So did everyone have a good turkey day? I know I did! I stuffed my face with lots of yummy turkey and mashed potatoes with lots of butter, and green bean casserole, and corn casserole and cornbread stuffing ...... Oh yes, there was some button undoing!
But to make myself feel better about all of this indulging, I ran the Turkey Trot Thanksgiving morning. Bright-eyed and bushy tailed, mom, Jeremy and I head down to Eatz to begin my first race. I stretched, I jumped up and down, and I took my runner's lunge. Ok, who am I kidding? But I did stretch and then chatted with some friends before the big bang and we were off. So since I am not a big runner and it was my first race, I only had 2 goals: (1) to finish in under an hour and .... ok, really only one goal! LOL I did have another goal once I saw the race course. I wanted to run to a certain location that I picked ahead of time. Well, after all was said and done: I DID IT! I ran to my set location, which just happened to be a little over 2 miles. Then I walked up the hill and then finished running the rest of the way. After all was said and done, I finished the race in 35:20 minutes! I was very very proud of myself if I am allowed to brag!
So after all of this exercise, I was ready for a feast. And I thoroughly enjoyed every single bite!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Catching up on past recipes
Ok, ok, I know I am completely behind. So in an attempt to catch up I am going to just post some of my past recipes here and then I can start from scratch!
Chicken Marsala
Serves 4
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
Place flour in a shallow bowl; season generously with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium Add chicken and cook until golden on the outside and opaque throughout, about 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cover to keep warm.
Add mushrooms, shallot, sage, and 1/4 cup water to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until mushrooms are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add wine and cream; simmer over medium-high until slightly thickened, around 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter.
Top chicken with mushroom sauce and garnish with sage.
**I did not use any sage and it still turned out delicious! Also, Publix did not have cremini mushrooms so I used shitaki.
Italian Beef Florentine with Savory Pasta
Serves 4
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 beef chuck patties (1 lb)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 packet garlic and herb sauce mix (about 1.5 oz)
1 1/2 cups reduced fat milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups baby spinach leaves (about 3 oz)
1. Place flour on plate. Beat eggs gently, in a shallow bowl, until blended. Combine in second shallow bowl, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
2. Preheat large saute pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Dip patties in flour (coating on both sides) then dip into egg mixture. Finally, dip into bred crumb mixture.
3. Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add patties to pan; cook 2-3 minutes on each side to brown.
4. Reduce heat to medium; cook 2-3 more minutes on each side until internal temp. reaches 160 degrees.
5. Meanwhile, combine sauce mix and milk in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high.
6. Reduce heat on sauce to low; stir in butter and spinach. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often, or until spinach is wilted. Serve sauce over patties.
Savory Pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (19.4 oz) package frozen pasta with cream sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can herb/garlic diced tomatoes (drained)
1. Place oil and pasta mixture in large pan. Cover and cook on medium 8- minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pasta is hot and sauce is dissolved.
2. Stir in tomatoes; cook 1-2 more minutes. Serve.
Best Chili Ever
Serves approx. 8
1 onion
1 1/2 lb ground chuck (I have used lean ground beef and it turns out just as well)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes/sweet onions (undrained)
1 (10 oz) can milder diced tomatoes/green chilies (undrained) (I think I used a 14.5 oz can)
1 (16 oz) can chili beans in mild sauce (undrained)
1 (15 oz) can black beans (drained)
**I have also added 1 can Great Northern Beans or an additional can of Black Beans.
1. Remove ends and peel from onion; chop onion coarsely and divide in half.
2. Preheat large saucepan on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Place beef, chili powder, seasoned salt, pepper, and 1/2 of the onions in pan. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring to crumble meat, or until meat is brown and no pink remains.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients, including remaining 1/2 onions. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
4. Reduce heat to low; cook 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors. Serve.
**Top with cheese and eat with Fritos. It's a great dish for a football Saturday!
Chicken Marsala
Serves 4
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
Place flour in a shallow bowl; season generously with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium Add chicken and cook until golden on the outside and opaque throughout, about 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cover to keep warm.
Add mushrooms, shallot, sage, and 1/4 cup water to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until mushrooms are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add wine and cream; simmer over medium-high until slightly thickened, around 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter.
Top chicken with mushroom sauce and garnish with sage.
**I did not use any sage and it still turned out delicious! Also, Publix did not have cremini mushrooms so I used shitaki.
Italian Beef Florentine with Savory Pasta
Serves 4
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 beef chuck patties (1 lb)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 packet garlic and herb sauce mix (about 1.5 oz)
1 1/2 cups reduced fat milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups baby spinach leaves (about 3 oz)
1. Place flour on plate. Beat eggs gently, in a shallow bowl, until blended. Combine in second shallow bowl, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
2. Preheat large saute pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Dip patties in flour (coating on both sides) then dip into egg mixture. Finally, dip into bred crumb mixture.
3. Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add patties to pan; cook 2-3 minutes on each side to brown.
4. Reduce heat to medium; cook 2-3 more minutes on each side until internal temp. reaches 160 degrees.
5. Meanwhile, combine sauce mix and milk in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high.
6. Reduce heat on sauce to low; stir in butter and spinach. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often, or until spinach is wilted. Serve sauce over patties.
Savory Pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (19.4 oz) package frozen pasta with cream sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can herb/garlic diced tomatoes (drained)
1. Place oil and pasta mixture in large pan. Cover and cook on medium 8- minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pasta is hot and sauce is dissolved.
2. Stir in tomatoes; cook 1-2 more minutes. Serve.
Best Chili Ever
Serves approx. 8
1 onion
1 1/2 lb ground chuck (I have used lean ground beef and it turns out just as well)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes/sweet onions (undrained)
1 (10 oz) can milder diced tomatoes/green chilies (undrained) (I think I used a 14.5 oz can)
1 (16 oz) can chili beans in mild sauce (undrained)
1 (15 oz) can black beans (drained)
**I have also added 1 can Great Northern Beans or an additional can of Black Beans.
1. Remove ends and peel from onion; chop onion coarsely and divide in half.
2. Preheat large saucepan on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Place beef, chili powder, seasoned salt, pepper, and 1/2 of the onions in pan. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring to crumble meat, or until meat is brown and no pink remains.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients, including remaining 1/2 onions. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
4. Reduce heat to low; cook 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors. Serve.
**Top with cheese and eat with Fritos. It's a great dish for a football Saturday!
Oh My Yummy Breakfast Pizzas
I tested these out on my good friend Laura (Hey Sal!) a few weeks ago and I received 2 thumbs up. So I decided to try my hand at them again on both sets of parents the day after Thanksgiving. Again, a crowd pleaser! They are just delicious! So that you too may impress your guests, I will post the recipe:
Fried Egg and Sausage Ciabatta Breakfast Pizzas
serves 8
1 loaf ciabatta bread*
1 cup chopped green onions
8 tablespoons olive oil*
8 ounces sliced hot pepper Moneterey Jack cheese
1 pound spicy or sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
8 large eggs
Preheat oven to 450. Cut bread horizontally in half. Place bread halves, cut side up, on baking sheet. Mix onions and 6 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread oil and onion mixture over bread. Top with cheese.
Saute sausages in large nonstick sillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up with spoon, about 7 minutes. Divide sausage among bread halves. Bake pizzas until cheese melts and bread begins to crisp, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Crack an egg into skillet. Cook until white is solid and yellow is runny. Arrange 1 egg on top of each bread slice. Serve.
* Publix did not have Ciabatta bread, so I tried it with Asiago Cheese Bread and it was DELICIOUS! I will continue to make it with the Asiago Cheese bread instead.
* I did not use a full 8 tablespoons of oil. You don't need this much.
You can easily make this to serve as many people as you need.
Enjoy!
Fried Egg and Sausage Ciabatta Breakfast Pizzas
serves 8
1 loaf ciabatta bread*
1 cup chopped green onions
8 tablespoons olive oil*
8 ounces sliced hot pepper Moneterey Jack cheese
1 pound spicy or sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
8 large eggs
Preheat oven to 450. Cut bread horizontally in half. Place bread halves, cut side up, on baking sheet. Mix onions and 6 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread oil and onion mixture over bread. Top with cheese.
Saute sausages in large nonstick sillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up with spoon, about 7 minutes. Divide sausage among bread halves. Bake pizzas until cheese melts and bread begins to crisp, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Crack an egg into skillet. Cook until white is solid and yellow is runny. Arrange 1 egg on top of each bread slice. Serve.
* Publix did not have Ciabatta bread, so I tried it with Asiago Cheese Bread and it was DELICIOUS! I will continue to make it with the Asiago Cheese bread instead.
* I did not use a full 8 tablespoons of oil. You don't need this much.
You can easily make this to serve as many people as you need.
Enjoy!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Birds in a Hole
Saturday morning breakfast. Homemade bread and a fried egg in the morning - yum!
Take a slice of bread and cut a hole in it with a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass.
Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Place the bread in the skillet and let it get toasty. Then crack an egg in the hole, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for about a minute. Very carefully flip the bread and egg to cook the other side.
I then poured some syrup around the edges of the bread. Sooooo tasty!!!
Take a slice of bread and cut a hole in it with a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass.
Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Place the bread in the skillet and let it get toasty. Then crack an egg in the hole, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for about a minute. Very carefully flip the bread and egg to cook the other side.
I then poured some syrup around the edges of the bread. Sooooo tasty!!!
Supporting the Local Establishment
I had a great time out with some friends last night! We decided to support our local establishment in Southwood: Coach's. Good times were had by all - plenty of drinking, talking, laughing, and a little bit of craziness ("Hey Herpes!" LOL You had to be there). At one point we decided to migrate to Tantra and met up with Justin. Good times had by all. Here are a few photos:
Catherine, me, Jeremy, and Terry:
Rebekah and Catherine:
Nancy and Dustin:
The girls: Nancy, me, Rebekah, and Catherine:
Geof, Justin, and Terry:
Catherine, me, Jeremy, and Terry:
Rebekah and Catherine:
Nancy and Dustin:
The girls: Nancy, me, Rebekah, and Catherine:
Geof, Justin, and Terry:
Friday, November 21, 2008
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ok, after the failed waffle attempt I was somewhat disheartened. Would I ever become the chef I want to be? ;-) Anyway, my next dish was Sweet and Sour Chicken. I was halfway in the process of making this when I realized it had to cook for an hour - ONE HOUR! That's after you've done a bunch of other stuff. Now to "I make everything from scratch" lady, a one hour meal is probably like a walk in the park. But to me, that is approximately 30 minutes longer than I like to spend on dinner! But I was already invested in this meal so I kept up the march. And thank goodness I did. It was the most delicious sweet and sour chicken I have ever tasted! Nothing like that breaded mess you get from a Chinese restaurant. You know what I'm talking about. Where you take a bite and can't even find the chicken amongst the pounds of breading? Yah, that stuff. Well this was just chicken. And it was delicious. Well worth the extra time it takes to make it. In fact, I have made it several times since!
By the way, if anyone is interested in these recipes please let me know (via comment or email). I will try to remember to post the recipes in the future as well.
By the way, if anyone is interested in these recipes please let me know (via comment or email). I will try to remember to post the recipes in the future as well.
Pumpkin Waffles
Ok, I began taking photos of meals I made so I could post about my experiences making them. Well, I built up quite a collection before I started this blog and then I took even longer to download them. So I am trying to go back and remember each dish.
I had seen this awesome sounding recipe on another food blog for pumpkin waffles. I thought "hey! I can do that!" But the woman whose recipe I stole made everything from scratch. Me being as practical as I am said "Why do I need to do that when I have a box of Hungry Jack in the pantry??" WHAT?!? It IS practical! I mean, who has time to make everything from scratch?? In this day and age, a box with "Just Add Water" comes in quite handy! Anyway, moving on. So I figured I would just make my waffle recipe according to my Hungry Jack box and then add in the pumpkin mixture... and maybe a little of the spices the other recipe called for.
So all is going great. Here is my batter (sorry for the bad photos):
Looks tasty. So I started to make my waffles. And you know how most waffles are somewhat crispy coming off the waffle iron? Well, mine did not have that crispy texture. They were, well..... limp. Yes, I had limp waffles. The horror! On the plus side, they still tasted very good.
So this was a bombed experiment. And I'm sure the girl whose recipe I took would be laughing at me and saying "And THIS is why we make things from scratch!"
I had seen this awesome sounding recipe on another food blog for pumpkin waffles. I thought "hey! I can do that!" But the woman whose recipe I stole made everything from scratch. Me being as practical as I am said "Why do I need to do that when I have a box of Hungry Jack in the pantry??" WHAT?!? It IS practical! I mean, who has time to make everything from scratch?? In this day and age, a box with "Just Add Water" comes in quite handy! Anyway, moving on. So I figured I would just make my waffle recipe according to my Hungry Jack box and then add in the pumpkin mixture... and maybe a little of the spices the other recipe called for.
So all is going great. Here is my batter (sorry for the bad photos):
Looks tasty. So I started to make my waffles. And you know how most waffles are somewhat crispy coming off the waffle iron? Well, mine did not have that crispy texture. They were, well..... limp. Yes, I had limp waffles. The horror! On the plus side, they still tasted very good.
So this was a bombed experiment. And I'm sure the girl whose recipe I took would be laughing at me and saying "And THIS is why we make things from scratch!"
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