Chicken Piccata

4 small chicken breasts
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

Chicken piccata cooking

salt and pepper to taste
coriander
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 c. white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
juice from one large lemon
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. capers
few pinches of dried parsley
2 Tbsp. butter

Cook the chicken in the oil for about 3-4 minutes on each side over medium high heat. While the chicken is cooking, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and coriander. Both sides.

Add the garlic to the chicken. Saute for 1 minute.

Add in the wine, broth, lemon juice, honey, and capers. Cook on high until the liquid has reduced by half. Sprinkle the chicken with the parsley.

Dinner is ready

When the liquid has reduced, add in the butter. Let it melt. Serve hot.

This is fine served as is, but I served it over hot rice. You could also serve it with pasta.

This recipe was pretty quick and easy.

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: http://www.closetcooking.com/2008/11/chicken-piccata.html

Strawberry Crumble Muffins

Muffins:

Muffin batter

1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. non-fat half and half
1 1/2 c. strawberries, sliced
Crisco

With the crumble

Crumble:
3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. butter, sliced
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. sugar

To make the muffins: Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Add in one egg, then beat. Add the second egg and vanilla, then beat.

Ready to eat

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder together. Sift 1/3 into the muffin batter. Stir. Then pour in half of the half and half. Stir again. Sift another 1/3 of the flour mixture in. Continue to stir between flour and half and half additions.

Fold in the strawberries.

Grease a muffin pan with crisco (or whatever you want). Pour in the muffin batter about 3/4 full in each cup.

To make the crumble: Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until crumbly. Sprinkle heavily over the tops of the muffin batter in the pan.

Muffins!

 

Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Makes about 15-20 muffins.

Here is a link to the original recipe: http://www.nlrockrecipes.com/2013/04/strawberry-shortbread-crumble-muffins.html

Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Sriracha

1 lb. meatballs (I used Costco ones)

Meatballs and vegetables

2 Tbsp. soy sauce, divided
4 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
1/2 c. water
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. oil
8 mini bell peppers, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, sliced and drained
20 oz. can pineapple chucks, drained but reserving the juice (should be about 3/4 c.)
black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp. Sriracha, or to taste
Hot cooked rice

Sauce, cooking

Place the meatballs in a large bowl, toss with 1 Tbsp. soy sauce. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, then toss to coat.

In a different bowl, whisk together the water, vinegar, brown sugar, the remaining soy sauce, the remaining cornstarch, and the reserved pineapple juice. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan on high. Add the meatballs. Cook 2-4 minutes, or until heated through. I like when they start to brown on the outside. Add in the bell peppers and water chestnuts. Let cook about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in the pineapple chunks and the sauce. Do not stir until the sauce starts to bubble. While you're waiting, add in as much as you want of black pepper. Once the sauce starts to bubble, stir on high heat for about 2-3 minutes. The sauce should thicken during this time. If it hasn't, just keep it on the heat a little longer.

Ready to eat!

Reduce heat. Add in the Sriracha, making sure you taste it to make sure it's as spicy as you want it. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2013/04/sriracha-sweet-and-sour-chicken-stir-fry-recipe.htmld

Steak Salad with Ginger Dressing

Quick and easy salad to make.  This recipe makes one salad.

lettuce greens, whatever kind you like (I just used spinach)
1 small steak, thinly sliced
olive oil
dash or two of onion powder, black pepper, kosher salt
drop or two of Worcestershire sauce

Dressing
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 Tbsp. lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. ginger, minced 


Lay out the greens on a large plate. Set aside.

Cook your steak slices in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Add the seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until it's as done as you want; shouldn't take too long, maybe 5 minutes.

To make the dressing: Add all the ingredients to a small bowl. Spread 3/4 of the dressing over the greens. When your steak is cooked, lay the slices over the greens. Pour the rest of the dressing over the whole salad. Enjoy.

I will definitely make this again.

Here's a link to the Pioneer Woman's recipe that I altered: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/03/ginger-steak-salad/

Banana Peanut Butter Muffins with Chocolate Chips

6 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 eggs

2 ripe bananas
1 c. lite sour cream
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix together the butter, eggs, bananas, sour cream, sugar and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Lightly grease muffin tin. Scoop into muffin tins and then bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.

This recipe made a dozen regular sized muffins and 22 mini muffins. If you use the mini muffin tin, the bake time is 15-20 minutes.

Here is a link to the recipe I used: http://barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-banana.html

Macaroni Pasta with Vegetables

8-10 oz. macaroni pasta
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
8-9 baby bell peppers, de-ribbed and diced
1 zucchini, sliced and diced
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 small can mushroom pieces, drained
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 c. cream
Parmesan, shredded

Cook the pasta, then drain. Set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, saute the vegetables and mushrooms in a skillet with the olive oil. Season with the salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme. Whisk in the cream. Add the cooked pasta. Stir together, making sure to coat the pasta with the cream. Add in a few pinches of Parmesan. Stir in. Make sure everything is heated through. Serve hot with a few more dashes of Parmesan on each serving.

Definitely a 30 minute meal. And very delicious.

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: http://barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/penne-with-sauteed-vegetables.html

Bacon Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese

2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 slices Italian bread
1 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 Tbsp. canned jalapenos, diced
2 strips of bacon, cooked, cut in half
2 slices Pepperjack (from pre-sliced package)
2 slices Sharp Cheddar (from pre-sliced package)

Preheat griddle to 275 F.

Spread 1 Tbsp. of butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place 1 slice of bread butter-side down on the griddle.

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and the diced jalapenos. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the side of the bread facing up on the griddle.

Layer the 2 slices of Pepperjack on top of the cream cheese mixture. Layer the 4 small slices of bacon over the Pepperjack. Layer the 2 slices of Sharp Cheddar on top of the bacon. Close the sandwich with the remaining piece of bread, butter side up.

Cook until the bottom side is golden brown and the cheese is beginning to melt, about 5 minutes.

When the bottom side is golden, flip the sandwich and cook on the other side, about 3-5 minutes. It's okay to turn the griddle temperature up a little bit at this point, to 300-350 degrees. The cheese should be really melted and oozing.

Serve hot and gooey.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2 inch chunks

Before blending

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 c. vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp. dried sage
lots of black pepper
coriander
garlic powder
pinch of cayenne

Put the squash cubes in a steamer basket; set over large saucepan with boiling water. Cover and cook until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. It should be tender enough to get a fork into it.

While the squash is steaming, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and leek; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook another 1 minute.

When the squash is done steaming, add to the onion mixture. Add all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until squash is very soft, about 10-15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings to what you think tastes good.

Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it is pureed all the way through.

After blending, ready to eat

If you do not have an immersion blender, let the soup cool about 5 minutes after it is removed from the heat, and then, working in batches, puree it in a blender or food processor. Then return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium heat until hot all the way through.

Adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

Guinness Braised Onion Quiche

Plan ahead... needs to chill...

Pie crust

Pie Crust:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4-5 Tbsp. cold water

Quiche:
5-6 slices bacon, diced
1 lb. onions, sliced

Onions just starting to cook

black pepper
1/2 -1 c. Guinness
2 tsp. mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 c.milk
1 tsp. cornstarch
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. cheddar, shredded
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne powder (or more if you prefer)

To make the crust: Pulse the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor to mix. Then add the butter; pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, about 6-8 times. Add a tablespoon of water at a time pulsing in between until it starts to clump together.

Onions caramelizing

Place the dough on a clean surface and shape it into a disc. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Roll the dough into a 12 inch circle about 1/8 of an inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough into the pie plate and form it.

To make the quiche: Preheat oven to 375 F.

Quiche before baking

Cook the bacon in a large skillet or pot over medium high heat until crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Keep the bacon grease.

Add the onions to the bacon grease. Saute about 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Then add in 1/4 - 1/2 c. Guinness. Simmer over medium low heat until the liquid has evaporated. Takes about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally. Repeat this process - add the rest of the Guinness, saute again until the liquid has almost evaporated.

Remove from heat. Add in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Mix together.

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk and the cornstarch. Pour into the onion mixture.

After baking

Add the eggs, only 1/2 of the cheese, salt, cayenne, and more pepper if you'd like. Mix it all up. Pour into the prepared pie dish. Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is turning golden. Enjoy!

Here's a link to the original recipe I adapted: http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/03/guinness-braised-onion-and-aged-white.html.  This guy has some good recipes on his blog; you should check him out.

Egg Roll Stir Fry

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 an onion, chopped

Dinner cooking

lots of black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small head of cabbage
3-4 medium carrots
2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp. cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
4-5 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
sesame seeds
hot cooked rice

Brown the beef in a large skillet with the onion Season with the pepper and garlic powder. When it is almost cooked through, add in the minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 more minutes. Drain any fat.

Using a serrated knife, chop the cabbage. Make sure you use a serrated knife as this will shred the cabbage better while you chop it.

Using a vegetable peeler, shred the carrots.

Ready to eat!

Add all of the ingredients except the sesame seeds and rice to the large skillet with the meat. Toss to coat. Cover and cook over medium heat until the cabbage is wilted, tossing occasionally. Uncover and turn up the heat a bit to burn off some excess liquid. Cook about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted: http://onceamomalwaysacook.blogspot.com/2012/02/egg-roll-stir-fry.html