Chicken with Sundried Tomato & Goat Cheese with Mashed Cauliflower

Dinner last night was really good.  I made chicken breast with a sundried tomato and goat cheese sauce with mashed cauliflower.  Here are the ingredients you need:

Chicken Breast (2)

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil Spray

White Wine (1/2 cup)

Chicken Broth (1 cup)

Sundried Tomatoes (1 package pre sliced)

Herb Goat Cheese (4 oz)

Cauliflower (2 heads)

Garlic (2 cloves)

Chives (1 large bunch)

Romano Cheese (1/2 cup)

Salt

Pepper

Split each chicken breast in half and season with salt and pepper.  Cook chicken in a pan sprayed with olive oil cooking spray over med-high heat about 6-8 minutes on each side. While the chicken is cooking – start making the cauliflower (below). Once the chicken is cooked through, set aside and keep warm.  In the same pan, add the wine and allow to simmer and reduce a bit.  Once reduced, add the chicken broth and sundried tomatoes until the tomatoes plump up and warm through (about 5 minutes).  Stir in the goat cheese until melted which will thicken and flavor the sauce.  Spoon over the chicken and serve.

Chop the cauliflower florets off the stem and place in a pot with water.  I added about 2 inches of water in a big pt with the cauliflower florets off both heads.  Put the heat on high and allow the cauliflower to cook in the boiling water.  Stir the cauliflower after a few minutes to make sure each piece cooks through.  After about 10 minutes, make sure all pieces are softened.  Drain the water and mash up the cauliflower.  I used an emersion blender which created a great consistency similar to mashed potatoes.  Add in the garlic, chives, Romano cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve alongside the chicken and you have a delicious hearty meal.  Oh – and my handsome husband loved it <3

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats

If you have never had Spaghetti Squash, now is the time to try it.  Most people love spaghetti or pasta dishes, especially the classic Spaghetti & Meatballs.  I made stuffed spaghetti squash boats with sauce, fresh mozzarella, and turkey meatballs – and they were delicious. 

Try and eat spaghetti squash if you never have.  It has great flavor, texture, and can be incorporated into many dishes.  Plus – it is incredibly easy to make.  All you have to do is cut the squash down the center and roast in the oven at 375 for about 45 minutes. I roast mine flesh side facing down so all the excess liquid drains out.  If it is a larger squash, you may have to roast it a bit longer.  When the squash is done, you will be able to take a fork and scrape the flesh of the squash so it forms spaghetti like strand – hence the name.  You can leave the squash strands in the skin of the squash which saves on clean up time! 

While the squash is baking, make turkey meatballs.  This is the same recipe I have used in other recipes, which is ground turkey, garlic, parsley, 1 egg, parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs.  In a bowl, grate 2 cloves of garlic with a fine grater.  Add a bunch of fresh parsley chopped.  Throw in about ½ cup of parmesan cheese (reduced fat).  Combine these ingredients with the ground turkey and mix in 1 egg.  Add breadcrumbs until the meat mixture easily makes meatballs (probably 1/3 cup).  Add salt and other seasonings if you wish.  Make small meatballs using a tablespoon measuring spoon.  I prefer smaller meatballs so you can have some in each bite.  Bake the meatballs at 375 for about 20 minutes. 

Take the squash boats, add your favorite sauce, add some meatballs to each and some cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese.  Bake in the oven for another 10 minutes until the sauce is warmed through.  These are SO filling and very delicious.  The possibilities are endless with spaghetti squash – I have another in the fridge as they were buy one get one free and will be making them again next week but with different toppings!

Weeknight Meals x 3

This week has been incredibly busy with work, but as always, I find time to make delicious easy meals for my husband and I.  We went grocery shopping together on Sunday and when we came home we got a lot of prep work done for meals for the week.  Alex made a big batch of hard boiled eggs (he literally makes them perfectly) that I made a yellow curried egg salad with.  I also made crab and cucumber salad with spicy mayo for lunches.  Lastly, I made a big casserole dish of baked oatmeal with bananas, raspberries, and blueberries for quick and easy breakfasts.  Here are some of the meals I made for dinner this week:

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Listen – I am a sucker for a Philly cheesesteak … if I wanted to, I could eat a whole one with the big Philly roll, the steak, onions, and all of the cheese (I prefer American) however I choose not to do this for obvious reasons.  If you are in Philly, you order this type of steak by saying “cheesesteak wit” and this is how it will come.   In order to still get the great taste I decided to healthify this dish a bit.  I bought fresh shaved steak from the grocery store (ask the butcher to do this if it is not pre-packaged) and cooked this in a skillet with chopped onions and fresh garlic.  While the steak is cooking, halve bell peppers and bake them in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Season the meat with salt and stuff this mixture into halved peppers (I like red peppers).  Top the peppers with a piece of slender American cheese and bake for another few minutes until the cheese is melted atop the peppers.  I love this dish because you get all the yummy flavors of a Philly cheesesteak without all the extra calories.  I served this with brussel sprouts tossed in a chunky tomato vodka sauce.  The meal was fast, easy, and delicious after working a long day.

Butternut Squash Soup with Kale, White Beans, & Turkey Meatballs

I made this Wednesday afternoon before going to work at 3pm so dinner could be ready for when Alex got home from work.  I know it may sound silly to some of you – but I enjoy having food for him after he works all day too … even if I am going to work as well.  I know he would do the same for me, it is just that we both prefer my cooking ;) In a large pot sprayed with olive oil cooking spray, sauté half of a red onion.  Add a fresh bay leaf and a few sage leaves into the oil and onions to add flavor (if you do not have fresh ingredients – dry would be fine) .  Peel and chop a butternut squash into cubes and add to the pot.  Then, add 1 large and 1 small container of chicken stock and simmer until the squash is tender.  At this point, add 2 cans of drained and rinsed white beans and 1 large bunch of kale chopped up.  Allow the soup to continue to simmer for about 45 minutes and remove the fresh herbs.  While the soup is cooking, mix turkey ground meat, lots of fresh garlic and parsley, salt, 1 egg, and panko breadcrumbs until the mixture is a good consistency for meatballs.  Shape the mixture into tiny balls and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Add the meatballs into the soup and enjoy!  The soup is very hearty and perfect for this time of year.  The impact of flavor from the meatballs makes the soup so good!

Salmon Fish Tacos with Slaw & Sriracha Ranch

I am sitting here with a very full belly as I write this but the best part is … it isn’t one of those overly-full-you-feel-like-you-could-throw-up kinds of feelings.  We both loved it, it was healthy, satisfying, and delicious.  Combine coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) with thinly sliced red onion in a bowl.  In a small bowl, add 2 tbs white vinegar, 2 tbs honey, juice from half of a lime, salt, garlic powder, and fresh cilantro.  Pour this mixture over the slaw and mix together … set this aside for now.  Next, add light ranch dressing with sriracha sauce to your liking – again set this aside.  Slice up avocado and squeeze lime juice over them to prevent them from turning dark, have shredded cheese ready, and sour cream if you would like in addition to any other toppings (these are enough for us as they are packed with flavor).  Season salmon however you would like (I used salt, cumin, and paprika) and sear on the stove in olive oil.  Once the salmon is cooked, serve everything up with some warmed corn tortillas.  Flour tortillas would be fine or any other  - but the corn tortilla gives an authentic taste.  Layer the tortilla with salmon, cheese, slaw, avocado, siracha sauce, and a squeeze of fresh lime.  These are delicious … I also just had slaw with all of the toppings as a salad opposed to the tortilla and it was equally delicious.

I hope you like these meals as much as we did.  I look forward to the other meals I am making this week and weekend and look forward to sharing them soon.  Have a great rest of the week … and take some time to hug someone or tell them you love them … just for good measure !

5 Ingredient Fix ... Sausage & Spinach Soup

Prior to Thanksgiving, I had bought bulk Italian sausage for some recipes I had to make for various things.  On my way home today, I was trying to figure out what I could do with the remaining 5 links to make a quick and easy meal.  Well, it just so happens that I made the best soup ever.  No really – it is my new favorite!  It took 15 minutes and only 5 ingredients!  Here is what you need (I happened to have all of these things which is how I came up with this simple delicious soup):

• Italian Sausage (any variety – sweet, mild, hot, turkey … )
• 1 can stewed tomatoes (with celery, onions, and green pepper included)
• 1 can white beans rinsed (such as Cannellini)
• 1 small container of beef stock (use stock opposed to regular broth, its more flavorful)
• 1 frozen bag of creamed spinach

That is all you need for this delicious 5 ingredient fix!  Take the sausage out of the casing and brown in a pot.  Make sure the sausage is broken up into crumbles and remove the extra grease.  Once browned, add the can of tomatoes with the liquid.  Break the stewed tomatoes up into smaller pieces.  Add the rinsed beans to the pot.  Stir these ingredients together and let sit for like 3 minutes.  Add the container of beef stock and bring to a simmer.  In the meantime, microwave the bag of creamed spinach following the directions.  Once cooked, add into the pot and stir.  The “creamed” part with mix into the broth and the spinach adds great flavor and color to the dish.  I am telling you … this is sooo good!  I did add just a dash of salt and garlic powder but I do not count those as ingredients! Such a comforting and delicious soup and my handsome husband loved it too!

If you make it, let me know how you liked it please !!

Thanksgiving

Well it is already time for Thanksgiving!  Every year we eat dinner at my husband’s Aunt’s house where they make a beautiful spread with all of the classic thanksgiving dinner dishes.  I always make pumpkin cheesecake to bring for dessert and an appetizer or side dish.  This year, I am making sausage and spinach stuffed mushrooms (requested by the family) and goat and cranberry phyllo cups.  I will get to those recipes in a few minutes.

I have noticed lately, mostly today and yesterday, how stressed people were about tomorrow.  I have heard people upset about having to go to the grocery store with all of the crazy shoppers, having to make food, and having to travel.  It makes me wonder what people are thinking about when it comes to thanksgiving.  I can honestly say that even if we didn’t have a traditional meal, ate peanut butter and jelly, and just hung out with my husband’s family … I would be perfectly content with that.  I do have to agree that going grocery shopping this time of year is nutso.  My foot got ran over with a shopping cart yesterday … the person had to have known … but kept on strolling.  I of course responded with “Happy Thanksgiving” … since my kill em with kindness sarcasm tends to keep me going throughout the day!  Anyways, I guess what I am trying to say is instead of focusing on what stresses us out this thanksgiving, let’s really focus on what we are thankful for.

First and foremost, I am thankful for my husband.  I tell him this often, and I am not sure if he will enjoy this public recognition, but it is how I feel.  He is one of the hardest working people I know and has provided me with a life that I am incredibly thankful for.  He is what keeps me going every day and I am lucky to have him as my best friend and husband.

I am incredibly thankful for my parents.  They had my sister and me at a young age and did one hell of a job at raising us and giving us everything we needed to succeed in life.  I still look to them for guidance when I am having a tough day and am blessed to be able to do so.

That leads me to my sister.  I am so thankful that my sister is also my friend … she is one person who can make me laugh all of the time.  I am so happy to also have my great brother-in-law Patrick (aka Dr. Pooh) and a little baby niece on the way. 

I am thankful for my grandparents.  I know that at my age I am incredibly lucky to still be able to create memories with my “Gug” and “Guggabull” and my Gram.  I am also thankful for the memories that I have from my Pap.

 

For my other family … I always talk about just how close my extended family is.  I am very close with my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and I know that is not always the case.  I love my family more than anything and am incredibly thankful for each and every one of them.  On a side note – I am also thankful for all of the memories I have with my Aunt Michelle. 

My second family, or my in-laws, has also made me feel so welcome into their family since the day I met them.  Words can’t express how thankful I am to have them in my life, especially when some live very close to us.  It is a nice feeling to have in-laws that I care about so deeply! This is especially true for Alex’s grandmother “MomMom” … I love her to the moon and back!

And to my family that I was able to choose … my friends.  I have AMAZING friends and am so thankful for each and every one of them.  My friends back in Pittsburgh keep me grounded and I know that they are always just a phone call away.  It isn’t every day that you see a group of girlfriends from middle school continue to be friends into adult hood.  This is especially true for my first best friend Katie, who remains my best friend to this day!  I am also very lucky to have my friends out here.  Being away from home is hard, but when you are surrounded by friends you love, it makes it easier!

I am also thankful for many other things … like my job, our house, our cars, and most importantly, our son Monkey. 

OK – on to the food.

Mushrooms are super easy.  Clean the mushrooms and take the stems off and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  While those are cooking, brown up some sweet Italian turkey sausage.  In a food processor, chop up 1 small onion, 2 stalks of celery, garlic, and parsley.  Add the mixture into the sausage once it has browned.  Add 1 box of spinach that has been thawed and drained.  Add 1 cup of cubed pieces of bread or stuffing mix and season the mixture to taste. Add ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese.  Allow the mixture to cool and add 1 egg.  Drain the mushrooms caps and stuff each one generously.  Bake for 15 minutes and you have a delicious little appetizer. 

The tarts are very easy as well.  Buy frozen phyllo dough cups, goat cheese, parsley, and cranberry (compote or canned).  Mix the goat cheese and parsley and fill the cups.  Add a dab of the cranberry on each one and bake at 350 for approx 10 minutes. 

Lastly, the cheesecake! Use 3 blocks of cream cheese and mix with ¾ cups of sugar.  Add a tbs of vanilla and continue to beat.  Add 3 eggs (one at a time)  and continue to beat until smooth.  Add 1 cup of canned pumpkin and a few dashes of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.  Continue to beat the mixture.  Once everything is blended well, pour into a graham cracker crust (I buy pre-made).  The filling makes enough for 2 cheesecakes!  Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees and you have 2 great desserts to take with you to your thanksgiving meal!!

Big shout out to one of my best friends, Jess!  Her baby is due this week and I wish her and Chris well wishes as they start this new chapter in their life! Love you BOTH so much!

Lastly, I am thankful to all of you … those of you who read my blog.  I know not everyone follows and not everyone comments, but I know people are looking and it makes me very happy!  In fact – I have views from every continent now!!  This is something I love to do and it is very reassuring that people are interested.  I wish EVERYONE a very HAPPY THANKSgiving!!

Love,

Kate

Shrimp & Sausage Stew

I made a dinner this week that was extremely flavorful and incredibly easy to make!  I came home after a day of working 12+ hours and cooked a quick stovetop stew for dinner that evening.  I was happy that it was so quick to make because I was exhausted from work and wanted to have as much time as possible to spend with Alex this particular evening, and not in the kitchen.  I am also happy that it was so good, because this is now my husband’s FAVORITE meal I have made. 

I made a shrimp and sausage stew that was packed full of fresh ingredients and flavor.  In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, add 1 chopped green bell pepper (you can use any color, green just happened to be on sale) and sauté for approximately 4 minutes. Then add one package of smoked turkey sausage and sauté for a few more minutes.  Add minced garlic to the peppers and sausage (I probably used greater than a heaping tablespoon because we love garlic) and let cook with the peppers for about 1 minute.  Add chicken broth to the pot (I used one large container of low sodium chicken stock) and 1 can of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies (do not drain, add the entire contents into the pot).  Allow the liquid to warm up to a gentle boil, and add 1 can of kidney beans and fresh peeled shrimp (I probably threw in about 20 pieces for the whole pot).  Allow the shrimp to cook through and become pink, approximately 6-8 minutes.  Serve the soup and sprinkle with fresh parsley for an extra burst of fresh flavor!  The stew is SO good, has a bit of a spicy flavor from the chilies and tomatoes, a smoky flavor from the sausage, and a salty freshness from the shrimp. 

I had to work 3-11 that following evening, and there was 1 bowl of the stew left in the refrigerator (After I had 1 bowl and my husband had about 3).  Apparently, he was very excited to eat it when he got home from work and stopped to get oyster crackers on the way home.  He came home, warmed up the soup, and was about to eat it when he texted me:

I was busy at work but answered … and apparently my answer made him put the soup back and eat something else!  I was so happy when I got home and had the bowl … haha!  I of course wouldn’t have been upset if he ate it, but I was really looking forward to it also!  I guess this just means that I have to make a double batch and more often! Maybe I will even go out and make my handsome husband this stew tonight since he was so sweet this week …

Halloweenie

Last night we attended a Halloween party at Karen and Luke’s house!  I was dressed as Wendy and my handsome husband was dressed as Waldo.  I wanted to bring some food and drinks to the party… since that is what parties revolve around.  I made an appetizer and dessert as well as two different premade shots. 

The appetizer I made was spinach balls!  Listen – these are SO easy.  They consist of 1 box of stuffing mix (I used stove-top chicken flavored – but you can use any kind), 2 boxes of frozen spinach (drained well), 4 eggs, ½ cup of parmesan cheese, 1 small onion diced, and garlic power.  Combine all the ingredients together and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Surprisingly – these were the first thing to go!

The dessert I made was Oreo Truffles.  It was the first time I made them and they turned out pretty delicious.  I crushed 1 container of Oreos and mixed them with 1 block of cream cheese.  I then formed those into little balls and dipped them in melted semi-sweet chocolate.  The chocolates were set on wax paper to harden and become little balls of heaven.  Seriously, these are really really good. 

I wanted to make premade shots to bring because it is certainly better than taking straight shots at a party … maybe I am old, but the thought of taking a straight shot of anything anymore makes me want to vomit.  These were very strong and got the job done, but tasted amaze-balls.  One was a Pumpkin Cider shot, which were my favorite as well as a man named Jim (he took 3 back to back- pretty impressive stuff).  Pinnacle has limited edition pumpkin pie flavored vodka which was mixed with apple cider.  You have to use the real apple cider because it gives the shots amazing flavor.  Add a couple of dashes of pumpkin pie spice and you literally have the best shot ever… just ask Christian Grey (aka my new favorite Ryan).  The other shot was a Red Headed Slut mixture … since many people like jager.  I happen to hate jager … but this party wasn’t about me.  It is equal parts of jager, peach schnapps, vodka, and cranberry juice!  Now … I know anyone can bring things to make shots, but pre-making them and bringing them in cute bottles makes the difference and gets the party started. 

I have some fun recipes I am making this week and can’t wait to share! 

Love,

Wendy