Chicken Mushroom Stroganoff

I have a lovely red crockpot, that I very rarely use. I will make pulled pork, maybe once every two months, using my crockpot, but other than that, I am really not making much use of it. I frequently come across many slow cooker recipes on Facebook or Pinterest, but few of them grab my attention.

Last Friday, we celebrated a good friends' birthday at my house, and I decided that, instead of trying to cook something after work with people over and my toddler running around, I would remove that element of stress by making dinner in the crockpot.

Here are my modifications / things I would do differently next time:

• Mix the cream of chicken soup (I used an organic one, NOT the Campbell's chock-full of sodium version), dry French onion soup mix, and cream cheese more thoroughly, before pouring on top of diced chicken and mushrooms. The reason behind this is, I found that the sauce was a little lumpy after 8 hours of cooking on low heat. If the wet ingredients had been more thoroughly whisked beforehand, perhaps it would have all melded a little bit better together.
• Overall I enjoyed this recipe, but found it could have used some more spices or herbs to punch up the flavor a notch or two.

Recipe link here!

Brussels Sprouts!

I will admit, I wasn't always a big fan of brussels sprouts. Up until last December, I would not have thought of ordering them in a restaurant. After going to an amazing tapas place in D.C. with my best friend, my worldview changed. I wanted to create that delicious dish of crispy brussels sprouts with lots of olive oil and bacon. To accompany this side dish, I decided to try a recipe for yogurt chicken I had seen a few times in Pinterest (recipe). The only difference was that I used plain yogurt instead of mayo for the chicken. It came out moist and well-seasoned!

Chicken Tortilla Avocado Soup!

My parent's wedding anniversary is in January, and as of last year, the tradition is that instead of giving them a gift, I make them dinner. Last year my boyfriend and I made quite the feast (memories!), but this year I kept it simple and made a chicken tortilla soup, partly inspired by Rachel Ray's recipe. I tweaked it a bit, adding taco seasoning to the chicken and then mashing up a few avocados with lime juice, olive oil, salt, and garlic powder, and then using my small cookie scoop to put a scoop of it in the middle of the soup. Yum!

Baking with Fall Flavors!

Fall is my favorite season - a sentiment that is very much trending across the blogosphere, at the moment. The rich smell of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, the crisp bite of apples, the smooth taste of pumpkin, and the lovely browns, oranges, and reds that bedazzle many a fall-themed table setting. In spite of all my fall lovin', the reality check is this: I live in South Florida, land of perpetual sunshine and heat and humidity. Of course, one can love fall without the changing of the leaves, cooler temperatures, and apple picking, but it sure is lovely when those traditions are in play. And since yesterday marks the official beginning to the fall season, I would like to share some of my recent recipes inspired by the warm flavors of autumn.

Apple Cinnamon Cookies, recipe from Joy the Baker!

Strawberry lemonade cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese icing, recipe from Annie's Eats! I made these for a friend's pool party last weekend and they were a big hit! My serving suggestion? A bottle of the world's best Pinot Grigio - Santa Margherita! ;)

When I was in college in Lugano, Switzerland, one of my favorite things to eat was pizza. Pizza made in Italy and "Switaly", as we called small Italian-speaking region of Switzerland where we lived, is nothing like pizza made here in the U.S. The size is smaller, generally one pizza for one to two people, the list of possible toppings are endless and all fresh, and the crust tends to be thinner. In short, pizza in Europe is fabulous. My favorite pizza was called the "Bismarck" and I recently found two great Italian places here in South Florida that serve a version of it. One is my favorite local Italian cafe/bakery, Cosi Duci, and the other, a relatively new find for me, Panaretto Pizzeria, both locations run by true Italian owners/servers/etc.

Next is a simple dinner meal I made last week. Instead of the traditional egg wash and then flour/breadcrumb mixture dredging for fish - I chose to make something different. I took several different types of nuts, pulverized them in my Magic Bullet, and then dipped tilapia filets in beaten egg, before covering them in the nut mixture. I put the filets to bake with a bit of olive oil and they came out great! Yummy nutty flavor and nice texture. The nuts I used were a combination of: almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and pine nuts! I served roasted veggies alongside the fish, a mix of butternut squash, yellow squash, and zucchini.

Another night, I made a simple rice salad with shrimp, avocado, small pieces of fresh mozzarella and cannellini beans (they are my go-to beans!). This is a delicious, simple meal that could be lunch or dinner.

Last but not least, my final dinner meal made last week was chicken cutlets marinated in freshly minced garlic, dried oregano, and pomegranate-infused balsamic vinegar! It was tart, flavorful, and delicious! I highly recommend investing in different fruit flavored balsamics! I served the chicken with roasted broccoli florets.

Another favorite fall cookie flavor is pumpkin! You can't go wrong with this tasty classic orange ingredient. I used a recipe from My Baking Addiction, and added butterscotch chips and walnuts to the delicious scents of spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. These cookies were the perfect size, about two bites, and a wonderful chewy texture. They were a big hit at work!

Summer Salad Lovin'!

My desire to cook a bunch of fabulous, well-seasoned ingredients and then artfully display them in a serving dish has not abated! I came up with tonight's dinner also on the fly in the supermarket - all I knew for sure that I wanted, was to be able to pile all the ingredients onto my boyfriend's lovely colorful platter and serve. I decided to keep some ingredients from my previous family-style salads, such as white cannellini beans and bite-size balls of fresh mozzarella (bocconcini!). I decided to make rice pilaf as the base, so I boiled long-grain rice in a mix of water, olive oil, and white wine (Santa Margherita - the only white anyone should cook with!). I added garlic seasoning, chicken bouilon, and dried parsley for flavor. I diced thin chicken cutlets into one inch pieces and seasoned them with sea salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil to tie it all together. Then I filled a baking sheet with diced zucchini, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes, doused in a healthy amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper. I roasted the tray of veggies for just under an hour, until the tomato skins had just popped and the zucchini and yellow rounds looked thoroughly roasted. Once everything cooled, I assembled the salad, layer by layer. First a drizzle of olive oil, and then I spread the garlicky rice pilaf onto the platter. Next I spread out the cannellini beans, topped with the bocconcini (mozzarella). I then filled the chicken in the center and topped with a spoonful of roasted veggies. The remainder of the roasted veggies I tucked onto the sides of the salad. I love the colors and contrasting textures!

Beautiful pops of color combined with the delicious flavor of slow-roasted vegetables. No "30 minute meals" here! Flavor takes time to seep into ingredients, to be absorbed by plain canvases such as rice or chicken.

Yesterday I went to brunch with some fabulous ladies and in honor of that occasion, I baked banana espresso chocolate chip muffins, recipe courtesy of Annie's Eats. I added a swirl of peanut butter and a handful of walnuts (are they not the perfect pairing to bananas whilst baking?) and they were a hit! A doubled the espresso powder and added a bit more mascarpone to compensate, and they were a great accompaniment to our mimosas (involving Prosecco of the Cupcake Wines variety, of course!)

Overall, lovely times spent in the kitchen this weekend! Next up is a very intriguing Joy The Baker cookie recipe I've had my eye on.... Stay Tuned!

Tiramisu and Mini Pot Pies!

Following my successful attempt at panna cotta last week, and in light of the oppressive heat down here in South Florida, I decided to try my hand at another creamy Italian classic - tiramisu! I had to invent a little because upon returning home from the grocery store, I discovered I had forgotten the ladyfingers, a rather integral component as any tiramisu-lover would know! I ended up mostly going my own way on this recipe, but I did take some inspiration from Confections of a Food Bride.

First off, I decided to use an assortment of glasses to house individualized portions of tiramisu instead of making a larger one to cut pieces out of. I used martini glasses and highball glasses. For the base, I crushed some shortbread cookies and pressed them down into the bottom of the glasses. Then I whipped mascarpone, vanilla extract, sugar and heavy cream together to make the first creamy layer. I made a second creamy layer with mascarpone, vanilla, sugar, and espresso to make a lovely caramel colored, coffee scented cream. I layered the two different creams by piping them into the glasses using ziplock bags with the corners cut out. For the next layer, I took the remainder of the crushed shortbread cookies and mixed them with espresso to make a crumbly, chunky layer and spread that on as well. For the final layer, I whipped heaving cream together with sugar and then topped with cocoa power. Voila! A little invention, a little substitution, and a delicious creamy, coffee dessert awaits in my fridge. :)

For dinner I made mini chicken and veggie pot pies - couldn't be any easier! I made shredded chicken breasts by baking them in tented tinfoil until cooked through, then combining in a hot oiled pan with onion, garlic, peas, corn, lentils, and white wine. To form them, I Pam-sprayed two cupcake tins, and then mixed up some Bisquick baking mix with eggs and milk. I filled the bottom of the tins with a little Bisquick, and then a big spoonful of the pot pie mix, and topped with a bit more Bisquick. They bake for less then half an hour and are very flavorful and filling! Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker.

Chicken Enchiladas, Part Two!

I am a big fan of homemade Mexican food. Beans, sour cream, avocado, cheese, tortillas ... what's not to love? The ingredients are delicious, and versatile. With a few pantry staples and spices, you can whip up your own version of a taquito, enchilada, burrito, quesadilla, etc! My first attempt at chicken enchiladas was back in April but I knew I needed to try them again. For lunch today, I decided to make them, but minus the red sauce. My goal was to use ingredients I had on hand and to not run to the store last minute!

I had some leftover chicken cutlets in balsamic vinegar from dinner last week, so I shredded them and then marinated them with lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Next I diced some slices of Swiss and muenster cheese, and started to form the enchiladas. I rolled the chicken, black beans, and cheese bits in corn tortillas.

Assembled enchiladas, with cubed cheese on top.

Baked, golden brown, bubbly goodness!

I mashed up an avocado with a bit of lime juice and salt and slathered it on top of the enchilada pieces, along with some sour cream.

Yum! :)

Update!

I haven't updated in so long! I have been traveling a bit, I went to my best friend's graduation in D.C., my baby cousin's wedding in Micanopy (FL) and Orlando with the parentals. I also started a new job at a law firm - and I am loving it thus far! This week I have still been training a fair bit at work, so I only managed to cook one night. I went to an old standby - chicken cutlets in pomegranate balsamic vinegar and red wine (the Cupcake Red Velvet - one of my favorites!) along with roasted yellow squash and zucchini slices. I made a simple bed of greens with baby spinach tossed in lemon olive oil and white wine vinegar to go with the chicken.

I love the dark color of the chicken as it absorbs the vinegar and wine!

The other nights went a little something like this .....

Scallops over creamed corn!

Garlic toast, filet mignon, and baked blue cheese!

GIANT ice cream cake!

Italian Chicken with Asparagus!

Since I made my Pomegranate Balsamic Chicken last week, I have been thinking of other marinades I could make for chicken breasts (as well as fish, and other meats). I remember last year my friend made chicken marinated in Italian dressing and wanted to try it. Normally I am wary against anything that comes in a bottle or box, especially salad dressings and vinaigrettes, simply because its often easier (and 100x healthier) to make it yourself at home. Even the simplest dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper is delicious, healthy, and super easy to whip up at home.

However I was pressed for time on Saturday, having baked Margarita Cupcakes in the morning (after first going out to buy a bottle of tequila and telling the dumbfounded cashier it was for baking), and then went to Miami to go on a booze cruise with friends, so I needed to make a quick and substantial lunch to keep me going through the aforementioned cruise. I marinated the chicken breasts in a whole bottle of Italian dressing in the morning and then when it was time to put it in the oven, I added diced shallots, garlic, and white wine. The trick is to let it cook for a long time in the oven, the longer it roasts in the heat, the more tender it becomes as well as the more it absorbs all the flavoring liquid it is basting in. (This chicken tasted even better the next day when I served leftovers!) To accompany the chicken, I roasted asparagus on a baking sheet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon. The combination made for a simple lunch!

Balsamic Chicken and Caramel Cookies!

My parents just got back from a week long trip to California. They traveled to Napa Valley, Sonoma, Sausalito, and San Francisco (I know I'm jealous!). They visited gorgeous wineries and stores, specifically this incredible one called Olivier. They brought me back a lovely pomegranate balsamic vinegar and lemon olive oil (preserved lemons inside the bottle - so cool!). I wanted to use both the liquids in a dish and found the perfect recipe from my friend's blog Test My Recipes.

The pretty bottles....

I adapted her Balsamic Chicken recipe to incorporate the pomegranate and lemon flavors, and substituted dried thyme and oregano for fresh thyme and rosemary. I am not a mustard fan, so I swapped the Dijon for some Portuguese white wine (otherwise known as 'vinho verde'). I served the chicken breasts with a side of creamed spinach and it made for a very flavorful dinner!

For dessert, I made chocolate caramel sea salt cookies from Gimme Some Oven! I added some instant espresso to kick up the chocolate flavor. These cookies are a total game-changer! I have always been a total salt fiend in my savory foods, but never gave it a second thought with baking. I have thus been converted! A sprinkle of sea salt over anything chocolatey - sold! Love the idea.

Chicken Enchiladas

For once I was in a non-Italian mood and decided to try my hand at Mexican/Tex-Mex. I had an inkling to attempt enchiladas but couldn't find a cohesive recipe to follow, so I merged Rachel Ray's version with Tyler Florence's. I was a little apprehensive of the sauce flavor, and next time I will make it more flavorful and a little bit more spicy, but it worked! I caved and bought the bag of generic Mexican blend cheeses but I was glad I did - they were great!

Love the bubbly, crispy cheesiness! Enchiladas definitely require some broiling.

My boyfriend said he wasn't a fan after his first bite - and then cleaned the remaining half of the dish! (Most of the first half was gone thanks to my dad!) This wasn't my favorite dinner, but evidently it is a good one for the mens ;)

Chicken Chorizo Soup!

Yesterday I made Rachel Ray's Chicken Chorizo Soup. I used tricolor fingerling potatoes, shallots (instead of onions), black beans (instead of kidney beans), left out the red pepper and hot sauce, and topped with colorful tortilla strips. The soup is very flavorful, it has a kick from the chorizo and its chunky consistency makes it a very hearty dinner!

Made on 04/03/2012.

Chicken Piccata and Couscous!

One of my favorite chefs is Giada De Laurentiis, who never steers me wrong! The woman is beautiful and can cook, is there a better combination? Last night I made Giada's Chicken Piccata!

Made on 02/07/12.

I also ventured out of my comfort zone and made my own accompanying side. I've had a bag of Israeli couscous in my pantry for longer than I care to admit, and finally decided to make it last night. First I sauteed two diced shallots with three minced garlic cloves in olive oil over medium heat, and then added two diced zucchinis. After cooking the couscous in boiling, salted water and fluffing it with a fork, I added the veggie mix and topped with sea salt, black pepper, and lemon zest. The dish was bright and fresh, and went great with the lemony/garlicky Chicken Piccata. :)

Chicken Tortilla Soup and Garlic Corn Muffins!

Annie's Chicken Tortilla Soup!

Made on 02/03/12.

Served with Giada's Garlic Corn Muffins!

Made on 02/03/12.