Honey Glazed Chicken and Bacon Bites I had an idea. Actually, it was more like my three hundred and forty-sixth idea for this month and I now have the hips to show for it. No biggie, I consider it a small sacrifice for eating food that tastes this good. So I asked myself: “Would it be a really crazy idea to wrap loads of bacon around chicken strips and brush them with a spruced up honey marinade?”. Why yes, Kay, it would be. But frankly, I like crazy. See, now that’s what happens when you blog from your desolated home or kitchen (in the burbs). Anyway, it turned out nothing short of a phenomenal idea that I simply have to share here in my little corner of the www. Ingredients: 1 pound boneless chicken breasts 20 thin bacon slices 3 tbsp honey 2 tsp coarse mustard fresh lemon juice Optional: salt Directions: Cut the chicken breasts—or fillets, as we call them here—in thin strips. Note: I’m using the Dutch equivalent to bacon in this recipe. Grab a bowl and combine 3 tbsp honey with 2 tsp coarse mustard.
Stuffed Zucchini I like the simple things in life. Simple ingredients, simple techniques, maximum flavor. But I guess you know that by now. Especially when you hand me a recipe that doubles as an appetizer or side dish, you just reel me in. Stuffed zucchinis are so versatile. So lately I’ve been wondering if there are easier and faster ways to prepare them. Now please, please, don’t tell me you’ve been doing it like this for 10 years straight! Ingredients: 1 tbsp sour cream 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp curry powder 1/2 tomato 1 tsp thyme 2 zucchinis 1 onion cheese pepper Optional: bacon Directions: Preheat your oven to 400 (200C). Give the zucchini a good scrub. Slice them in half length-ways. Spoon out the guts. See the pink ‘bracelet’ I’m wearing? Now give the zucchini pulp a good chop, also chop a small onion and 1/2 a tomato while you’re at it. Notice how I didn’t use garlic for a change? When the onions are almost done, add 1/4 tsp curry powder and cook everything for an additional 30 seconds.
So Very Blessed...: Cheesy Quinoa Bites A new year always brings new resolutions. And I do have new resolutions (in a post to come), but this would be the same resolution I’ve had pretty much every year that I can remember – get healthier. Hopefully this is the year that sticks. It has to stick through January, because I’m in a group of ladies trying to lose 10 pounds by February 4th. Even if it doesn’t stick all year, a month of healthier eating/exercising is better than nothing, right? So far this year, I’ve exercised everyday (*cough* ignore that the grand total is only two days)! But eating is the other half of the equation. Enter Cheesy Quinoa Bites. These babies are amazing. I may try to play around and sub fresh parsley for the cilantro at some point, but they were delicious as is! Ingredients Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Notes: The dipping sauce pictured is Kraft's Light Honey Dijon salad dressing.
Baseball Bats in the Backyard - Squash Fries It is an idyllic summer morning. The sun has barely beamed above the eastern horizon, some honeybees are making an early start for the cutting garden, and the air is soft and sweet. You peek your head out the door to make sure the coast is clear, that the quiet and privacy of the moment allow you to pad quickly across the dewy grass to your little patch of nirvana, your vegetable garden. Barefoot and still in your robe, you feel as carefree and lithe as a child, clutching your trug by its handle and zeroing in on the harvest to come. Considering your breakfast options, you feel around for a nice, robust squash and travel your fingers up its smooth length to snap it off at the blossom end. You meet with resistance, a lot of resistance, and begin twisting and tugging until a victorious last pull throws you off balance and onto your backside. What are you going to do with a one-pound zucchini? Cheese Zucchini Crisps - Adapted from the Food Down Under recipe
Framed Cooks: Mini Caprese Bites My brother and I have been partners in crime for more years than either of us are prepared to admit. We fought like cats and dogs when we were growing up, and one of the proudest moments of my life is still the time during a loooooong car ride to Vermont when I tricked him into finishing his McDonalds fries before I finished mine…and then stretching mine out for the remainder of the four hour trip. (“Boy, these fries are SO good. I bet you wish you still had some. Mmmmmmmm.”) You’d think that after that he wouldn’t have my back…but he always does. (Okay, I owe my sister-in-law for that too! Anyway, I do have a point with all of this, and here it is: he also turned me on to the best, and I mean the BEST mozzarella cheese I have ever tasted in my life. If you are lucky enough to live in the northern New Jersey area and want to experience mozzarella cheese nirvana, it comes from Vito’s Bakery (yes, bakery…no idea why and not asking questions) in Secaucus, New Jersey. Ingredients Directions
A Couple Cooks » Posts » Stuffed Poblano Peppers Stuffed vegetables are a wonderful meatless main dish, and these peppers were no disappointment! We’ve been on a bit of a Latin-inspired kick lately, so this idea fit the bill for a meal with friends, as well as a few weeknight meals. The recipe below is a result of several attempts and a fair amount of research (thank you, Google). The result tasted great and was fun to serve; we especially liked the earthy taste of the poblano peppers as an alternative a bell pepper. Stuffed Poblano Peppers by: a Couple Cooks Recipe type: Main Course Cuisine: Mexican 4 poblano peppers 1 cup uncooked brown rice (or 4 cups of any cooked grain) 1½ cups salsa 1 15 oz. can of black beans 1½ cups frozen or canned corn kernels 3 green onions (optional) 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder Cayenne to taste Salt and freshly ground pepper Shredded cheese (we used a Mexican blend) Chopped cilantro for serving (optional) Combine 1 cup uncooked rice with 2 cups water.
Get ‘em while the gettin’s good! « These will not last long…take them to a party or a potluck and they will disappear before your eyes! Handsome little devils, for sure. High-protein eggs filled with creamy good-for-us avocados…WOW. Make lots. (Prepare these not too long before serving, as the avocados may turn dark.) 6 hard boiled eggs 1 medium avocado, diced small 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste Salt to taste Cut boiled eggs in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out yolks. Per Serving: Calories 90; Protein 4 g; Fat 6 g; Carbs 1 g; Sugar 0 g; Sodium 75 mg Like this: Like Loading... Gourmet Holiday Appetizer Recipe - Share Our Table | recipegirl.com Today, I’m featuring Share Our Holiday Table, a virtual, progressive fund-raising dinner designed to raise awareness of child hunger in the U.S. and raise funds for Share Our Strength during the critical holiday season. One in 4 kids in the USA faces hunger. Their next meal could come from you Learn how to help here. I was tasked with providing a gourmet appetizer for this event, and I’ve chosen to share with you my Sundried Tomato Polenta Bites, a perfect appetizer treat for a holiday party that is simple enough to assemble, festive-looking and delicious. Making the polenta rounds couldn’t be easier. A simple pesto is made from fresh basil, pistachios, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. See? This recipe can be found here: Sundried Tomato Polenta Bites And if you’d like to donate to Share Our Strength this holiday season… helping to ensure that no child goes hungry, you can donate HERE. Visit the other bloggers who are participating in this virtual dinner party!
saucy asian meatballs I probably should have poured a nice stiff drink recipe for you all on this loveliest of lovely tax days. Especially for my fellow small business owners who just gave half of their revenue back to the government. Good grief, I won’t even go there. Instead though, I thought I’d offer my idea of a more comforting alternative. Pasta. When life is good, and when life gets crazy, I turn to pasta. And just as it has for years, this one hit the spot. Read more This past Friday night was meant for celebrating. The weather was sit-out-on-the-deck-in-the-cool-evening-breeze perfection. And a very special birthday girl turned the big 3-0. Friends, meet Stacey. Read more TGIF, friends. Hope that you all have had a lovely week, and that a relaxing weekend lies ahead. Read more Ever since my friends and I met for a tapas happy hour at our neighborhood Spanish restaurant a few weeks ago, I’ve had sangria on my mind. Read more Read more I’ve always said that I like a good balance of cooking and baking in my life.
Popovers Recipe with Parmesan | Parmesan Popovers Recipe with Herbs Warning: This parmesan herb popovers recipe is too easy and addicting to be legal. Crusty, crispy and savory popovers like these that are so easy to make, yet so quickly inhaled within a matter of seconds, should be against the law because they are that good. Really, really, really good. Parmesan Herb Popovers Recipe This savory parmesan herb popovers recipe so are light and airy, it’s amazing to watch them puff up to a crisp golden brown. Popovers for Breakfast and Brunch It’s hard not to get into the baking mood when flipping through the Art and Soul of Baking book by Cindy Mushet. This gigantic book isn’t just a book of recipes, but it’s like an encyclopedia of baking; full of valuable baking tips and methods. These parmesan herb popovers are the perfect quick bread to make for dinner and since we’ve already logged in a gazillion hours at work, these popovers were a welcome treat to a long day. Here’s more of our easy breakfast and brunch recipes.