Thanksgiving!! -- Easy Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry... Turkey's best friend.
A Thanksgiving table is hardly itself without Turkey's right hand man on the table - Cranberry Sauce.

It's super easy and way more impressive to say you made it yourself 

instead of plopping it out of a can.

I start by boiling equal parts water and sugar (1 cup of each) in a small pot - for less sweet cranberry sauce use 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup of sugar.

Once it has come to a hard simmer/boil - add in 3 cups of fresh cranberries.

Cover, mixing occasionally until all the cranberries pop. You can encourage them by taking a wooden spoon and pressing them on the side of the pot.

Once all the cranberries have popped - turn off the heat and add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp orange zest, 1 tsp salt. Mix well.

The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

For fun I added a little something extra to my cranberry sauce.. toasted chopped walnuts!

They help to balance out the sweetness of the sauce and add a little texture.

Yum!

Enjoy!!

Chicken, Mushroom and Chard with Pesto

Tonight I decided I wasn't going to the grocery store and I'd use things that were in the fridge or the garden to make dinner.

I think it's really fun, I feel like I'm on "Chopped" (the Food Network show)

except I don't have a time restriction.

Anyway, I had some left over chicken from the night before, I found some rainbow chard and kale in the garden. I also found basil, which inspired me to make a pesto.

I started by dicing mushrooms, chard, kale, and onion (about 1/4 cup each).

I also minced some garlic (about 2 cloves).

I diced about a cup of cooked chicken.

In a food processor I made pesto:

1/4 cup basil

1/8 cup toasted walnuts

2 tbs shredded asiago cheese

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs milk

Salt and pepper

Pulse until all the ingredients keep together.

Next, I cooked about 1 - 2 cups of pasta in salted water.

In a sauce pan I warmed 2 tbs of olive oil over medium heat.

Add mushrooms and onions, cook for about 2-3 minutes and add garlic, cook an additional 2 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Next, I splashed about 1/3 cup of white wine in the pan and added the kale and rainbow chard.
Let the wine simmer for about 2 minutes, until the alcohol has cooked out.
Stir in pesto.

After the pasta is done cooking, add it immediately to the veg mixture.

Before you stir, shred on some asiago cheese onto the warm pasta.

Mix all of the ingredients together, serve with asiago shredded on top and enjoy!!

Cherry "Cobbler"

This is a recipe my step mom came up with many years ago when we were in Michigan visiting family. It instantly became my favorite and one of my go-tos!

I love this recipe because it's minimal mess and so delicious!

The sides are slightly crunchy and the middle is tender and chewy.

The cherries are slightly tart and the cake is sweet.

A perfect combination!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 can tart cherries
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain cherries, in a bowl mix cherries with 1 1/2 cups sugar. Set aside.

In a pie pan or square baking dish melt 1 stick of butter, stir 3/4 cup sugar and mix well.

Add in milk, vanilla and egg - Mix well.

Add in flour and mix well again.
It's okay if the mixture is lumpy, it will cook out.

Pour cherry mixture over the cake mixture, 

make sure you pour all of the juice that was created as well.

Place in the oven in the middle rack for about 30 - 40 minutes until the middle has risen to about the same height as the sides.

Serve hot with vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!!

Thanksgiving!! -- Best Ever Stuffing!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!

I loooove Thanksgiving.

And I like to pretend calories don't exist on T-Day.

I wear stretchy pants and eat all day long.

I'm a stuffing/dressing freak. 

I always call it stuffing even though I don't stuff it in anything - so then it's technically dressing...

Stuffing, stuffing, stuffing!!!!

One of my absolute favorite things in the whole world!

My step mom and I have a standing joke about how it barely makes it to the table Thanksgiving day.

We always make it first in the morning and nibble on it all day long. Sometimes we have to hide it from ourselves so it makes it to dinner.

I use the box stuffing, but it's what you add to it that makes it your own and extra delicious.

I add tons of textures and flavors to mine to make it just absolutely perfect in my opinion.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 box of seasoned "stuffing/dressing"
• 2 sticks of butter
• 1 medium gala apple, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3-4 stocks of celery, diced
• 1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
• 1 cup craisins
• 2-3 cups chicken stock or veggie stock
• Sage
• Celery salt
• Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees 

Start by chopping the onion and celery, I like bigger chunks but it's about preference, if you like smaller pieces, cut them smaller. 

Melt the butter in a large iron skillet or pan on medium heat.

Saute onion and celery until almost transparent, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice up your apple into similar size chunks as the veg.

Add in the apple and saute another 3-5 minutes.

Season with salt, pepper, sage, celery salt and onion powder, a nice amount of each, maybe a tablespoon.
Add in the craisins, so they have a chance to rehydrate themselves with the butter before the bread soaks it all up.

Next, add in the stuffing mix and mix well so the bread absorbs the butter and delicious flavors.

Pour about 2 cups of chicken stock over the stuffing, if you like it more moist, go ahead and add more chicken stock.

Add in chopped, toasted walnuts (to toast, place in a dry pan over medium-low heat, stirring often until you can smell them and they are lightly toasted).

Mix well, I like to use a fork so the stuffing doesn't get too lumpy and stuck together, instead you "fluff" it.

Place in the oven for about 15 minutes.

This stuffing is crunchy, tender, salty and sweet.

Its just SO good.

Enjoy!!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction

The best time of the whole year is here!! (In my opinion). Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and luckily I get to celebrate it twice! It's so fun to play with the old classics and I'm going to share a few of my favorite holiday recipes!

For starters: My Roasted Brussel Sprouts!

I think a lot of people don't like brussel sprouts because they haven't had them this way.

The first time I had them they were boiled... ew. No wonder they aren't a big hit at the table.

I love roasted vegetables, and brussel sprouts turn out so beautifully when cooked this way.

Here's what you'll need:

• Brussel Sprouts
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Reduction (My favorite is Rachael Rays)
• Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

I always like to cut off the little stump on the bottom of the brussel sprout, this is totally optional and you can leave it if you'd like. Cut the brussel sprouts in half. Drizzle with olive oil salt and pepper, toss to coat. Roast on a sheet pan for about 20-30 minutes until tender.

Move to a bowl and toss with balsamic reduction, salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup!

This soup is a winner!

I love this soup! It's so perfect for a cold night. 

So many different tastes and textures. I just can't get enough!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 3 tortillas, sliced
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• sour cream and mexican-blend cheese for garnish

In a pot, pour 2 tbs of olive oil, add diced onion and saute for about 2-3 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Next add the jalapeno and garlic (for a spicier soup you can leave the seeds and the ribs of the jalapeno on and add them to the soup, for less spice remove seeds and ribs.) and cook an additional 2 minutes, also seasoning with salt and pepper. Next add the chicken broth and fire roasted tomatoes, bring to a boil. Add the raw chicken breasts and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the soup, set aside and let cool for shredding later. Let soup simmer for about 10 minutes, uncovered. Let the soup cool for a bit, a hot soup going into the blender is never a good idea. Once the soup has cooled a bit, blend the soup. Return the blended soup to the pot and add in black beans, corn, and shredded chicken, bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and add lime juice and cilantro. 

Meanwhile slice up tortillas, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and cook in a 375 degree oven for about 5 - 10 minutes, until crispy. Keep an eye on the tortilla strips, they will go fast.

To serve, pour soup in a bowl, top with cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, and tortilla strips.

Enjoy!

The Best Banana-Nut Bread!

I got the baking bug the other day, it gets me every once in a while and I have to make cookies or brownies or muffins or SOMETHING. Something sweet.

I also had old bananas staring me in the face screaming at me to make banana bread.

So it happened, I made banana muffins. I made muffins mostly because for some reason I don't have a loaf pan, and muffins seem easier to give away and eat as individual servings.

Here's what you'll need:

• 3 very/overly ripe bananas
• 1 stick of room temp. butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbs milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

In a large bowl, mix together sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Next add milk, vanilla and cinnamon.

On a plate, mash bananas with a fork and combine with wet mixture.

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add to wet mixture in thirds. Mix until combined but do not over mix - over mixing will make for tough bread.

Add in toasted walnuts.

Banana bread dough is one of my favorite doughs, I like to live on the edge and eat the raw dough..... It's really, really good!!

Place batter in muffin pan, about 3/4 full.

This recipe should make about a dozen muffins.

Place in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes

Check with a toothpick at 15 minutes, if the toothpick comes out clean then the muffins are done!

Cool on a cooling rack and enjoy!

Cilantro Pesto

Pesto.... ahhhhhh the beautiful combination of basil, cheese, nuts and olive oil..

I think it's fun to play with recipes and mix things up, swap out herbs, add things, replace others..

Cilantro, I love the stuff, and it's wonderful with all sorts of proteins.
This pesto would be great on skirt steak, shrimp, fish, chicken.. the possibilities are endless! ;)

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 bunch of cilantro (about a cup to a cup 1/4)
• 1 lime
• 2-3 scallions
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans
• 1 clove of garlic (chopped)
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

In a food processor combine the zest of 1 lime, chopped cilantro, scallions, toasted pecans (to toast the pecans, place them in a dry pan over medium heat until you can smell them, mixing often), garlic, veg oil, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Voila!

It's that easy and it's so yummy!

Enjoy!

Chicken and Waffles!

This has recently become a huge thing, Chicken and Waffles, at least around my neck of the woods.
It's coming back in a big way in restaurants with fun, new twists on this old classic.

It's one of my boyfriends new favorites and when we couldn't decide what to do for dinner, he came home with the basic ingredients: chicken and bread crumbs - and I got to work!

 

I love the combination of sweet, salty and spicy. And this dish traditionally is big on sweet and salty so I combined all the flavors together for a delicious and satisfying treat!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 lb chicken breast tenders
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• 1 tbs onion powder
• 1 tbs seasoning powder (natures seasons or kirkland no salt seasoning)
• 2 tbs red pepper flake
• salt and pepper 
• 1 cup vegetable oil

Set out 2 plates and a bowl. Crack the eggs in the bowl and beat them. In one dish mix flour with garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning powder, and 1 tbs of red pepper flake. In the remaining dish, combine bread crumbs and the other 1 tbs of red pepper flake. (If you don't like the heat you can leave out the red pepper flake, or use less). Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper (check your seasoning powder to see if it has salt in it, if so you may want to pass on salting the chicken, or use less salt. Also, Costco has a really great "no salt seasoning mix" that I used for this recipe.) 

Next, set up your station in a row - flour dish, egg bowl, panko dish.

Coat the chicken tender in the flour mixture first, then egg, then panko - set chicken tender aside and repeat.

In a sauce pan, heat vegetable oil - you want a shallow bath for the chicken so it is not quite covered, only about half way. Make sure the oil is really hot, you can check the oil by sprinkling in a little flour and if the oil "sizzles" then it's ready.

Make sure to not over crowd the pan, over crowding the pan will lower the temperature of the oil and you won't get that nice brown, crunchy chicken you are looking for. Once both sides of chicken are nice and brown (about 3 minutes on each side) remove and place on a dish lined with a paper towel. Repeat until all of your chicken is done.

For the waffles:

Since this was a last minute dinner decision, I cheated and used a waffle mix.

These days there are so many different waffle mixes and many of them are just as good as a home mixed batter.

Serve the chicken atop a buttered waffle, and drizzle with maple syrup.

For an extra kick and more spice you can add siracha to the top of your chicken as well.

Enjoy!!

The Best Stewed Chicken Ever!

As promised here is the recipe for honestly the best stewed chicken you'll probably ever eat.. ever.

I don't have a great picture of it, probably because we devour it once it's ready!

I love this time of year for many reasons, one being that it's perfect weather for "one pot meals" - stews, soups, chili.. They are some of my favorites!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 pound chicken breast (bone-in)
• 1 pound chicken thigh (bone-in)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 3 tbs flour
• 3 tbs olive oil or bacon grease
• 1 tbs butter
• "Nature's Seasoning" season blend
• Salt and pepper.

To start, remove skin from chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and seasoning blend. Heat dutch oven with 2 tbs olive oil (or bacon grease if you have it. you can also start by cooking a piece of bacon and use that grease. You can add the bacon back in at the end.) Brown both sides of the chicken in batches. It doesn't have to be completely cooked, just browned, you will return it to the pan to finish cooking later. Remove chicken and set aside. Next, add remaining oil and butter - cook carrots, celery, and onion for about 5 minutes, season with salt, pepper, seasoning blend. Add flower and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes, you want to cook out the raw flour taste. Next, return the chicken to the pot and add in chicken broth, it should almost cover the chicken. Cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until the "gravy" is your desired thickness.

Serve with Sour Cream Biscuits.

  

The chicken will be so tender it falls off the bone.
 I promise this will be one of your favorite new go-to recipes.
It's definitely one of mine!

Enjoy!

Sour Cream Biscuits!

These are one of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite biscuit.

These are a must try! They will be your new go-to biscuit!

I always make them with this delicious stewed chicken with this amazing "gravy"

(I'll post that recipe next!)

They are so tender and flaky and delicious!

 And who knew making your own biscuits wasn't insanely difficult?!

Actually, it's probably a lot easier than you think!

What you'll need:

•  4 tbs cold butter (cut into small cubes)
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup light sour cream

Mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt). Add in the butter and the sour cream, breaking up the butter as you go until the cubes are about the size of peas, mix until you can make a disc out of the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 15 minutes, or until you are ready to use it. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the dough into wedges and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top uncooked biscuits with sour cream. Place in middle rack of oven for about 12 minutes. Enjoy!

These are perfect for soaking up gravy (Thanksgiving biscuits? I'm going to try that this year!) I am sure they'd be wonderful for a left-over sandwich, or even just a dinner roll. They are a wonderful addition to any dinner. Hope you guys love these as much as I do!

Not Your Mama's Chicken Salad

One of my new loves is chicken salad.

I'm not a huge fan of mayo and I always associate chicken salad with copious amounts of mayo, so I never ate it growing up.

Once I discovered how to make it myself the game changed!

I add lots of different tastes and textures to take this chicken salad up a notch, and believe me, it is good!

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 medium gala apple
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped/diced almonds
• 1/4 cup craisins 
• 3 tbs light mayo
• 1/4 cup poppy seed salad dressing (Maries)
• Salt and Pepper 

I start by cooking my chicken - preheat the oven to 375, season chicken breasts with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes until it's cooked through, set aside and let rest. I like the taste of toasted almonds, its almost bacon-y, so I toast mine in a dry pan until I can smell them. Meanwhile, dice the onion and apple pretty small. Dice the craisins as well, to keep everything a similar size. You want all of the components to be roughly the same size so you get a little of everything in every bite. Next, you'll dice up the chicken. Once everything is ready, place all the ingredients in a bowl (the chicken will absorb more flavor while its warm, and I think the salad is really good while it's still warm, but you can use chilled chicken as well). Add the mayo and the poppy seed dressing and mix well. You may need more poppy seed dressing or mayo depending on how wet you like your salad or how well it's coming together. Salt and pepper to taste.

Most people are familiar with a chicken salad sandwhich, I'm not here to tell you how to eat your chicken salad ;) but I enjoy mine with pretzel thins! It's really good :) Hope you guys enjoy!