More Lobsters to Celebrate 2013!

There's nothing like lobster to feel like a celebration so tonight, I made Crab-stuffed Lobster Tails to welcome the new year. It couldn't have felt more fancy yet it was really easy to make! Happy 2013 everyone!

Lobster Tails to Welcome 2013!

The year's flown by and now it's time to celebrate the new year! Well, almost, but Lobster Tails were on sale so I thought I'd celebrate early. These stuffed lobster tails look really fancy (and tasty!) but they were actually really easy. You just list the meat out of the tail and then add a mixture of fresh breadcrumbs, melted butter and garlic on top. Then baked in the oven for about 15 minutes and you've get the best lobster meal of your life!

America's Test Kitchen Can't Go Wrong!

I LOVE watching America's Test Kitchen and always get great inspirations from them. Tonight, I made their Garlicky Shrimp Pasta and it was AMAZING! I got some jumbo shrimp and they cooked up so succulent and flavorful. I included the recipe in case you can't find it online and it's really worth a try!

Ingredients:

10 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp garlic, minced, divided
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1/4 c vermouth
1/2 c seafood stock
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp lemon juice
Penne, cooked until al dente

Prep:

1. In a bowl, toss together the shimp, 1 tsp garlic, 1 Tbsp oil and let marinate at room temprature for 20 minutes.

2. In a skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil at medium heat. Add shrimp with marinade in a single layer. Cook shrimp until almost cooked through, 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a bowl.

3. Add 1 tsp garli and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in vermouth and cook for 1 minute. Add stock and parsley and cook until mixture starts to thicken, 2 minutes.

4. Off heat, whisk in butter and lemon juice. Add shrimp and pasta. Heat through and serve.

I Promised a Rack of Lamb!

It's the holidays and my hubby loves nothing more than a rack of lamb so tonight, I made Sunny Anderson's Herb-Crusted version and served it with mashed potatoes. Simpy but VERY delicious!

Comforting Pork for the Holiday!!

It's the holidays and nothing says Comfort Food like Pork Medallions in Mushroom Marsala Sauce. Why? I have no idea. It just seems very comforting and it turned out amazing! The sweet Marsala paired so well with the pork and crimini. I served it over some stuffing since it is the holidays and all! YUM!

I'm always looking for new ways to make pork that's not dried out so when I came across this recipe for Creamy Mustard Pork, I knew I had to give it a try. Man, was this dish flavorful! I LOVED the combination of the grainy mustard and crème fraîche!

Potluck Mini Muffins with Wing-It Chili

It's my hubby's company's annual Holiday Potluck and usually I go for cookies but this year, I decided to make something different like Mini Spicy Corn Muffins. They were incredible! I thought I'd give them a taste-test with some Beefy Chili for dinner. The Chili was a serious Wing-It recipe where I browned some beef then added whatever I felt would be good in a Chili like Chili Powder (of course!), cumin, hot sauce, Worcestershire, more hot sauce and garlic. The verdict? Good enough for a crowd! And of course, everything is better topped with sour cream and CHEESE!

 

Not Your Typical Orange Pork

When I think of Orange Pork, I think of the deep fried Chinese restaurant stuff but not this one with Caramelized Onions! OMG it was SO tender and flavorful and there's nothing deep-fried about it! YUM!

Yummy Braised Chicken with Apricots!

We LOVE braised chicken thighs! It's the best way to ensure yummy moist chicken with LOTS of flavors and minimal babysitting. Tonight, I made Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Apricots minus the almonds and chickpeas but definitely served with couscous!

Everything's Better with a Fried Egg on Top!

We had some ground beef in the fridge and my hubby was asking for Thai food? So what do I do? I basically just cooked it with all my go-to Thai flavors like fish sauce, ginger, lemongrass, curry paste and of course, coconut milk! All served over rice noodles with a fried egg on top! Can't go wrong with that!

Happy Birthday Hubby!

It's my hubby's bday (I won't disclose the age!) so I wanted to make a special dinner for him. We started with Martha Stewart's Caesar Salad, which was AMAZING! I'll never buy Caesar Dressing in a bottle again!

It was followed by Emeril's Mustard Crusted Rack of Lamb, which also couldn't be beat! Happy Birthday Honey!

Iron Chef Style Chicken!

I've been saving this recipe recipe for Michael Symon's Spog Au Vin for a LONG time and finally made it tonight. It's basically just chicken braised in red wine and it couldn't be a more perfect dish for a cold winter night!

Easy Chicken Alfredo on a Friday Night!

I just started a new job so I didn't have too much time to think about dinner. Lucky for me, I've got easy recipes like Chicken Tomato Alfredo to fill our tummies on a Friday night. Quick and comforting, I couldn't have asked for more!

$5 Lobster Tails!

Since Lobster Tails are on sale, I couldn't resist so I made Neely's Lobster Mac and Cheese. OMG it was yummy! I loved how they spiced it up with some Cayenne and I absolutely adore Gruyere so this was definitely a winner!

Harvest Pork without the Harvest

I had some cranberries left over and found this recipe for Harvest Pork. I left out the Harvest part with the veggies but stuck with the marinade. I also served the yummy pork over STUFFING! YUM YUM!

Turkey Day Ain't Over Yet!

You would think after 4 days of turkey, we'd be sick of the bird but not us! We LOVE turkey and tonight, I made Rachael Ray's Chipotle Turkey Chili with Apples and Cheddar and instead of tortilla chips, I served them over the easiest biscuits EVER! Seriously and they're made for 2 instead of a whole dozen cuz really, who really like reheated biscuits right? 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1/4 cup cheese and 1/4 cup milk stirred together and baked in the oven. DONE! A yummy comforting meal on a REALLY rainy night!

A Perfect Fall Meal with Pork and Apples!

Pork and apples just scream fall to me so tonight, I made a stir-fry with some yummy sweet and sour flavors. My favorite part was how tender the meat was from the cornstarch. No more dried out pork! YUM YUM!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 lb pork, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 small apple, chopped
1/2 c onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced.
1/4 c orange juice
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire suace
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 c chicken broth

Prep:

1. Dredge pork in 1 Tbsp cornstarch and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

3. Turn heat down to medium and melt butter. Add apple and onion and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add orange juice, vinegar, sugar and worcestershire. Bring to a boil and add pork back. Turn heat down to low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Stir cornstarch into chicken broth and add to pan. Stir until sauce thickens. Serve.

Very Simple Chicken Pad Thai

My hubby LOVES Pad Thai and it's really easy to make at home so we rarely order it anymore. This was a winner and with the help of frozen chicken strips, the meal came together in no time. YUM YUM! Who needs to call for takeout anymore?

Ingredients:

Rice noodles, cooked
2 Tbsp oil, divided
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 lb cooked chicken strips
2 green onions, chopped + more for garnish
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, grated
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Sriracha

Prep:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add beaten eggs and cook until set. Remove and set aside.

2. Add chicken, green onions, garlic and ginger and cook until browned.

3. Stir in vinegar, fish sauce, brown sugar and Srirach and bring to a boil. Deglaze and turn heat off.

4. Stir in eggs to heat through and serve over noodles. Garnish with more green onions.

Something Other Than Turkey!

After a 4-day Turkey-fest, I definitely wanted to make something different so tonight's dinner was Rachael Ray's Carbonara with Sausage and Mushrooms. It was a very comforting meal and a great change from poultry!

Kicking Off Thanksgiving Early!

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday and I couldn't wait to get things started! Tonight, I made Braised Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries served over Stuffing. What a yummy way to get my favorite holiday started!

Ingredients:

2 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 c fresh cranberries
1/2 c onions, diced
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp flour
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 c chicken broth

Prep:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm.

2. Add sweet potatoes and cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add cranberries and onions and cook 5 minutes more.

3. Add sage, coriander, nutmeg and flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in orange juice and broth and bring to a boil.

4. Add chicken back and turn heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Thanksgiving Corn Muffins!

This Thanksgiving, I decided to make 2 different types of corn muffins and since I had some Pickled Jalapeno on hand, that's what I wanted to use. I chose 1 with cheese and another with beer. Both turned out great but if you asked me to pick, I like the one with CHEESE, of course!

Using Up that Marinara Sauce Caribbean Style!

It's pretty warm up here for fall and I had some Marinara Sauce in the fridge so I decided to make Caribbean Curry for dinner. I left out the cauliflower since hubby's not a fan and it turned out delicious! Curry and pineapple is such a great combo and definitely tasted tropical!

Mediterranean Meatballs!

I'v been saving this recipe for Mediterranean Meatballs and finally made them tonight. What a fun way to use Marinara Sauce! I swear Kraft has the BEST easy recipes and this one was no different. Served over some Couscous and it was a Mediterranean feast!

Starting Off the Holidays!

It's hard to imagine that the holidays are here so I decided to make Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes. Chicken thighs and sweet potatoes definitely scream Thanksgiving for me and this was a yummy comforting meal. What are you planning for the big turkey day?

Tuna Melt Meets Mac and Cheese...YUM!

I was so excited to try Rachael Ray's Tuna Melt Mac and Cheese since it's basically a marriage of 2 of my favorite things. I grew up having Tuna Melt as a special treat whenever my mom was home to make lunch. She worked fulltime so it was rare but whenever she made it, I would gobble up at least 2 of them! (No wonder I was a chubby kid! LOL) Anyway, this dish was so yummy and tasted just like what you'd imagine Tuna Melt and Mac and Cheese would be!

Tonight's dinner was inspired by this Creamy Pork Saute. I jazzed things up by substituting pickled jalapenos for the celery. VERY comforting and very good on a cold night!

My Very FIRST Roasted WHOLE Chicken!

I'm a huge fan of chicken but did you know that I've NEVER roasted a whole chicken before? The closest I've come are Cornish Game Hens, which I guess aren't too far from this young chicken that I got from Trader Joe's. It's almost twice the size though and I was VERY intimidated at first. I had no idea what to do with it especially since it didn't fit in my slow cooker. (I have a small one.) I finally decided to just brown it in my big cast-iron skillet and then put it in the oven. I roasted it at 350 for about an hour and it was PERFECTLY moist and flavorful! The only seasoning I added was garlic powder and pepper. I served the thighs to my hubby with raisin stuffing and gave the breast meat to my girlfriend, who also thought the meat was moist and delicious! I'm SO gonna roast more chickens from now on! :)

Who Knew My Hubby Loved Olives?

I truly believe that I learn something new about my hubby everyday and tonight, I discovered that he loved olives. I guess I always just assumed he didn't cuz I gotto steal them from his Martini when we go out! Come to find out, he was just being nice!. Anyway, so tonight, I made Braised Lamb Shanks with Olives and it was amazing! Lamb shanks are just so perfect on a cold night and the olives didn't hurt either!

Piggy Pecan Goodness!

It's no surprise that my mom LOVE Pecan Shortbread Cookies, especially Ina's recipe. I haven't treated her for a while so I thought I'd make her favorite and make them even more fun by cutting them into her favorite shapes, PIGGIES! I love you mom!

Crabby Stuffed Shells

Sometimes I just want a go-to recipe that I can make when I'm just plain tired. Tonight, I turned to Crabby Stuffed Shells. It's just basically imitation crab mixed with Ricotta and stuffed into jumbo shells topped with Marinara sauce and CHEESE! YUM YUM!

Cheeseburger Chili AND Sour Cream Cornbread? OH MY!

I came across Rachael Ray's Cheeseburger Chili and thought it would be perfect on a chilly night like tonight. Of course, we can never have Chili without Cornbread so I served it with Sour Cream Corn Muffins. Just to jazz things up even more, I topped the chili with a dollop of sour cream and cheese. It was such a comforting and delicious meal! Leftovers will be even better!

Holidays Start NOW with Cranberry Tea Cake!

One of my favorite books is Martha Stewart's Holiday Handbook. Why? Well, i LOVE the holidays and I LOVE Marth! One of the recipes that caught my attention was Cranberry Orange Tea Cakes, which I thought is the PERFECT way to start the holiday baking! The only change I made was substituting pecans for walnuts. OMG I'm SO amazed by how yummy these are!

Ingredients: (8 mini loaves)

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 Tbsp orange zest
2 eggs
3/4 c heavy cream
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c fresh cranberries
1/2 c pecans, chopped

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray mini loaf pan with cooking spray.

Cream together butter, sugar and orange zest until fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a large measuring cup, stir together the heavy cream, orange juice and vanilla. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Beat flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with cream mixture. Gently fold in the cranberries and pecans.

Divide batter among pans and smooth the tops. Bake until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center omes out clean, about 20 minutes.

EVERYONE Likes Stroganoff!

My hubby claims he doesn't like Stroganoff but I didn't believe him so I decided to make Chicken Stroganoff tonight. Guess what? He LOVED it! I mean, how can anyone NOT like Stroganoff? Creamy and delicious! 

A Weeknight Trip to North Africa!

I've been saving Melissa D'Arabian's North African Meatballs for a while now and finally made them tonight. All I can say is WOW! The flavor combinations were incredible and I can't tell you how much we enjoyed the Couscous with Dried Dates. A great escape to North Africa on a weeknight!

An Indian Party at Our House!

I came across this recipe for Chicken Korma and decided to make my own version for our very own Indian Dinner Party. I kept most of the spices and flavoring but changed things up just a bit using what I had on hand. All I can say is this meal smelled amazing and tasted even better!

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken things, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tsp Garam Masala, divided
1/4 c sour cream
1 Tbsp oil
1/4 c onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Rice, for serving
Parsley, for garnish

Prep:

1. In a bowl, combine the chicken with 1 tsp Garam Masala and sour cream. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, 5 minutes.

3. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add spices and toss to coat.

4. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until chicken is tender.

5. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Serve over rice and garnish with parsley.

Feeling Crabby

Crabby Enchiladas that is! I had some crabmeat in the fridge and decided to make Enchiladas tonight. Not much of a recipe, just crabmeat mixed with refried beans and rolled into tortillas. Baked with LOTS of Enchiladas Sauce and Cheese on top and DONE!

Enchiladas in Pie Form!

My hubby LOVES Enchiladas so I knew I had to make this Chicken Chile Enchilada Pie from Betty Crocker. It's super easy and I had all the ingredients on hand except the tomatoes. It turned out SO good and we couldn't be happier on a Friday night!

Ketchup is ALWAYS GOOD!

I came across this recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple and immediately knew I wanted to make it cuz one of the ingredients is KETCHUP! If you know my hubby you know that he LIVES off of Ketchup so I knew he'd love this dish. I really liked the combination of the soy sauce, pineapple and vinegar and of course, my hubby loved the Ketchup!

The Start of Pumpkin Season!

I LOVE Pumpkin Season, which to me starts right around Halloween. To kick things off, I made Mini Spiced Pumpkin Muffins. YUM!

Watching Rachael Ray ALWAYS Pays Off

I've been saving Rachael Ray's Sausage and Butternut Riggies for a while now waiting for fall to finally kick in. Instead of Butternut Squash, I used canned Pumpkin, which I think has very similar flavors. I can't begin to tell you how yummy this dish was and perfect for fall! I love how she always calls for broiling her pasta casseroles cuz it's such a time-saver and beats baking for 30 minutes to brown the topping anyday!

Keeping the Fiesta Theme Going ALL Night!

Monday nights are now Football nights and we love nothing more than Chips and Guac while watching a game especially when the 49ers are WINNING! To keep the Fiesta Theme going, I decided to make a Tex-Mex style pasta dinner. Very simple and very flavorful, what's not to love right?

Ingredients:

1 c penne pasta, uncooked
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 lb bulk sausage
1/2 c onion, chopped
1 c corn
1 c salsa
1 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 c shredded Mexican cheese blend
Chopped fresh parsley

Prep:

1. Cook penne as directed on package.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink.

3. Add onion, corn, salsa, chili powder and cumin; mix well. Heat to boiling. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Turn off heat. Stir in cheese add cooked penne until cheese is melted. Spoon mixture onto serving platter and garnish with parsley.

Apple and Seafood, Who Knew?

I came across this recipe for Spicy Shrimp Curry with Coconut Milk and Apple and was intrigued by the combinationa. I mean, I love fruit with pork and poultry but never thought of seafood. Well, tonight curiosity got the best of me and I decided to try the recipe using Imitation Crabmeat instead. The verdict? We LOVED it! The Coconut Milk made the dish really come together and all the spices gave it a nice kick. I served the crabmeat over rice noodles and it was an amazing curry feast!

$5 Rotisserie Chicken!

We have these $5 Friday Deals at our Safeway and today they were offering Rotisserie Chicken! How can I resist that right? I decided to make Chicken Tortilla Pie, a recipe I'd been saving for a while now. It just seemed like the perfect easy dinner to make on a Friday night. I already had all the other ingredients at home so the meal took no time at all to put together. VERY good and I'm sure the leftovers will be even better!

Happy Halloween with Candy Corn Cookies!

I'm not a huge fan of Halloween and I haven't dressed up since I was a kid but I do love all the fun candy! Since we don't get any Trick-or-Treaters at our place, I always try to bake with some of the special goodies that are only available this time of the year. What says Halloween more than Candy Corn right? These are Martha Stewart's Candy Corn Sugar Cookies and I made both the regular ones and chocolate variation. They were incredible! The only problem was that I ended up with only 20 cookies from the dough and I made my cookies smaller than usual so I'm not sure what happened. Since I made 2 batches though, I had enough to go around the office but they were gone before lunch!

More Pasta Revolution Goodness!

I'm so in LOVE with my Pasta Revolution Cookbook and tonight, I made another recipe from it, Baked Chicken Parmesan and Penne. It was SO simple, yet incredibly good! The fire-roasted tomatoes created such a flavorful sauce along with the garlic, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. I also liked placing the chicken on top of the casserole instead of mixing everything together so that strips stayed intact. My favorite part though, of course, was the super cheesy crust!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb breaded chicken strips
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (14 oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
Penne, cooked
1/2 c Parmesan, grated
1/2 c Mozzarella, shredded

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease a baking pan. Cook chicken according to package directions.

2. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook 5 minutes.

3. Stir in pasta and Parmesan. Transfer to baking pan. Scatter chicken over top and sprinkle with Mozzarella.

4. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, 10 minutes.  

Falling in Love with Fall Ingredients!

I LOVE fall for all of its produce like figs, pumpkins, butternut squash and of course, apples! (I know apples are around all year but something about fall just makes them even better!) Besides Apple Pie, my favorite is having them with pork so tonight, I made some Pork Chops with Cranberry-Apple Sauce. I served them over some cheesy polenta and it was the perfect fall meal!

Ingredients:

2 bone-in pork chops
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small apple, diced
1/2 c onions, diced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c apple juice
1/4 c dried cranberries

Prep:

1. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

2. Turn heat down to medium and add the apple and onions. Cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Add thyme and garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

3. Add apple juice and bring to a boil. Add pork back, cover and simmer until pork is tender, 10 minutes. Remove chops to serving platter.

4. Add cranberries and turn heat up to high. Boil until sauce is thickened, 5 minutes. Pour sauce over pork and serve.

I'm ALL For Taking Shortcuts!

When I first started cooking, I wanted to make everything from scratch. I baked my own bread, slow-roasted meats and even attempted to make homemade pasta. (THAT was not a good idea!) I guess I must've watched way too much Food Network and realized very quickly that cooking wasn't my fulltime job! Nowadays, I'm all about pre-chopped onions, cooked chicken and tonight, I discovered Hormel's Roast Beef. Of course with most shortcuts in life, you have to get a lil creative unless you like the taste of microwave dinners. Tonight, I transformed my convenience food into Penne with Roast Beef, Balsamic Goat Cheese Sauce. Made from scratch, it's not but homemade tasting, it definitely was!

Ingredients:

1 oz dried Porcini mushrooms
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 lb roast beef tips, cooked
3 oz goat cheese
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Penne, cooked until al dente

Prep:

1. Place dried mushrooms in a microwaveable bowl with 1/2 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 2 minutes until water starts to boil. Let stand, covered for 5 minutes, until mushrooms are reconstituted.

2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.

3. Add beef and mushrooms along with the water. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes, until reduced by half.

4. Turn off heat and stir in goat cheese, balsamic vinegar and pasta until cheese is melted.