Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘N’ Cheese Casserole
For some reason, I have been craving comfort food lately. It is probably not a good thing, considering I am going to Africa to the beach for three weeks, one month exactly from today! Oh well, what can you do. Cheese is one of my biggest weaknesses. I could probably eat an entire block of cheese as a snack, but I am getting off the topic.
Brussels Sprouts Salad w/ Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Some of you may know, I recently was given a cook book called Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers. It is a great book that I recommend all of you take a look through at some point. It tells you about all the different sorts of leafy greens and types of salad toppings, as well as how to make all sorts of dressings. Either way, the book motivated me to make more unique salads. I usually find myself putting the same vegetables in every salad I make, despite what else I am eating it with. Now I have realized that choosing a salad that compliments a meal can make a huge difference.
With that said, this salad is much different than most I have made. I came across this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine while bored at work the other day- yes I spent half of my day at work reading cooking magazines… Shh! One thing that makes this salad unique is its warm vinaigrette. This dressing went perfectly with the roasted Brussels sprouts. The bacon and maple syrup also added a ton of flavor. This is one salad that did not need a ton of toppings to complete it. I even ate it as a complete meal the next day!
Throwback Thursday: Creme Brulee
I am really excited about this Thursday, not because of the throwback recipe, but instead for my new piece of cooking equipment- a Kitchen Aid mixer! Anybody who loves to cook feels the excitement that I have been experiencing. I keep telling my friends and they don’t quite seem to get it, but they will taste it once I go off on my baking spree… Good news for my readers, possibly bad news for me-lots of delicious desserts. With the excitement of desserts I decided to post my first creme brulee recipe. Even though it doesn’t use a Kitchen Aid mixer, it is still a delicious dessert.
Before I made it, I always thought of creme brulee as a fancy and difficult dessert to make. Turns out, it really isn’t that hard to make. It is a delicious and rich dessert that I think everybody should try at some point. I also think it would be really good with fruit topping, if anybody is up to it let me know how it tastes!
Chorizo, Shrimp & Rice Stuffed Poblano Chiles
I recently entered this Ritz cracker recipe contest recently sponsored by Guy Fieri, which caused me to look through a bunch of his recipes for inspiration. I really love his recipes because they are always banger and packed with flavors. If you are not sure who Guy is, he is the punk-rock-looking, spiked hair guy from Diners, Dives, & Drive-Ins (as well as like ten other TV shows I feel like!).
This recipe is amazing because if combines the delicious flavors of chorizo and shrimp along with lots of cheese! I am a big fan of roasting peppers/chiles. It gives them an entirely different flavor. Roasted peppers and chiles also make the perfect dish for holding your delicious recipe ideas. I tweaked Guy’s original recipe a bit, but of all the stuffed pepper recipes I have made, I can safely say this one is my favorite. I highly recommend that you try it as well!
How to Spatchcock A Chicken: Pesto Chicken
Whenever I go to the grocery store I usually just buy chicken breasts or whichever part of the bird I want to cook that night, but there is something to be said for taking the time to cook a whole bird every now and then. This week whole organic chickens were on sale at my work for only six bucks, so I had to get one. The reason I usually don’t cook a whole chicken, and probably why you may not either, is dealing with cutting it off the bones afterwards. This is where spatchcocking comes in handy.
Spatchcocking a chicken is basically cutting out the spine, breast bone and ribs, so that you are left with only the meat and the bones for the limbs. It makes it extremely easy to cut and serve the meat once the chicken is cooked. For my spatchcocked chicken, I added pesto and onions to make a tasty dish. One benefit of keeping the skin on the bird it that you can stuff any sort of spices or seasonings in between the skin and meat to cook it with extra flavor.
Throwback Thursday: Caribbean Shrimp w/ Peppers & Lime
It’s Thursday again, wow these weeks have been flying by. My recipe for this Throwback Thursday really brings me back. This was one of the first “unique” recipes I learned and one of the ones that really got me excited about cooking. I am excited to share it with you, since it kind of hit a soft spot in me (I know cheesy, but it is what it is).
This recipe is so simple, but so good. I make it a lot without the coconut milk, but it is extremely good with coconut milk as well if you have the extra money to buy it! I recommend using a lot of lime, it just makes it even better. I hope that this recipe can get you excited to cook like it did for me! Also, thanks to my mom for these photos. =)
Inside-Out Onion Ring Sliders w/ Adobo BBQ Sauce
One thing I really miss about summertime is being able to grill. Grilling is fun, social and delicious. I have really been craving some warmth and sunshine lately, maybe it was the week of -30 degree temperatures a few weeks ago that made me sick of winter. Either way, with hopes for an early spring, I decided to make burgers this week, except I sauteed them instead of grilling them since winter is unfortunately still here for now.
I had seen a photo of an inside-out burger recently and the idea seemed pretty awesome. I added one homemade onion ring to the top of each slider to create a seriously tasty combo; added a bit of adobo barbecue sauce that I had made previously and voila! The perfect miniature burger for a spring-time grill out.
Spiced Pork & Chickpea Stew
Soups and stews are great for an easy, worry-free dinner. All you need to do is combine the ingredients and let the pot work its magic. If you have other things to do, or don’t feel like slaving over your stove, I highly recommend making a soup or stew. Me being the spice lover that I am, I like to go buck wild when making mine. You would have to add a LOT of spices to mess up… When in doubt always give it an extra shake. It is also important to taste along the way with soups and stews as well though, just in case the flavor needs to be adjusted. I usually try to wait until the end before adding any salt.
This stew is healthy and delicious. If you were a fan of my Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup, I suggest making this one as well. Many pork stew recipes use hominy, but I opted for using chickpeas because they are packing with nutrients and are much healthier than a corn based product. If you like your stew spicier, add a bit of cayenne pepper to this recipe. This is great serves with a toasted loaf of French bread.
Throwback Thursday: Purple Plum Pie
This week’s Throwback Thursday recipe is probably my favorite pie recipe that I have made to this day. The plums have the perfect amount of tartness that makes this pie so amazing. Also, if you ever have the opportunity to pick your own plums, take advantage of it, you’d be surprised how many plums you can get from even just one tree! =)
Balsamic Glazed Carrots
Do you ever get that feeling where all you want to do for dinner is grill a steak and microwave a potato? Sometimes simple is better, but you don’t have to sacrifice flavor! This recipe is a simple way to add a little extra flavor for those days when your motivation is lacking. It is quick, easy and healthy!
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