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Southwestern Chicken with Cilantro Rice

What you will need from Trader Joe’s
Southwester Style Chicken - in the raw meat section
Dorot frozen crushed garlic
Dorot frozen cilantro
Frozen cooked Jasmine rice
Canola Oil Cooking Spray
Fresh Jalapenos
1 can of Organic Pinto Beans


(1) Preheat the oven. When the oven reaches 350, place the chicken in a pyrex dish and in the oven. This chicken cooks quickly

(2) Heat the rice according to the instructions.

(3) Spray a fry plan with the canola cooking oil. Add fresh chopped jalapenos.

(4) After about 3 minutes, add 3 cubes of garlic and cilantro.

(5) After the cubes have melted a little, add the rice.

(6) Stir the mixture all together.

(7) For the beans: you can either mix them in the rice or heat them and serve separately.

Stawberry Vodka Photo

I started the Strawberry Vodka process this weekend.  Here is a photo.

Breakfast Burritos

This weekend I had a horseback riding clinic. Roughly translated, this means I spent about 4 hours on both Saturday and Sunday at the barn with my horse. To easy the blow, I made Breakfast Burritos

What you will need from Trader Joe’s
Roast Beef Hash
Eggs
Enchilada Sauce
3 Cheese blend
Large flour tortillas


(1) Cook up the Roast Beef Hash in a fry pan with butter, Tabasco, and a pinch of salt. Since this mixture comes fully cooked in its vacuum seal pouch, it just needs a little browning.
(2) Crack a few eggs on top. Mix the whole thing together and continue to stir while the eggs cook into the mixture. --- If you have it, I would encourage diced fresh jalapenos. DO NOT use the seeds. You will regret it.
(3) Place 3 large spoon fulls of the egg and roast beef hash on to the center of a tortilla.
(4) Top with cheese and enchilada sauce.
(5) Fold the ends of the tortilla in toward the center to create the burrito effect.
(6) Wrap the burrito in tin foil and place in the over for a few minutes.



These are a favorite in my house. Plus, they are a filling breakfast on the run. They are best coupled with a Bloody Mary or a beer.



Enjoy!

Master the Microwave

There is an art to everything in the kitchen. Here are a few tips I have learned to master the microwave.



(1) The key to the microwave is time intervals. Instead of “waving” something for 5 minutes straight, do two 2 minute segments and a 1 minute at the end. The time intervals allow for more evenly heated food with more moisture.
(2) Another trick is plastic wrap. If you are re-heating left-overs or steaming vegetables, you place the food on a plate and cover the plate in plastic wrap. It decreases reheating time and increase moisture in the food. I use this technique with the interval heating.
(3) ***Popcorn Alert*** always use the popcorn setting on the microwave

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Please share your own microwave master techniques…

Rainy Day

Today is definitely a Fresh and Easy day. It is cold and rainy so soup is definitely on the menu.


My plan…. Tomato basil soup with a warm open faced chicken sandwich. Off to the Fresh and Easy pre-prepared section.


(1) Tomato basil soup and cheesy garlic bread – if you don’t have left over chicken in the fridge, pick some up here.
(2) Heat the soup
(3) Shred chicken on top of the garlic bread and place in the oven on a tin foil lined cookie sheet. ** if you have cold asparagus, chop some and add to the top.**
(4) Chicken sandwich should take about 10 minutes on low heat.
(5) A few minutes before you take the chicken sandwich out of the oven, crumble blue cheese on top.
(6) If you are into dark greens, toss some with Petrini’s Classic Italian Salad Dressing. After you pull the chicken sandwich out of the oven, let it cool for a few and top with the greens.

I will take some pictures tonight and add them.


Stay dry

Salmon Sunday

Wild caught salmon is the best!

What I did...
(1) Bought wild caught salmon from Bristol Farms
(2) Placed a piece of tin foil down and then placed a piece of parchment paper on top.
(3) Placed the fish in the middle of the parchment paper.
(4) Added raw asparagus to the sides.
(5) Added Fresh and Easy garlic potatoes to the end
(6) Drizzled extra virgin olive oil on the salmon and asparagus
(7) I sprinkled lemon pepper, Santa Maria seafood rub, garlic salt and regular pepper over the fish and    asparagus.
(8) I folded the tin foil/parchment paper around the fish and placed it in the oven.

BBQ Left Overs

I recently attended a family BBQ. As I tried to escape out the front door, the left-overs fairy caught me. Needless to say, I left the gather with a container full of pre-cooked sausage. What on earth was a going to do with it all.

The following night, I visit Fresh and Easy. I found inspiration in the prepared food isle.


You will need the following from Fresh and Easy...
Fiesta Vegetable Mix (pre but onion and bell peppers)
Spaghetti
Marinara Sauce


(1) Sauté sliced cooked sausage and fiesta vegetable in a pan with olive oil, garlic salt and frozen/fresh basil
(2) Cook spaghetti
(3) Heat sauce
(4) When the vegetables are cooked, I added a serving of spaghetti to a bowl and topped it with marinara sauce. I then added the sausage and vegetable mixture on top.

Add a little grated parmesan to the top and pour a glass of red wine.



Enjoy!

Paula Deen's Baked French Toast Casserole

I recently tried this recipe and it is great.  Perfect for brunch and not too sweet.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/baked-french-toast-casserole-with-maple-syrup-recipe2/index.html

Ingredients


1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt

Praline Topping, recipe follows

Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.



The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.



Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.





Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Saturday Night Clam Bake

Saturday, I decided to try something new. I went to Bristol Farms, picked up clams and went home to experiment.


You will need…






For the Clams:
Clam broth (Better than Bouillon)
Fresh thyme, oregano and parsley
Chardonnay
Sea salt


Sides:
Asparagus
Linguini
Garlic Cheese Bread (Fresh and Easy)
Crumbled Goat cheese (Fresh and Easy)


(1) I mixed 5 cups clam broth, 2 cups chardonnay and1 teaspoon gray sea salt. I turned the heat on high and chopped 1 tablespoon oregano, parsley and thyme. I added the fresh chopped herbs and the clams.

(2) I cooked I container of fresh linguini. Tossed with olive oil before serving.

(3) I turned on the oven and covered a cookie sheet with tin foil. I placed the garlic cheese bread on the sheet and added crumbled goat cheese and truffle salt.

(4) I covered another cookie sheet with tin foil. I place the asparagus down in a line and drizzled extra virgin olive oil and a truffle salt.

(5) I place the asparagus in the oven and waited for the clams to boil.

(6) Once the clams boiled and started to open, I removed the asparagus and put in the bread in the oven.

(7) Once the clams opened, I let them cook for about 3 minutes while fully open.

(8) I placed some linguini, bread and asparagus on each plate. I served the claims, in broth, in a soup tureen in the center of the table. I encouraged people to eat the claims of the linguini and add some of the broth to the pasta.

(9) The bread was also dipped into the left over broth.



The whole thing took minimal time and was fun to make.



ENJOY!

Enhanced Fresh and Easy

Brace yourself… Last night, I lost the will to cook. With a hungry family at home, no motivation to cook and no patience for a night out, what is a girl to do?



FRESH AND EASY… enough said.


I purchased a family size chicken and broccoli fettuccine alfredo. Once at home, I added left over broccoli, left over asparagus, grated parmesan cheese and truffle salt. I added the enhanced mixture to a casserole dish and topped it with grated parmesan cheese. I covered the dish with tin foil and placed it in the oven at 350. After about 20 minutes, I removed the tin foil and allowed the top to brown a little.  When I served, I added a little fresh chopped basil to the top.

The family was happy and so was I (after a glass of red wine).

P.S. Fresh and Easy has Trader Joe’s pricing.

http://www.freshandeasy.com/Default.aspx

Two Easy Sides for Steak…

Last night I broiled Top sirloin steak, made cheese tortellini and a salad. Both sides where quick and went over well…


Cheese Tortellini
(1) Boiled water with sea salt and olive oil
(2) Add the fresh cheese tortellini from Fresh and Easy
(3) When the tortellini was ready to be removed, I used a slotted spoon to remove the pasta directly from the boiling water. I place the hot pasta into a bowl with a lid.
(4) I added garlic oil, truffle salt and parmesan cheese. Flavor to taste.
(5) I placed the lid on the bowl and shook it all up.
(6) Serve.


Salad
(1) I used Trader Joe’s chopped Romaine and fancy greens
(2) I added kalamata olives, capers and marinated artichoke hearts – all jarred from Trader Joe’s
(3) Added some Trader Joe’s crumbled feta and some Italian Dressing (or low Cal Miso Ceasar)
(4) Serve.


My suggestion, start by boiling the water and heating the over to a broil. Season the steak. While the steak is cooking, add the pasta to the water. Make the salad. Remove the pasta from the boiling water and follow the above process. The whole thing will take you 20 minutes max.

If you really want to go all out, get the individual garlic cheese bread from Fresh and Easy. After you remove the steak, through a couple under the broiler while you serve everyone’s plate. Once you serve the plates, the garlic bread should be good to go.

Have I Told You Lately that I LOVE You?

Galeos Miso Ceasar salad dressing will help you drop one dress size.  It holds no weight loss properties but it is a great way to add flavor to salad and vegies with next to no calories.  It does not exactly taste like Ceasar but it does taste good.  If you are not a fan of Ceasar, there are 3 other flavors.  You can find this low Cal delight at Albertson's/Bristol Farms, Wholefoods, Ralphs and Gelsons.  You will find in the refrigerated section.

Stawberry Vodka

During the summer, I make my infamous strawberry vodka. It is the first thing to run out at every party.  Everyone I know loves it and it is supper easy.  All you need is a little preplanning.



The Process….

(1) Get a 1 square gallon plastic container from Smart and Final. I get the spout at the bottom.

(2) Get a large flat of strawberries. You will need enough to fill the container.
(3) Wash the strawberries, cut off the stem and half them. Place the strawberries into the plastic container.

(4) After the container is filled with strawberries, add vodka.  Fill it all the way to the top. The higher quality of the vodka, the better it will taste.

(5) Let this mixture sit a room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks.

(6)  When you are ready to serve, I drain the vodka out of the plastic container (because the strawberries do not look so pretty anymore). I usually serve the strawberry vodka over ice with soda water or lemonade. If you are a big vodka drink, just serve it over the rocks.

Presentation
During the summer, Cost Plus carries large glass containers with a spout at the bottom. These containers are ideal for the presentation of this drink. I would recommend empting the finished product into the glass container and adding a fresh batch of strawberries and pinapple for presentation .  I usually place this strawberry vodka on a seperate table with an assortment of mixers, ice and glasses. 

Alternatives
I have also made this same drink with raspberries, oranges, watermelon and pineapple. As general rule of thumb, I only use the part of the fruit I would eat (ex. remove the peel from the orange).



People tend to underestimate the intoxication power of this drink so WATCH OUT.