cream cheese on the counter for 3-4 hours until its room-temperature. This will give you VERY smooth and creamy cheesecake.

Slow-Cooker Jambalaya

Jambalaya is one of my favorite weekend meals. I love that it allows so much flexibility with ingredients and spices. On some occasions, shrimp sounds appealing whereas other times, I'm craving smoked sausage - the beauty of jambalaya is that you can use either, or both!! I love to load it up with tons of veggies, and as much spice as Brett and I can handle. With rice mixed in or served separately on the side - your pick! Today, I even chose to throw in an Anaheim pepper - for no reason other than, it sounded interesting. Not many recipes offer such an opportunity to have fun and be creative.

I've made jambalaya probably 3 or 4 times in the last several years. Tonight, it was definitely my best! Below is the exact recipe I used. I originally planned to serve the jambalaya alongside jasmine rice, but there was so much liquid in the crock pot that I decided to add dry rice during the last 20 minutes to soak it all up. It turned out perfect! I love this recipe in particular because it cooks in a crock pot, and how can you not love the "set-it-and-forget-it" mentality?! It filled the kitchen with delicious smells all day while I wrapped Christmas gifts.

Have fun with this one!

Slow-Cooker Jambalaya

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cut into 1-inch cubes

1 lb smoked turkey sausage, sliced

28oz + 14oz can diced tomatoes, with liquid

1 large onion, diced

2 green bell peppers, diced

5-6 stalks of celery, diced

1 Anaheim pepper, diced

1 can chicken broth

oregano, parsley, garlic powder, cajun seasoning, cayenne, red pepper flakes, tabasco sauce

salt, pepper

2 C uncooked jasmine rice

1. In slow cooker, add all ingredients except uncooked rice. Estimate seasonings based on your tastes, and what looks right. You can always add more later. Set slow cooker to low for 5 hours.

2. Add uncooked rice after the 5 hours has run up. Flip slow cooker to high and cook for another 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Crab Cakes with Aioli Sauce

Occasionally, I find myself with very odd cravings, and I'm sure you can all relate! Sometimes the cravings are pretty general - spicy food, for example. And sometimes, they are very specific - like Mi Ranchito's cream cheese chicken enchiladas!!

Most recently, I found myself craving seafood. I wanted something that I hadn't eaten in a long time - so no salmon or shrimp. And I wanted something that was a new recipe for me, since I love trying new things and posting them on my blog. I wanted something that wouldn't set me back too much money, since seafood is generally a bit higher-priced. I ending up finding a recipe for crab cakes that looked super easy and delicious - and since the recipe calls for canned crab, I knew it wouldn't be too expensive!

These crab cakes are totally awesome. Several reviewers on Allrecipes said that even though this recipe uses canned crab, it is so delicious, there's no reason to use fresh crab! These cakes are crunchy on the outside, yet soft and hot on the inside. Since they are baked and not fried, they are also surprisingly healthy. Served alongside a garlic-y homemade aioli sauce and mashed potatoes - it just doesn't get much better!

Crab Cakes with Homemade Aioli Sauce

8-12 green onions, chopped

3 (6-oz) cans canned crabmeat, drained well

2 eggs

3 TBS mayonnaise

3 tsp dry mustard

1 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

pinch of other mixed seasonings - Old Bay or seafood seasoning

salt + pepper

bread crumbs (approx. 1 cup)

Aioli Sauce

3/4 C mayonnaise

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS lemon juice

pinch of salt + pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (the best part! don't leave it out!)

1. For aioli sauce, mix all together and refrigerate.

2. Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs. Form into 1/2-inch patties. Roll patties in bread crumbs until coated.

3. Spray muffin pan with PAM. Divide crab mixture among muffin cups - depending on how large you want your patties, you may use between 6-10 muffin cups.

4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until lightly browned and heated through. Serve with aioli sauce.

• 

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

My plan for the blog this week was to upload a crab-cake recipe. Buuuuttt...things change. You see, I've had these two cans of pumpkin in the pantry. I was convinced that somewhere out there, I could find a cookie recipe that called for canned pumpkin, with the remainder of ingredients being items I would already have in my pantry. I got lucky! I stumbled across this recipe on Allrecipes - not only did it meet my criteria, but it ALSO has 4.5 stars and has been rated by almost 30,000 people! Ahhh, the beauty of Allrecipes.

Let me just tell you - these cookies, well, they're a keeper. The reviewers online said things like, "super moist - more like cake!" and "reminds me of a muffin top." At first I wasn't so sure - I've been craving real cookies! But I am so happy that I gave this one a shot. I could tell while they were baking that they would be super pretty, because they keep their shape while baking, rather than flattening like a normal cookie. But only after they were done baking did I take the first bite - YUM! Full of pumpkin flavor with hints of nutmeg and clove. The "cookie" is super soft - in fact, I agree with reviewers that you shouldn't wrap this cookie up - leave it exposed to air, or very loosely covered, because it is SO moist that the icing will soften and run all over the cookie.

I highly recommend that you make these little guys as soon as possible!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2.5 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C butter, softened
1.5 C white sugar
1 can pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze
1.5 C powdered sugar
3 TBS milk
1 TBS melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.

2. In medium bowl, mix the 1/2 C softened butter + white sugar, using an electric beater. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat until creamy. Slowly mix in dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Drop onto greased cookie sheet by spoonfuls; press down slightly.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cookies cool. To make glaze, mix the four ingredients and drizzle over the cookies.

Pizza Loaf !

This post is a fun one for me. Part of being my friend means occasionally letting me raid your cookbook/recipe collection. My friend Aimee subscribes to a cooking magazine called Taste of Home, and a couple months ago, I spent some time raiding her recipes from this magazine. One recipe she said I had to try was a "pizza loaf" - I was definitely intrigued! I wrote the recipe down and last week, decided to give it a go. Even before it was finished baking, I couldn't wait to eat it - you'll see why!

This recipe is a tiny bit tricky to put together but hopefully my directions help you through it. This is a perfect weeknight, dinner-in-front-of-the-TV meal. I also think it would work great as an appetizer if you're with friends. Be sure to serve it with a side of warm pizza sauce. This pizza loaf is piping hot on the inside with gobs of melted cheese and pepperoni. The crust is crunchy on the outside and doughy on the inside. It has become one of my new favorite recipes - sometimes its great to get away from more complicated recipes/ingredients and stick to something simple. I can't wait to make this again soon!!!

Pizza Loaf

2 packages of refrigerated crusty french loaf bread
1 TBS flour
1.5 C mozzarella
3/4 package pepperoni, finely sliced (apparently turkey pepperoni tastes just as good)
1 jar pizza sauce (I bought 2 because I love pizza sauce)
1 beaten egg white
2 TBS grated parm
italian seasoning

You will also need a rolling pin, counter space to roll the dough on, and a brush for the egg white, but a spoon would probably do just fine too.

1. Place one of the dough loafs on a floured surface. Using a sharp knife, make a lengthwise slit down the center to within half-inch of the bottom (don't cut all the way through!) Open dough so it lies flat. Sprinkle with a bit of flour on each side, so rolling pin doesn't stick. Roll into a 14"x5" rectangle. Repeat with 2nd loaf.

2. In a bowl, mix mozzarella and sliced pepperoni. Spread half of the mixture down the center of each loaf. Drizzle each loaf with 4-5 TBS of pizza sauce. Roll each loaf lengthwise into a log - HINT: this is tricky, so take it slow, because you log is probably very full! Pinch the sides of the log together to get it to hold its shape. Seal the seams on the ends, as well, by pinching together. Place each loaf, seam side down, on a baking sheet sprayed with PAM. Once the loaves are side-by-side, twist the loaves together 2-3 times - be careful that your loaves don't spill out their contents or break.

3. With a knife, make several shallow slashes on each loaf. Brush the entire loaf with egg whites. Sprinkle with parmesan and italian seasoning. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cover with foil and bake another 4 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with pizza sauce.

Turkey Croquettes with Spinach Potatoes

I love a good cookbook. I love old cookbooks, new cookbooks, celebrity cookbooks, homemade cookbooks. I love themed cookbooks - appetizers or drinks, for example. I love cookbook "guides" - The New Basics Cookbook is one on my shelf. I love itty bitty cookbooks with hard-to-find ingredients, and huge cookbooks in binders with every single ingredient in existence.

When I buy a cookbook or receive one as a gift, I read it cover to cover. I write down recipes and page numbers on a little card, that I then put in the front cover for future reference. I do this because, let's be honest - we all know that we won't use some recipes. That's ok. A cookbook, in my opinion, is like a set of photos - most will be just ok, but 5 or 6 will be total keepers, and you'll find yourself coming back to them over and over.

If there's one recipe I'm confident I will be making until I'm in a rocking chair, its this one. This recipe is from a Rachael Ray cookbook called "365: No Repeats" which I received as a gift from Brett's mom. I've made it twice now and the flavor is, well, incomparable. The pan drippings from the turkey croquettes make a to-die-for gravy - last week when I made this recipe, I literally ended up with the best gravy I have ever tasted (I was eating it with a spoon like soup.) The spinach potatoes are a perfect add-on. It sounds strange to put spinach into mashed potatoes, but you HAVE to do it! Its fantastic.

Enjoy!

Turkey Croquettes with Spinach Potatoes

3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb ground turkey
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tsp poultry seasoning
dried thyme + parsely
salt + pepper
1 egg yolk
2 C bread crumbs
1/4 C olive oil
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
3 C chicken broth
1/2 C half and half (I buy fat free)
1/3 bag baby spinach, rinsed and patted dry

1. Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes until tender.

2. While the potatoes cook, make the croquettes. Place the turkey in a bowl. Add celery, onions, poultry seasoning, the egg yolk, some dried herbs, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine and form 8 patties. Coat both sides of the patties with bread crumbs.

3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the patties 5 minutes on each side. Remove croquettes from pan and keep warm. Reduce the heat to low. Add 2 TBS butter to the skillet and melt, then whisk in the flour. Cook the roux for a minute or two. Whisk in 2.5 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Thicken for a minute or so, and reduce heat to low. Taste the gravy and season with salt and pepper if needed.

4. Drain the cooked potatoes and return to pan. Add remaining 2 TBS butter, half cup of chicken broth, and the cream. Season with salt and pepper and mash. Fold in the spinach leaves until they wilt into the potatoes.
5. To serve, place the potatoes on a plate and place the croquettes on top. Spoon gravy over the dish.

Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden

For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite Italian restaurants has been the Olive Garden. I love that the soup and salad have tasted the same for years (and by "the same," I mean - amazing!) I love the bright and warm atmosphere and the last few years, I have also come to love the Chianti =)

At work, I sit next to a very fun co-worker and sometimes we chat about what we've been cooking lately. A few weeks ago, she said she was making Zuppa Toscana. She said it like a true Italian (!) and I had absolutely no idea what it was! She said, "you know, the potato and sausage soup at Olive Garden." My reply? "NO WAY!" Immediately followed by, "I need that recipe!" I added it to the next week's menu list and wow, what a treat!

Brett likes to complain when I make soups, saying they don't fill him up, but he didn't complain about this one. It has 3 huge potatoes, a full pound of sausage, several strips of bacon....how can that not be a filling meal?!

Pour this into a big bowl, sit down for a good movie, and you've got yourself one good night!

Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden

1 lb ground italian sausage
crushed red pepper, salt, pepper
1 large diced white onion
3-4 strips of bacon
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 C water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 C heavy cream
3 large potatoes, sliced or diced
small bunch of kale

1. Sautee sausage and crushed red pepper in large pot. Season with salt and pepper. In same pan, sautee bacon.
2. You should have a fair amount of fat left in the pan to now sautee your onion. Sautee onion about 10 minutes. Add garlic, and sautee another minute or two. If the onion/garlic begin to burn at any point, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan.
3. Add chicken bouillon cubes and water. Heat to boiling.
4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about 20-25 minutes.
5. Add heavy cream and heat through.
6. Place a small amount of kale in the bottom of your serving bowls, and add soup.

Enjoy!

Chicken with Lemon and Caper Sauce

Something about cooking that I love is trying recipes that include new, somewhat unknown ingredients. In this recipe, I used two of those ingredients - capers and kale. I've definitely used capers once or twice in the past but the other day I got to thinking, "what exactly IS a caper?" Is is a seed? A legume? A bean? A vegetable? And as for kale, what sort of leaf is it? Is it from a plant? A bush? A flower? A tree? There were so many unanswered questions!!

Well, I just went googling for some answers. Capers, I've discovered, are actually unripened flower buds (who knew?!) The plant is native to the Mediterranean and some parts of Asia, and capers have been mentioned in literature dating as far back as 3000 BC.

Kale is a bit closer to home (Europe and North America.) It is the most robust cabbage type, known to be more hardy than any other vegetable. I also learned that it's extremely healthy for you, being full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

The best part, in my opinion? Although these ingredients may not be pantry staples, they are both delicious and full of flavor. They bring a new element to an otherwise common dish (chicken) and using new ingredients like these will ensure that home cooking doesn't get boring. I think its important to challenge yourself with something other than everyday ingredients.

(and for the record - this recipe is one of my new favs - super easy and tasty!)

Chicken with Lemon Caper Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt + pepper
3 TBS flour
2 TBS olive oil
3/4 C chicken broth
juice of one lemon
2 TBS capers, drained
3 TBS chopped kale

1. Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap, and pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet (if you don't have one, invest in one!!! It's priceless!) Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge chicken in flour.

2. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side. Add broth, lemon juice and capers to pan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with kale.

3. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Bring sauce to a boil and cook several minutes until slightly thickened. Return chicken to pan to heat through. Serve chicken with sauce drizzled over it.

Note - goes perfectly over wild rice because the sauce coats the rice and it's delish :)

Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

This past weekend, I took a major - and I mean major! - step out of my comfort zone. You see, as long as cooking has been a hobby of mine (so...about five years,) I have trusted one meatloaf recipe, and one only. It can be found in my very first blog post, and its called Brown Sugar Meatloaf. I've never strayed from it, though I've been tempted!

While going through my little black box of cards containing recipes dating back to my first cooking magazine, I stopped at a brand new meatloaf recipe - "Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze." Several thoughts went through my head: "I've got a ton of balsamic in the pantry that needs to be used. I can't cheat on my old meatloaf. This recipe is loaded with tons of veggies and its so colorful! I can't cheat on my old meatloaf. Oh, the glaze looks so yummy! I can't cheat on my old meatloaf."

Eventually, I gave in. At first, the finished recipe was hard for me to get used to - I'm so accustomed to the sweet taste of Brown Sugar Meatloaf, whereas this one is very tart, thanks to the balsamic. The texture is different as well, because the chopped veggies are so loaded with moisture, that the meatloaf doesn't hold its shape quite as well as others. I think the most rewarding aspect of trying this new meatloaf was Brett's reaction - he loved it!!! He even said, "I am obsessed with it!" after eating 4 helpings for lunch the next day.

So, there you have it. I've betrayed my one and only meatloaf recipe...and it paid off! Here's to always trying new things, but keeping the old favorites close to your heart.

Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

extra virgin olive oil
3 bell peppers, finely chopped (use different colors!)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1 large egg
dried herbs such as thyme and parsely
1.5 lb ground turkey meat
1 C panko/breadcrumbs
1/2 C grated parmesan
1/2 C ketchup + 1/4 C ketchup
1/4 C + 2TBS balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 425. Heat oil in large pan and add chopped peppers. Sautee for 7-8 minutes, until tender. Add red pepper flakes and garlic. Sautee another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

2. Whisk egg and herbs in bowl. Add turkey, panko, cheese, 1/2 C ketchup, 2 TBS vinegar and vegetable mix. Mix well (with your hands, if you're brave!)

3. Gently press the mixture into a 9x5 loaf pan. Whisk the remaining 1/4 C ketchup, 1/4 C balsamic and a sprinkle more of red pepper flakes. Brush this mixture over the meatloaf. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

First, the delicious glaze:


The (very colorful) finished product: