BeeSting Panini

I came across this recipe while looking for some fun lunch ideas and it intrigued me enough that I had to make my own version of the sandwich. It's called a BeeSting Panini because it has honey and red pepper flakes. I love the salty/sweet/spicy combo of this sandwich, and I've already made two of them! I simplified down the original recipe which can be found on the Grilled Cheese Social Blog.

-Amanda

Bee Sting Panini

two slices of ciabata bread (or other crusty bread)
enough pepperoni to make a nice layer in your sandwich
a few slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
local, raw honey
4-5 basil leaves
butter
pinch of red pepper flakes

Drizzle honey on each side of your ciabata bread. Chiffonad your basil and put it down on top of the honey. Layer in pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.Close sandwich and spread outside of bread with butter. Sprinkle hot pepper flakes in the butter and grill in a panini press until bread is crispy and cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Sausage and Potatoes in the Oven

I'm pretty excited about tonight's yummy dinner. Mostly because I'm not in a cooking mood lately and this was easy. I do this on the stove top often, but this is the first time I've done it in the oven. Same amount of chopping, but instead of having to babysit the stove, the oven did the work.
-Amanda

Sausage & Potatoes in the Oven

1 sausage
1 bell pepper
1 big potato
2 carrots
1/2 yellow onion
2 slices of bacon
1 garlic clove
pinch of fennel
salt & pepper
1/2 cup beef stock
splash of balsamic vinegar
1/2 stick of butter

Chop your bell pepper, carrots and potato into bit size pieces. Same thing with the onion. Slice your sausage into 1/2 inch disks. Throw all of that into a nice baking dish (I love this stoneware from Pampered Chef!) Cut bacon into small pieces and place all around the top. Grate your garlic into the dish, sprinkle with salt, pepper and fennel. Add the beef broth and balsamic vinegar. Cube butter and dot it across the top. Cover and bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Uncover and bake at 400 for 15 minutes to get some carmelization.

You could also add cabbage to this dish, or other root vegetables that you have on hand.

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!

Creamed Spinach and Shrimp

The past few weeks I haven't been posting near as many recipes as in the past. I haven't been in a creative food space. I've mostly been cooking variations of favorite dishes that have been on this blog already. A few times in this crazy busy time of year, I just didn't slow down to take a photo and I don't like posting recipes without photos. This dinner was good enough to post, but I wouldn't call it a top favorite. It did feel like it was missing the rice or pasta, but even so, it was good and the entire family ate it up.
-Amanda

Creamed Spinach and Shrimp

1 bag of frozen spinach
1.5 cups of shrimp
1 cup heavy cream
parmesan cheese
1.5 cups finely chopped mushrooms
1/4 of an onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 pieces of bacon cooked & crumbled
pat of butter or bacon grease

In a large skillet, melt butter or bacon grease. Saute mushrooms and onions until well cooked. Add garlic and cook for a minute longer. Pour in cream and cook on medium high, stirring constantly until cream thickens. Thaw out spinach and squeeze excess water. Add to the creamed mushrooms. Salt and pepper and keep cooking spinach. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink. Grate some parmesan cheese in the dish.Taste seasoning and adjust. Sprinkle cooked bacon on top.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac N' Cheese

Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac N' Cheese. Say it with me. Yum. Seriously my favorite flavors all wrapped up in one yummy casserole. I think this may be my new potluck dish.
-Amanda

Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac N' Cheese

3/4 pound of pasta
1 large chicken breast
3 pieces of bacon
8-10 button mushrooms
1 tbsp flour
1. 5 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8-1/4 onion
2 cups grated cheese
1/2 cup grated cheese for top
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp garlic powder

Cook your noodles to package directions.
Butterfly open your chicken to make it thin so it'll cook quickly. Get a grill pan hot and grill chicken that has been salted and peppered. Set aside.
Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and put them in a medium size pot. Cook on medium heat stirring frequently. When bacon is about half cooked add chopped mushrooms. When bacon starts to get crispy, remove it and the mushrooms from the skillet and set aside.

Sprinkle flour over the bacon grease adding butter if you don't have enough grease to cook bacon. Whisk to remove all the lumps. Add milk and heavy cream. Add dill and garlic powder, salt and pepper. Keep on medium to medium high heat and whisk until the sauce starts to thicken. Add grated cheese and stir to blend the cheese in.

In a casserole dish put the cut up chicken and mushrooms. Drain pasta and add it to the casserole dish. Pour in cheese mixture and stir to get all the noodles cheesey. Sprinkle with bacon and extra cheese. Put under the broiler for 8-10 minutes until cheese gets bubbly and brown on top.