When Life Gives You Lemons

Or in my case, when a coworker brings in a huge bag of Meyer lemons from her lemon tree, I just couldn't resist! I mean, who passes up on free food right? I grabbed a few to make a yummy dinner of Meyer Lemon Chicken. I loved the addition of the capers and frying up some lemon slices to go on top was just genius!

Then, since she kept bringing more lemons in and I was afraid they'd go to waste, I decided to make a special treat for the office, Meyer Lemon Cardamon Crinkle Cookies! They were a HIT! I mean who doesn't like cookies dipped in sugar right?

Hillshire Farms...GO MEAT...I mean SAUSAGE!

We LOVE LOVE LOVE Coconut Curry and add some pineapples to the mix and I'm sold! Tonight we enjoyed a VERY yummy Coconut Curry Chicken Sausage Skillet served over rice noodles. (You can't really see the noodles under all that delicious sauce but trust me, we figured out how to get every last drop!)

Delmonte-Inspired Dinner

Tonight's dinner was inspired by Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry from Delmonte's website. I just made a few minor changes like using Honey-Roasted Chicken Strips and adding mushrooms. I also served the chicken over rice noodles cuz my hubby LOVES that stuff!

Chicken and Apple with Curry, Who Knew?

I would've never thought of combining Chicken and Apple with Curry but it actually turned out surprisingly good! The fruit really brightened up the flavor and the creamy curry sauce just made it perfect!

Goulash Tastes a LOT Better than it Sounds!

What do you think of when you hear the word Goulash? Something gross? If your answer is yes, you feel the same way as my hubby. Tonight though, I changed his minde with Rachael Ray's Pork Goulash with Apple and Onion. It was incredibly flavorful with the paprika, coriander and cumin and the apple really brightened up the dish. Of course, the extra cheesey sour cream topping helped too!

Tagine Time!

You don't need a Tagine to make a yummy tagine like Chicken Tagine with Prunes. I omitted the almonds cuz my hubby's not a fan of nuts but it turned out yummy anyway. Such a good combo of sweet and savory and the chicken was so tender from the braising!

Peach and Whiskey...Who Knew?

I've been saving this recipe for Peach Whiskey BBQ Chiken for a while now and finally made it tonight. Gotta put that Jameson to use right? LOL. Anyway, it was the PERFECT combination of sweet and savory. I served the chicken over Mashed Potatoes like the recipe suggested and it was comfort food at its best!

It's ALL Peachy!

I LOVE the combination of chicken and fruit so tonight I decided to braised some thighs with a peach flavor. It was AMAZING! The sweetness of the peach preserve and canned peaches pair just perfectly with the Worcestershire and ginger. I served the thighs over rice to soak up the amazing sauce! What a yummy weeknight meal!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
1/2 c onions, diced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1/4 c chicken stock
1/4 c peach preserve
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 c peaches, diced
1 tsp lemon juice

Prep:

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Brown 5 minutes on each side and remove.

2. Add the onions and ginger, and cook 1 minute. Stir in stock, preserve, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Bring mixture to a boil and add chicken back.

3. Turn heat down to a simmer and cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through, 20 minutes. Remove chicken to serving platter.

4. Stir in butter, peaches and lemon juice. Turn heat up to a boil and cook until sauce thickens, stirring often, 5 minutes. Pour over chicken and serve.

It's ALL About the Figs!

I love keeping dried fruit on hand because they add so much flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. Plus they last forever so that's a bonus! I came across Martha Stewart's Braised Lamb Chops with Red Wine and Figs and couldn't wait to try it! I didn't grow up eating figs whether fresh or dried but as an adult, I discovered how yummy they are. They paired so perfectly with the red wine and vinegar and I just love the meatiness of the shoulder chops. I served them over rice to soak up all that incredible sauce and it was a simple yet elegant dinner!

Yummy Chicken with Dried Fruit!

I came across this recipe for Glazed Chicken with Dried Fruit and knew it would be a winter comfort winner. I mean, what is there not to like about a sauce made of Apricot Preserves and mustard? Add some dried fruit and it's definitely a comforting winter meal!

Winter-Perfect Braised Chicken

I can't think of anything more comforting than Wine-Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives on a cold winter night like tonight. Served over some couscous and we couldn't have asked for a better meal! I loved the sweet prunes along with the salty olives. A VERY Comforting MEAL indeed!

Yummy Mango Chicken!

I've been saving this recipe for Malaysian Mango Chicken for a while now and finally made it tonight. Man, was I glad I did! There's nothing like a tropical-flavored dinner to get you out of the freezing winter feeling! The combination of the ketchup, chili sauce, oyster, Worstershire and Steak sauce was AMAZING! The perfect balance of sweet, savory and spicy!

Emeril Never Disappoints!

I've been saving Emeril's Pan Roasted Chicken with Cherry Beer Sauce for quite some time now and finally made it tonight. What a YUMMY and comforting dish! The sweetness of the dried cherries went so well with the slightly bitter beer and refreshing lemon. I served my chicken thighs over stuffing and we had the most amazing middle of the week meal!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!