Baked Eggs with Red Sauce

One day I was pursuing through Pinterest and came across a dish that looked amazing. It was in a cast iron skillet with a red sauce and baked eggs. I didn't even click on the recipe to read about it, but the image stuck in my mind. (It was called shakshuka for those interested.) That being said, the image stuck with me for a couple of days. Last night as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, I thought about it and starting thinking, perhaps I could make something using it as an inspiration point with the ingredients already in my house. So this is what I made, I think it was really good. Feel free to change/omit or completely do your own thing! I'm sure I broke a few culinary laws in making this.

Baked Eggs in a Red Sauce

1 package of breakfast sausage
1 orange (or whatever color bell pepper or spicy peppers if your prefer)
half a bunch of kale
1 can of pureed tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 stick of butter
lots of parmesan
mozzarella if you like
1/2 tsp of garam masala spice
1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
4 eggs

In a large skillet brown your sausage. When it is mostly cooked add diced bell pepper and kale. Cook until vegetables are tender.

In a small sauce pot mix tomatoes, cream, butter and spices. Bring to a boil and let cook until it thickens a bit, by reducing. Add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. (Don't salt before reducing or it will be too salty!)

Pour red sauce over sausage and mix. I threw in some chunks of mozzarella too. Then either butter some ramekins or if you are using an over proof skillet use that. If you are using ramekins, fill half way with tomato sausage mixture an carefully crack an egg on top. Or carefully crack eggs around the skillet. Bake at 350 for twenty minutes or until egg whites are cooked through and egg yolks are still runny. (It may take less time, because I prepped the sauce up ahead of time so it was cold when I put it in the oven.)

Island Chops

If you like sweet main dishes, this one is for you! It was delectable. The grill, I think, does make a difference, the dish sort of needs that smoky flavor that a charcoal grill adds to a dish. I'm sure this would be decent stove side or broiled in the oven, but those charcoals really did add to the yum factor.
-Amanda

Island Chops

1 pineapple
4-6 pork chops, bone in
1/2 cup cashews
1 tbsp coconut oil (butter would be fine too)
3 tbps apricot jam
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp sour cream
fresh ginger
salt and pepper
curry powder

Sprinkle curry powder, salt and pepper on your pork chops and rub it in. Slice your pineapple. Get grill really hot and grill them until done. I know right? How long? Well that depends on how far your chops are from the coals, how hot your coals are, how thick your chops are.

I use the hand pressure test to tell if meat is done. It take some practice but it is pretty reliable. If you press the skin between your pointer finger and thumb with your hand loose that resistance is similar to the resistance that raw meat will give you. If you loosely make a fist and press in that same spot again, that is about what the meat should feel like if you want it pink (like for steak.) Since you want pork cooked further than that, clench your fist, and then press in that same spot. That is how firm well done meat should feel. Hope that helps!

For the sauce...
In a small dry skillet, toast cashew nuts and then set aside. Melt coconut oil. Add jam, heavy cream, grated ginger (as much or as little as you like) and pepper. Whisk on high until sauce thickens. It'll take a while but then it will happen. Do not walk away or you will either have a boil over or a burnt mess on your hands. When it thickens, remove from heat and add the sour cream. Whisk it in. Taste. If it is too sweet add more sour cream. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Stack pineapple and porkchops, top with sauce and sprinkle with cashew nuts. Enjoy!

Shrimp Pilaf

Ding ding ding, another winner! This came out so tasty and was pretty quick to throw together. It's one that I'll probably want to make again, so I'm writing down the "recipe" before I forget what I did.
-Amanda

1 bag of shrimp (is that a pound?)
3-4 strips of bacon (optional??)
6-8 asparagus
1/2 zucchini
4-6 button mushrooms
1 carrot
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup uncooked rice
uncooked spaghetti noodles (about the amount for one serving)
olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
broth (I used shrimp, but chicken would be fine)
splash of heavy cream
italian seasonings
curry powder

Cook rice. 1/2 cup of rice to 1 cup of water, salt and a glug of olive oil. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Set timer for 15 minutes. Bam.

In a large skillet start cooking diced bacon. While bacon is frying, cut asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces. Dice zucchini, and carrot. Slice mushrooms. Mince garlic. Bacon should be about done. Add a few glugs of olive oil and all your vegetables. Stir occasionally. Add italian seasoning and about 1/4 tsp of curry powder. Break spaghetti noodles into 1/2 inchish pieces and add to vegetables. Keep stirring on medium heat. If anything starts to stick, throw some more olive oil in the skillet.

Meanwhile peel those dang shrimp. Keep the shells and stick them in your freezer for use on another day.  You don't have to do this, but if you don't you are throwing away potential free shrimp stock, just saying. (I  make stock when I have about a gallon size zip bag of shells ready to go.)

Vegetables should be cooked and starting to brown, rice should be just about done too. Deglaze the pan with some white wine vinegar. (or whatever vinegar you have on hand.)
Add shrimp to the skillet and stir it until almost cooked through. Add rice, about 1/2 cup of stock and a splash of heavy cream. Stir until shrimp is cooked through and the noodles are not crunchy. Enjoy!

Chicken and Rice

Okay, so I have been lazy and not posting recipes to Frickin' Chicken in like forever and a half. I put this photo up on facebook and immediately got a request for a recipe. Instead of typing it out there, I figured I might as well take a moment to post here. I'm not sure what this is called, except an easy go to dinner. It'd be easy to swap out the veg. For instance I typically make this with lots of mushroom as the only veg. Tonight I only had two lonely mushrooms in my fridge, but I had a bunch of asparagus. Zuchinni, bell pepper,  summer squash would probably all be good substitutes. Whatever your family likes. Even peas would work well.
Amanda

Chicken & Rice

1 cup of white rice (uncooked)
2 cups of water
pat of butter, however generous you want to be
pinch of salt

Cook your rice in a small pot, by placing the rice in the pot and covering with water. Add a pat of butter and salt. Bring to a boil and stir. Cover, reduce to low and set timer for 15-20 minutes. When rice is cooked, set it aside.

Meanwhile start your chicken dish.

1-2 breasts of chicken
2 lonely mushrooms (or more if you have them)
8-10 sprigs of asparagus
2-3 slices of bacon
1 cup of chicken stock
1 tbsp flour
thyme, salt and pepper
1 clove garlic
1 cup of cream/milk
parmesan cheese (optional)
butter

Start bacon sauting in a large skillet. When it is almost done, add diced mushrooms and asparagus. Chop garlic up small and toss it in too. When the bacon is cooked and veg have had time to cook a bit, add chicken that has been cut into bite size pieces. Add your dried thyme, salt and pepper and stir all on med-high heat. When chicken is about half way done, in a small bowl mix the chicken broth with flour to remove lumps. Pour over chicken and add cream or milk. Stir, bringing to a boil to thicken sauce. Add parmesan cheese if desired. When chicken is cooked through, add in the cooked rice and another pat of butter. Stir. If you want it creamer add a bit more milk. Taste for salt/pepper and enjoy!

To kick this dish up a notch, pour all of this is in a buttered baking dish and top with a breadcrumb and olive oil mixture. Bake until breadcrumbs are toasted through. Serve.

Flank Steak with Asparagus Topping

I'm not sure what to even call this, but it was good! I'm sure a fancier lettuce would have elevated the dish, but this is called using the ingredients on hand. I was really craving THIS dish, but I did not have the right stuff. But it did get me thinking and it led me to this creation.
-Amanda

Flank Steak with Asparagus Topping

Flank or Skirt Steak
2 limes
2 cloves of garlic
splash of vinegar (I used rice wine, but red or apple cider would be fine.)
10-12 stalks of aspargus
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup feta cheese
2 tsp honey
olive oil

Mix 1 tsp honey, salt and pepper, half a lime and some olive oil (a tsp or two) in a small bowl and pour over flank steak. Either grill the steak or put it under a high broiler. I did the broiler for 7 minutes on one side and about 3 on the second side. Let it rest before cutting it across the grain.

Topping
Mince garlic and add to a small skillet. Cut asparagus in 1/4 inch pieces. Crush nuts and add them. Add a tbsp of olive or two and a splash of vinegar. Saute until asparagus has cooked for 4-5 minutes. Turn off heat and add feta, stir to melt it in. Taste and add salt as needed.

Make a side salad and serve steak on the side or on top of the lettuce. Top with the asparagus topping. I made a simple salad dressing that was the same as the steak marinade.

Garlic Butter Chicken Wings

I'm so excited these came out exactly like my mind pictured them when I decided to make this recipe. I'm sure you've heard me mention before how much my twin daughters (4.5 yrs old) love chicken wings. I usually make the balsamic wings and was afraid to deviate from that recipe, figuring it was the glaze that they liked and not necessarily the chicken wings. But they ate these up just as heartily as the others. The bonus is that these wings were a lot easier to make!
-Amanda

Garlic Butter Chicken Wings

20-24 wings and drummettes
2-3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup of olive oil
4-5 cloves of garlic
sea salt
pepper
parsley
hot sauce (I put it on at the table, since my kids don't like spicy)

Grate or finely chop the garlic in a small sauce pan. Add the butter, salt, olive oil and pepper. Simmer on very low for 20-30 minutes. This mellows the garlic out. Pour over raw chicken wings and let marinade for at least an hour. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the marinaded chicken wings out where they are not touching. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, flip them over and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Chop parsley. Put chicken wings in a serving bowl, pour the run-off pan juices on top and sprinkle the parsley on and toss. Enjoy!

From Scratch Pizza

Yum. Homemade Pepperoni and Olive Pizza.

 Homemade Red Sauce. YUM, seriously I have a trick to make this so delicious!

 Sauce on homemade dough.

 Top it how you like. There is a reason for the Christmas plastic placemat, but you could probably use an Easter one too... ;o)

 Waiting to cut into is so important, but it sure is hard to wait!

An old friend introduced me to Ranch dressing on my pizza and now there is no turning back. At least, homemade makes it good for you! (Please ignore the chips in my dishes, I usually angle my camera away from them, but this time I was too much in a hurry to eat!)

Okay, I've been on hiatus for awhile so at least I'm bringing you three yummy recipes all at once. I've done pizza on this blog before, but it's been awhile and this time I have some new methods. Now this is a traditional yeasty recipe, but if you are looking for grain free crusts, you should try a cauliflower crust or an almond crust pizza, they are actually really good!
-Amanda

Pizza Crust

1 cup of warm water
2.5 tsp of yeast (or one packet)
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cup olive oil
3 (ish) cups of flour (I used white-wheat)
2 tbsp gluten
1.5 tsp salt
cornmeal

Water should be warm, but you should be able to comfortably put your finger in it. If it is too hot for you finger it will kill the yeast. Sprinkle yeast in the water and add the honey. Whisk with a fork and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Get out either your food processor or your kitchenaid mixer (I've used both for this recipe) if you use the processor, the regular metal blade will work. If you use your mixer use the dough hook. You could also do this by hand, you'll just need to knead for a lot longer.

Pour the flour, gluten, olive oil and salt in your mixer. And stir to get it mixed in. (You can leave out the gluten, your crust just won't be as stretchy.) When the yeast has bubbled up quite a bit, pour it in the flour and mix for a good 10 minutes. If you are doing it by hand knead for 15-20 minutes. Your dough should be shiny and pulled away from the sides of the mixer. If it isn't pulling away and is really sticky within the first minute or two of mixing, slowly sprinkle more flour in until it does. Take the dough out, roll it in a ball, coat thinly with more olive oil and let it rest in a warm spot for at least an hour.

Meanwhile....

Red Sauce
(By the way, this sauce is easy to make in bulk and then freeze)

1 can of crushed/diced OR pureed tomatoes (I get the big can... I think it's 32 oz?)
1/2 stick of butter (the secret ingredient)
1.5 tbsp of dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
3-5 cloves garlic (depending on how garlicy you want it and how big your cloves are)
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes (more if you want a spicy sauce)
salt and pepper to taste

Basically, put all the ingredients in a pot (I grate the garlic in) and stir until the butter melts and incorporates in the sauce. Then let it bubble away on low on your stove for 30 minutes up to an hour. Depending on if you are using this for a pizza or a spaghetti sauce, is what kind of tomatoes you want to start with. Or, if you only have diced tomatoes like I did, then I used my stick immersion blender to puree it up. This sauce is SO good, and don't you dare skimp out on the butter.

Using high quality butter from grass fed cows (kerrygold is a great brand) is actually GOOD for you. Read this article on the Untold Story of Butter. Also, eating enough high quality animal fats helps with preventing sunburns!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

There are fancy homemade recipes, but I like my simple one. It does start with homemade mayo, which does take some practice.

1 cup of homemade mayo
1/4 -1/2 cup sour cream (do this to how sour you like the taste)
1/2 tsp grated garlic clove
2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp celery seed
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together and enjoy!

I love the quote, "If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, first you must create the universe." So keeping this in mind, I could have taken this pizza even further by making my own mozzarella and a few of the other prepared ingredients, like the pepperoni, but I'm satisfied with this "from scratch" version!

Enchilada Casserole

 Is there ever a good way to photograph a casserole?

This dish was inspired by a pin off of pinterest. The original recipe was called something like Texas Ranch Casserole. But as soon as we ate my dish the family exclaimed, it tastes like enchiladas! Like I said, I took the original recipe as an inspiration point and made several changes. The biggest was to replace the canned soup with real cream. I kept this very mild since my kids don't like spicy food, but feel free to throw in some jalapenos or other favorite peppers to add some heat!
-Amanda

Enchilada Casserole
12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded chicken
2 cups heavy cream
1 pablano chili
1 red bell pepper
3 stalks of celery
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp celery seed
1 can roasted tomatoes, diced
1.5 - 2 cups shredded cheese
1/4 cup cornmeal
butter for sauteing in and for greasing casserole dish with

Dice onion and start it sauteing in a pat of butter. Chop celery and add it to the onion. Next dice up the bell pepper, pablano chili and garlic. Add all of that to the onion and celery. Saute until vegetables soften. Add celery seed and chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir well. Next sprinkle in the cornmeal and toss all the vegetables in it. Quickly add the heavy cream and stir. Bring to a boil. Add the can of tomatoes, undrained. Let it simmer, stirring frequently until everything thickens up. Add 1/2 to a 1/3 grated cheese. Once thickened, turn off heat and add in cooked shredded chicken.

Grease a casserole dish with butter. Cut tortillas into strips. Line one layer of dish with tortillas and some of the grated cheese. Spoon in some of the chicken-vegetable mixture. Add another layer of tortillas and repeat until you get to the top of the dish. Top with extra cheese. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

By the way, my husband came in and tasted the dish right before I added the chicken. He thought I was making a nacho cheese dip. He grabbed a tortilla chip and dipped it in and said, that it was a GREAT dip and for me to write down what I did so I could replicate it for him. So I'm obliging his request. :)

Autumn Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

 Autumn Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Autumn Salad

I was looking some light and refreshing dinners/lunches and came across this salad that looked so yummy! Full of a bunch of my favorite things I knew this salad would be a hit with the entire family. Sure enough, my daughter Maddie ate and entire salad bowl of this and asked for more. Izzie isn't feeling well today, so she just wanted a small cup of my chicken noodle soup to sip on during dinner time. I'm not putting down amounts, just put ratios of what you like. This is a chop salad, so all the ingredients should be roughly the same size. My husband who also liked the salad suggested apples instead of pears next time. They'd give a bit more crunch.
-Amanda

Autumn Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

romaine lettuce
pecans
cranberries
feta cheese
bacon, cooked
pear or apple
leftover poached chicken

Chop everything into close to equal sizes and toss with Poppy Seed Dressing (below.)

Poppy Seed Dressing

1 tsp mustard
1 cup of olive oil
3-4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp poppy seeds

In a medium size bowl put 1 tsp of mustard. Drizzle in an equal amount of oil and start to whisk. When completely combined slowly, slowly drizzle in more oil as you whisk. When about half the oil is whisked in drizzle in sugar, maple syrup and apple cider viengar and salt. Continue drizzling the oil until it is gone. Stir in poppy seeds and taste. Adjust as necessary for seasonings.

Sour Cream Chicken

I know this photo isn't anything to write home about, but I've been really bad about taking any pictures of my recipes lately, which is why this blog hasn't gotten much attention lately! I've been very inspired by the many recipes that have paraded across Pinterest and this is my latest adaptation from a Pinterest recipe. It was called Sour Cream Chicken, but since I used seasonings that are found in ranch dressing it is almost like a "Ranch Chicken."

-Amanda

Sour Cream Chicken

8-10 chicken tenders
1 cup sour cream
1.5 cup bread crumbs
1 stick of butter
salt & pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dill
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp celery seed

Oil the bottom of a baking dish. Lay chicken tenders out in one layer across bottom of your baking dish. Then scoop out sour cream, dotting it around on top of the chicken. With the back of your spoon, smooth it out in one layer. Sprinkle spices and seasonings over the sour cream. I pulsed some bread in a food processor for fresh breadcrumbs, but either way, sprinkle them liberally over the cream cheese. Cut stick of butter into small squares and dot them all over the dish. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Sesame Ginger Salmon Pita Pockets

Yum. Ginger Sesame Salmon Pitas. I just signed up to be part of a 10 week personal development seminar (through Landmark Education) that starts at 5:30 and goes to 10:30pm (normally their seminars are from 7-10, but I'm actually being trained in a leadership role around the seminar and need to be there early. The center is about 30-40 minutes away so that puts me pretty much eating dinner in the car. In the past I would have probably gone through a drive through and grabbed a hamburger on the way to class. This time I'm committed to eating healthy homemade meals before class. Pita pockets are very handy at being portable so that is what I came up with to make before my first session. Let me tell you, last night as I drove and ate my pita pockets full of omega rich wild caught salmon, I felt really great about my choice and commitment to health! (Not that driving and eating at the same time are recommended, but I'm in a "make it work" situation.

Sesame Ginger Salmon Pita Pockets

*NOTE* Most of my recipes are close approximations. I rarely ever measure in my kitchen. This time, I really did just throw some stuff together, so please taste as you go to adjust to what makes sense for your taste buds. If it is too sour, add more sweet, if it is too sweet add more vinegar, etc. 

8-10 wild caught salmon
Marinade:
1.5 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp saracha or chili sauce
1 garlic clove, grated
2-3 tbsp Unrefined (and not toasted) Sesame oil

Marinade the fish for a few hours, not over night or the vinegar will *cook* the proteins in the fish and make it tough.

Heat grill pan to really hot, cook salmon until it flakes apart easily.

Asian Ginger Slaw

1/4 head of cabbage
1 carrot finely grated
1/8 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup Unrefined (and not toasted) Sesame oil
1/2 tsp grated ginger
pinch of salt

Shred cabbage and mix in grated carrot. In a separate bowl, mix the honey, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and salt. Pour over cabbage. Toss in sesame seeds. Let sit for a couple of hours so the vinegar has a chance to break down the cabbage.

Assemble pita pockets by stuffing with salmon and cabbage.

Chicken Stroganauff

Last night my mom and I were talking and she said something about making beef stroganauff for dinner. I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner too, and really needed to start something soon if dinner was going to be on the table at a decent hour. Luckily I had some chicken breasts thawed out, but no inspiration for them. When Mom said she was going to make beef stroganauff, that got my wheels turning. I wondered how the sauce we use would taste on chicken. So I used the stroganauff flavors of sour cream, dill and paprika as a launching point for this dinner. And since all four family members wanted seconds, I say it was a hit.

-Amanda

Chicken Stroganauff

3 chicken breasts
10-15 button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup white wine or chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream
2-3 tsp dill (depending how much your palate likes)
1 tsp paprika

Slice mushrooms and mince garlic. In a large skillet, saute them in butter. While they are sauteing, cut chicken into bit size cubes. Add chicken and cook almost all the way through. Remove everything from the skillet to a bowl. Add wine or chicken stock to deglaze the pan. When most of the alcohol has cooked away or the chicken stock reduces, add heavy cream. Stir for about 10-15 minutes on high until cream thickens. Add dill, paprika, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and add chicken. Gently cook until chicken is cooked all the way through in the sauce. Do not boil the chicken or it will get tough. When chicken is just cooked through, remove from heat and add sour cream. Stir until incorporated. Serve with pasta, rice or just eat it by itself!

Gyro Salad

I love gyro sandwiches and crave them every once in a while. I love lots of green flavors, but they are usually so strong that I only want them occasionally. Well, gyro meat is a creature all in itself and I don't think it'd be too easily recreated in the home kitchen, but I decided to use the main flavors of the dish and make a salad. I was going to make some soaked wheat pita bread, but well, I'm back on a low-carb kick today so I skipped the bread and just served up a salad. Okay, this looks complicated, but it literally took 15 minutes to cook! You can make the spice mixture ahead of time.
-Amanda

Gyro Salad

Meat:
1 lb of ground lamb (I got mine from Sloane Creek Farm.)
2 tbsp Greek Spice Mixture*
1/2 lemon

Spice Mixture*

1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Tzatziki Dressing:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt, strained to thicken
1/2 juice of a lemon
3/4 of a cucumber grated
1 tbsp fresh mint, minced
1 small garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp olive oil
salt

Salad:

Lettuce
feta cheese
cucumber
tomato
red onion
kalamative olives

Mix spices together. Use 2 tbsp and sprinkle on raw lamb meat. Squeeze in 1/2 a lemon. Mix well and let marinate in fridge for 1-2 hours. Saute in a pan on medium high heat until done. It was pretty greasy, so I just drained a bit of juice out when I scooped onto the salad.

While meat is cooking, mix up the tzatziki dressing and chop up vegetables for the salad.

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Tonight was Menu Planning night for the week. But instead of going to the grocery store after the girls were in bed, I took an opportunity to go before dinner. But I didn't have anything planned or prepped and I walked in the house with all the groceries with t-minus 30 minutes until our very prompt 5:30 dinner. I walked in, popped 4 potatoes in our convection oven, quickly put away the groceries with hubby and whipped together a fast cheesy bechamel sauce to make this fast and tasty dinner.
-Amanda

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli stuffed Potatoes

4 baking potatoes
3 slices of bacon
2 tbsp flour
1.5 cups of milk
3-4 oz cheese
1 cup frozen broccoli
1 cup shredded leftover chicken

Bake your potatoes in a convection oven at 400 for 35 minutes (yeah, dinner was a bit late tonight.) Or you can microwave them. A regular oven you'd probably have to add another 10 minutes to the baking time.

Cut up bacon into thin strips and cook it in a small pot over medium high heat. Stir frequently until crispy. Remove the bacon but leave the grease. You need about 3 tbsp of grease, if you don't have enough add some butter or other oil. Sprinkle in flour and whisk for a few minutes. Add milk and continue to whisk until sauce starts to thicken. Add shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and remove from heat. Steam broccoli in another pot or in the microwave. In a small bowl, add shredded chicken, broccoli and enough cheese sauce to coat. Reserve the rest of the cheese sauce to pour on top of potatoes. Cut potatoes open, dallop with butter and salt. Smoosh in cheesy chicken broccoli. Pour extra sauce on top and then sprinkle reserved bacon. Enjoy!

Easy Roast Chicken

Best ever Roast Chicken. Juicy and succulent. This is a free range chicken and they are known for being a bit more tough than the poor little chickens that don't get any exercise. But if you cook them low and slow, they are moist and perfect. I got this recipe from Nourished Kitchen, and I've made it several times. I never have slowed down to take a photo though because we all devour it so quickly! Since it takes a few hours to cook, your house smells heavenly. I don't take the time to truss up my chicken, so it doesn't look as fancy. This time I seasoned it with butter, orange and rosemary (and salt and pepper). In the past I've just done butter, salt and pepper and it's been super good too.
-Amanda

Easy Roast Chicken

1 Free Range Chicken
few tbsp of butter
salt and pepper
any other seasonings you want

Wash up your chicken and pat it dry. Smear butter all over and under the skin between the skin and breast meat. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you want. I cook mine in a stonewear casserole pan with a lid, I think the stonewear keeps an even temperature. Eitherway, make sure you have a lid or at the minimum foil. Cover and cook for 3 hours at 275 degrees. Low and SLOW. Then uncover and cook at 375 for 30-45 minutes to get the browned affect. Delicious! 

Easy Cheese Bacon Chicken

File this recipe/idea under easy, fast and tasty! It was perfect for tonight where I didn't want to do anything super complicated. Took less than 10 minutes to assemble and then it cooked in the toaster oven for another 20 minutes, not even having to heat up the entire house with my big oven. Win/win!
-Amanda

Easy Cheesy Bacon Chicken

Chicken tenders (or chicken breasts cut into thin strips)
1 piece of bacon per chicken
1 slice of cheese (I used colby jack) per chicken
avocado

Salt and pepper each chicken breast. Wrap with bacon and place in a very hot skillet for about 3 minutes per side. If you are using an oven proof skillet, top each chicken with cheese and place in the oven to cook all the way through and cheese gets bubbly and browned at 350 for 20 minutes. I transferred my chicken to a small brownie pan (one layer of chicken) and cooked it in my toaster oven for the same heat and time. Serve with sliced avocado and homemade ranch dressing to dip!

Pork and Plantains

I found this recipe on The Mango Duck, and took the idea and ran with it. What I got was a super tasty dish, that was unlike any flavor profile I've cooked before in my kitchen! I love that!
-Amanda


Pork and Plantains

For the Pork Filling:
1 lb of pork (I used pork chops)
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 c orange juice
juice from a lime
1/2 cup of chicken stock
1/2 can of coconut milk

Cut the pork into tiny pieces. Place in a cast iron skillet or other heavy bottom skillet and cook on medium high heat until almost cooked through and remove to a bowl. Cut onion into same small pieces and add to the now empty skillet. Cook it and diced garlic until translucent. Add pork back to the skillet and then put in all of the dried herbs and seasonings. Go ahead and salt, but go lightly because the dish will reduce down and get stronger. Add orange juice, lime juice, coconut milk and chicken stock. Simmer for 30-45 on a med high to high heat to reduce the liquids down. Taste and adjust salt.

For the Plantains:

3 plantains
oil (I used lard)

Cut plantains in about 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces. Get oil hot and fry until golden brown. Place each fried plantain in a mini muffin tin and while it is still hot, smash down with a spoon or I used these sauce cups which fit perfectly in the mini muffin tin.

Fill each plantain cup up with the pork mixture and enjoy!

Green Salsa Chicken

I made up a pretty terrific slow cooker meal today. Wanted something low carb so instead of serving this on tortillas, I served in in lettuce leafs. The other great thing was the girls loved helping make the salsa. They peeled all the garlic and tomatillos and they helped brush on the avocado oil. The salsa could be made up the day before without any problems making it a super simple crock pot meal the next day. And of course, you could stuff burritos or tacos with this juicy tender meat!

-Amanda

Green Salsa Chicken

Roasted Green Salsa
1 white or yellow onion
1-2 hot peppers of your choice, preferably green ones
8-10 tomatillos
4-5 cloves garlic
3-4 tablespoons of oil (I used avocado oil, but olive oil would work too.)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Peel garlic and tomatillos. Cut tomatillos in half. Cut onion in quarters. Cut pepper in half and discard stem and seeds. Toss everything with oil (or use a pastry brush and brush it on each vegetable.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes. Let cool complete, and then blend in your blender until you have a chunky consistency.

Shredded Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1/2 can of coconut milk
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
salsa recipe from above
salt to taste

Pour half the salsa in your crock pot. Place chicken breasts and sprinkle with salt. Pour in the rest of the salsa, the lime zest, lime juice and coconut milk. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Take chicken out 30 minutes towards the end and shred. Place back in sauce and stir. Adjust salt as needed. Serve with cheese and lettuce for the photo above, otherwise use as a stuffing for tacos or burritos.

My version of Coconut ChickenCurry

So yesterday, I finished up making a batch of chicken stock, and with the chicken from that stock I made Chicken Tacos. There was enough meat for two more meals. Tonight I used part of it to make a Coconut Chicken Curry.
-Amanda

Coconut Chicken Curry

1/2 onion
1 small bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups fresh cut up pineapple
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lard/coconut oil
1 tbsp flour
1 can of coconut milk
2-3 tbsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cooked chicken

Saute diced onion and bell pepper in lard or coconut oil. When onion starts to soften (about 10 minutes) add garlic and pineapple. Then put about a tbsp of butter in the skillet followed by the flour. Stir the flour in until it coats the vegetables and fruit. Add coconut milk and stir until the sauce thickens a bit. Last put in the curry and chicken and cook until chicken is heated through.

Best Ever Chicken Tacos

Yesterday I had a big pot of homemade chicken stock simmering away, smelling up the entire house. I knew that some of the chicken that was making the stock was going to make chicken tacos for dinner. Sometime in the morning I cut up some tomatoes, peppers, onion and a few cloves of garlic, tossed them in some salt and pepper and olive oil and roasted them for 25 minutes at 425. Then I pulled them out to cool. At my kids naptime I pulled the chicken out of the stock and set it on a cutting board to cool. Just as they were waking up, I pulled off a big bowl of meat that will be enough meat to make 3 meals. Blending up the tomato mixture makes a delicious roasted tomato salsa/ sauce. With all this homemade salsa & slow cooked chicken I figured it'd be a shame to wrap it up in a cardboard (I mean, store bought) tortilla, so while the chicken was cooling, I quickly tossed the ingredients together to make homemade tortillas.
-Amanda

Chicken Taco Filling

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese
2 cups slow cooked shredded chicken
3/4 cup salsa (see above for a quick homemade version)
salt to taste
oregano
ground cumin

Melt butter in a skillet and add flour. Whisk until the flour is coated and cooked a bit. Add milk and whisk all the lumps out. Add cheese and keep whisking until sauce thickens. Add chicken, salsa and seasonings. Just cook enough to warm the chicken through. I added a ladle of my homemade chicken stock just for the extra nutrients and simmered that until it thickened up again, but that is optional. Serve on warm tortillas with chopped lettuce, dollop of sour cream and extra salsa.