Double Points

We all know a great trick or two for getting an easy dinner together quickly, and I bet one of the tricks on the top of your list is a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket.  From the deli section of the market to your dinner table...it really is great.  No, it isn't the same as when you make it at home and yes, I am sure if you use this trick too often the magic fades.  My whole strategy is never to use the chicken as it comes, the whole magic for me is creating something else out of it.  Whatever you make is still going to take less time and if you are really creative, you can get a great dinner together and still have time to do something extra you normally wouldn't be able to fit into your day.  

Double points this night because this fab dinner idea got me two rewards: A relaxing bath while the potatoes baked and an extra 30 minutes to an hour to watch some TV that I didn't spend in the kitchen on my very tired feet!  Sound nice to you?  Keep reading.

Triple points if you count that my husband loved it.  I don't know if I should be offended that he talks about this potato more than almost any other thing I make, or just take it as a compliment and move on?  I am going to move on.  A compliment is a compliment!

Stuffed Sweet Potato

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Sweet Potatoes or Yams, punctured with fork a couple times

1/2 cup Pico de Gallo 

1/2 cup Mashed Avocado or Guacamole

1 cup Rotisserie Chicken, shredded

Plain Non-Fat Greek Yogurt

Scallions

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake sweet potatoes for  30-40 minutes until tender.  Cut the potatoes vertically and open to expose inside.  Mash the potato a little till fluffy then top with half of each of the remaining ingredients.  Repeat for the other potato.  Serve.  Yes, it was that easy.

Fact Section:  What the grocery stores call "Sweet Potatoes" and "Yams" are actually both Sweet Potatoes.  Yams are another thing all together that you don't normally see at the market.  The purple one with the orange inside has just been dubbed "yam" so that all of us who don't know can distinguish between the two.  I like Yams better for this recipe, the purple one with the orange inside, but in the picture above I used a traditional Sweet Potato (yellow inside). 

Also, this has to be the most nutritious way to eat a potato!  Instead of butter use healthy fat-avocado.  Instead of Sour Cream- use Greek Yogurt.  Instead of Cheese- Use Salsa for more flavor.

Use What You Got

This past weekend my family travelled to Chicago to celebrate my dad's birthday in his hometown.  I was working down in Palm Desert all week, so when I got home late on Thursday night I still had to pack.  After a long day I wasn't too hungry and just wanted to use things from my refrigerator to make something light.  I had an apple, a pear, a rotisserie chicken and some lettuce.  With that, I made a beautiful salad with a recipe my mom gave me for an apple juice salad dressing.  It was fantastic!  Full of protein, greens and flavor.  The perfect thing to give me just enough energy to pack and then fall fast asleep before our very early flight!  We had the best time in Chicago seeing old friends and all the sights, but I am happy to be home today and back to my normal schedule.  I am currently counting down the days to Brian and my summer trip to Cabo San Lucas on Saturday!!

Apple and Pear Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 cup Apple Juice

2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

10 cups mixed salad greens

1 cup seedless red grapes, halved

1 medium McIntosh Apple, cored and diced

1 medium Bartlett Pear, cored and diced

1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

2 cups shredded Rotisserie Chicken

Directions

Place apple juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook until reduced to about 3 tablespoons.  Combine reduced apple juice, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, stirring with a whisk.  

Combine grapes, apple and pear in a large bowl.  Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat.  Sprinkle with cheese.  

Enjoy!!

Multitalented

Maybe its just me, but Gwyneth Paltrow seems to be all over the place recently!  Actress, Singer...Chef? I got my new issue of Bon Appetit the other day and sure enough she was on the cover.  The article profiled her in her London apartment cooking up recipes that the culinary team at Bon Appetit helped her create.  Pretty interesting.  Of course she looked effortlessly beautiful dicing onions and cutting up chicken.  If only my real life looked so nice!

I was especially intrigued by her Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce; both by the concept and the vision of her making this in London which screams everything but "BBQ".  The sauce in the picture was this gorgeous orange and I had to try it out for myself.  

I am a big fan of BBQ sauce and this looked really different and perfect for summer!

Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce

Courtesy of Bon Appetit and Gwyneth Paltrow

Ingredients

1 cup diced fresh peaches, about 2 peaches

1/2 cup Ketchup

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons Adobo Sauce (from Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce)

Salt and Pepper

4 Chicken Breasts

Directions

In a small saucepan combine peaches, ketchup, garlic and adobo sauce.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes or until peaches are tender.  

Transfer carefully to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  

Use about half the sauce to pour over the chicken breasts and marinate for at least 20 minutes (and up to 12 hours).  Meanwhile, heat grill to a medium high heat.  Grill chicken for 4-5 minutes per side.  Brush each side with BBQ sauce and grill for another 1 minute per side, or until done.  Serve with extra sauce.

I have to say I was pretty impressed with this sauce.  It was tasty and had a great flavor, different than normal BBQ sauce, but familiar enough that I wasn't missing anything.  I loved that it required so few ingredients and a reasonable cooking time for the development of flavors.  I paired it with some baked sweet potato fries and grilled asparagus.  

Happy Grilling!

What is Succotash?

Saw something about a "Corn Succotash" the other day in something I was reading and the first thing I thought is, "What exactly is a succotash?"  Is it always made with corn?  Does it always contain lima beans?  Gross.  I looked it up.  

Succotash: is a food dish containing primarily of corn and lima beans, or other shell beans.

Hmm...Corn, yes.  Lima beans, no.  The concept had potential though, so I just changed a few things around and out popped this very easy, delicious meal in minutes.  You have to love meals that contain a store bought rotisserie chicken.  

Corn Succotash (Sort of) with Tomatoes and Rotisserie Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 earns corn, kernels cut off the cob

2 small zucchini, chopped into medium pieces

1 tablespoon minced garlic

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 avocado, chopped

3 ounces Goat Cheese

4 basil leaves, chopped

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

Directions

In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add corn and saute for 2 minutes.  Add zucchini, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar and saute for an additional 4- minutes until just done.  Transfer corn mixture to a bowl and toss with basil leaves.  Top with cheese and avocado.
Serve with tomatoes and shredded chicken.  Enjoy!

Warm Pasta Salad

I love coming up with things to use a lot of leftover vegetables in my refrigerator.  Seems like I buy lots at the beginning of the week and end up with a little of each at the end of the week, but I hate to throw perfectly good food away!  Pasta salad is one of those great things to make on a hot day, but can be filled with lots of calories and too much pasta most of the time.  I threw together this Warm Spinach Pasta Salad easily in just the time it took to boil the pasta water and cook it!  

Warm Spinach Pasta Salad

Ingredients

2 Packages (about 10 oz each) Cheese Tortellini

2 Rotisserie Chicken Breasts, shredded

2 cups Grape Tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup Peas

1/2 cup Red Onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup Basil, thinly sliced

1 can Artichoke Hearts (14 oz), drained and quartered

4 cups Baby Spinach, washed

1 cup Fresh Asparagus, washed and sliced into 1.5 inch pieces

Reduced Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, about 4-5 tablespoons

3/4 cup Shaved Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to the directions on the package.  During the last minute or so of the pasta cooking, add the asparagus and peas and cook with the 

pasta for the last 2 minutes.  

While the pasta is cooking chop and prepare the other ingredients (except cheese) and put into a large bowl to wait for the pasta, peas and asparagus.  After pasta mixture is cooked till al dente and drained, add to bowl and toss with salt, pepper and dressing.  Sprinkle cheese on top.

Serve warm, at room temp or cold.  

You could alter this for any vegetables you want, this is just what I had on hand, but the combination was very flavorful, filling and healthy!  Great for lunch the next day!

Hearty and Healthy

What do you do when you feel like hearty comfort food, but are determined not to break your calorie bank?  Make healthy Chicken Chili!  I love Ina Garten; her recipe was wonderful and hit the spot.

Chicken Chili

Courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
• 1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
• 1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
• 4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

I served it with some low fat cheddar sprinkled on top and fat free sour cream.  It was warm and comforting and made for great leftovers.  I used some in my egg white scramble the next morning and Brian made tacos out of it for lunch.  Multi-purpose chili!  Happy Monday!

Belated Cinco de Mayo

Well, I know it is not Cinco de Mayo anymore...far from it, but things have been a little hectic lately and I haven't been able to post as much. May 5th was one of the worst days for me at work, but I had been planning to have a fun night making Mexican food for Cinco de Mayo and I intended to see it through.

The greatest part about these two dishes I made is that they can be started ahead of time and finished quickly before serving. You can use this marinade on anything: Chicken, Steak, etc. and it is always very flavorful.

Roasted Tomatillo and Apple Salsa

Courtesy of Marcela Valladolid via The Talk

Ingredients:

1 lb. Tomatillos, husked and rinsed

2 Granny Smith Apples, quartered

2 whole Garlic Cloves

1/2 White Onion

2 Jalapeno Chile, stemmed

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the tomatillos, apples, garlic, onion and jalapenos on a baking sheet. Toss with the olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Roast until the tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 20 minutes. Puree all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Season with Salt and Pepper. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Fajitas

Adapted from Tyler Florence

Ingredients:

1 Orange, juiced

2 limes, juiced

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, roughly chopped

3 Chipotle Chiles, in adobo sauce

3 Tablespoons Cilantro, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 lbs Chicken, cut into strips

Salt and Pepper

2 Red Bell Peppers, thinly sliced

1 Large Onion, thinly sliced

Flour Tortillas

Roasted Tomatillo and Apple Salsa, recipe above

Guacamole, I make it simple with Avocado, Garlic Salt, Cilantro and Lime Juice

Directions:

In a measuring cup or bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients (Orange Juice through Salt). Using an immersion blender, puree the marinade until smooth. Pour into a re-sealable plastic bag and add the chicken, seal and shake to coat.

Refrigerate the chicken for 2-4 hours to marinate.

Using a large skillet or saute pan over medium high heat, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in the pan. Saute till cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to rest while in the same pan add the bell peppers and onions. Saute for 6-8 minutes until just cooked through. Place the chicken back into the pan with the onions and peppers to combine and re-heat.

Meanwhile, using the burners on your stove toast the tortillas on each side.

Transfer to a plate covered with a cloth to keep warm.

Serve!

Hope everyone had a Happy and Fun Cinco de Mayo!

Sunday PIcnic

Last week I was looking so forward to my Sunday picnic and enjoying the beautiful weather we have been blessed with, but sure enough, Sunday rolled around and it was cloudy and kinda cold. Well, cold for me...in the 60s. Not really the ideal picnic weather! I was pretty upset inside, but after all my planning and preparing I was determined to make it work, so we conducted our picnic indoors. Thanks to my sister and Matt

I have the cutest plaid dishes to complete my indoor picnic theme.

Menu

Panzanella Salad

Curried Chicken Wraps

Strawberry Cake Jars

All the beautiful vegetables that went into the panzanella salad

Curried Chicken Salad

Even though my picnic didn't work out exactly how I planned, it was still an enjoyable, relaxing day with my husband with great food! I will make my outdoor picnic happen sometime soon! What is your favorite Sunday activity?

Flavor Explosion!

I was pretty thrilled the other day to find this somewhat hidden section of healthy recipes on the food network website the other day! In this little treasure trove was this a recipe for a Chicken Scallion Rice Bowl. I think the title is horrible really. It is so much more than Chicken, Scallions and Rice in a bowl. It is a flavor explosion!

The flavor of the broth comes from Fresh Ginger, Mushrooms, Scallions and Basil and it is delicious. I would say this soup tastes most like Pho and you could easily substitute the brown rice for thin rice noodles. It is fresh and light, but still plenty filling and like

the Vietnamese say, "It will stick to your ribs"!

Chicken Scallion Rice Bowl

Ingredients:

6 Cups Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth

2 Cups Water

2 Tablespoons Mirin

1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce

1 Bunch Scallions, about 6

4 ounces Shitake Mushrooms, caps sliced, stems removed and reserved

1 two-inch piece fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced

6 Garlic Cloves, sliced

1 small bunch Basil, plus some leaves for serving

1 large Chicken Breast, 12 ounces

1 Red Jalapeno, thinly sliced (ribs and seeds removed for less heat)

1 Cup Shelled Edamame

1 Cup Julienned Jicama

Kosher Salt

2 Cups Hot Cooked Brown Rice

Lime Wedges

Directions:

Combine the broth, water, mirin, and the fish sauce in a large saucepan. Cut all but one scallion into 1-inch pieces and add to the broth with the mushroom stems, ginger, garlic and bunch of basil. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and continue to simmer until reduced by half, about 45 minutes. Remove all the solids from the broth using a

strainer or slotted spoon and discard.

Add the chicken, sliced mushroom caps, and jalapeno to the broth; adjust the heat to keep the broth at a gentle simmer and cook 12-14 minutes (mine took about 16 minutes) or until the chicken is just cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice into 1-inch pieces.

Remove the broth from the heat; Stir in edamame, jicama, and sliced chicken. Season with salt. Scoop 1/2 cup of the cooked rice into each bowl and ladle some of the soup over it. Slice the reserved scallion on an angle and sprinkle over each bowl along with basil leaves. Serve with lime wedges, if desired. I also served this with some sriracha.

Beautiful Broth

Ta da! This was a very relaxing meal to make. I was able to sit on the couch and watch my DVR while the broth simmered and made for a very nice evening!

True Food Reinvention

I have been wanting to try this restaurant called True Food in Fashion Island for some time now and I was so excited to go there with Brian's dad and Linda the other day to celebrate Brian's birthday! The food was excellent and healthy which is the best combination

don't you think??

When we left all I could think about was going back, but we were headed down to the desert that week. What was I to do? Recreate what I had for lunch! I also have been throwing some ideas around in my head for a while for a flat bread. I thought my new flat bread and the salad I had at True Food would make an excellent pair!

I even had to recreate my drink I had also! It was really refreshing and didn't seem to complicated to duplicate. I highly recommend this place and if you aren't near one of their two locations, try my recipes below.

Date Gorgonzola Flat Bread

Ingredients:

1 piece whole wheat flat bread

2 dates, chopped

2 tablespoons apricot jam

1/2 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese

Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat Broiler.

Drizzle a olive oil in a small pan and heat over medium heat. Combine onion and garlic in pan and saute over medium heat until onions are caramelized and lightly browned.

Put piece of flat bread on a piece of foil sprayed with cooking spray. Put in oven for 3-5 minutes depending on your oven, just till slightly crispy. Remove from oven.

Spread the jam evenly over the flat bread, with the back of a spoon is easiest. Spread onion mixture over the top. Sprinkle dates and cheese evenly.

Put back in oven for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown.

Slice and serve...enjoy!

Spring Chopped Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups Spring Mix Greens

4 Strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup Goat Cheese, crumbled

1 cup Sugar Snap Peas, ribs removed and roughly chopped

1 Roasted Chicken Breast, skin removed and shredded

(I just used a rotisserie chicken that I bought at the grocery store)

2 Tablespoons Almonds, sliced...optional

Balsamic Vinaigrette (I used a fat free one from Trader Joe's)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients but dressing in a large bowl. Toss gently. Drizzle with dressing and toss and serve amongst several plates. Enjoy.

Hangover Rx

Combine 1 can Coconut water, 1/3 cup pineapple juice, and 1/3 cup orange juice and stir. Serve!

This drink is really refreshing and healthy and makes a perfect compliment to everything on this menu. I hope you try out some of these recipes and leave me your comments!

Have a wonderful evening!

Fast Fiesta

I would like to start off by saying that I am sorry my blog entries have been few and far between lately, I just have had so much going on it is hard to get myself together right now. I am planning on organizing things better from this point forward!

Sometimes I get myself into a rut on auto-pilot making the same types of things and going through the same sources to find recipes. Lately, all that has sounded appealing to me is beef, mostly steak. I think I am on red meat overload and so I spent some time the other day searching for some recipes for some different proteins that were fast and seemed appetizing. When you don't have a ton of time to make dinner, but you want it to be flavorful,

this is the recipe to make.

I found this treasure amongst some of my Bobby Flay recipes and was so excited to go home and make it. I love Bobby Flay; his personality, his restaurants, his recipes, even his wife who used to by on my favorite show Law and Order: SVU. The only caveat is that his sauces and preparations usually take hours...hours that I never have. That is the great thing about these Shredded Chicken and Tomatillo Tacos with Queso Fresco, they take hardly any time at all and taste like you have been cooking all day!

A few months ago I got a free subscription to Bon Appetit for being such a great customer at Sur la Table and finally I have started getting my issues. Of course, I didn't pick up my January issue till this week, but I did find some things I am excited to try. Unfortunately, some of the ingredients that star in the recipes are now out of season (like Pomegranates). With a few creative substitutions I made this great Rainbow Chopped Salad.

Rainbow Chopped Salad

Recipe Courtesy of Bon Appetit

Dressing

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Shallot

1/2 Tablespoon Honey

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salad

6 Cups Chopped Romaine Hearts

4 cups Sliced Red Cabbage

1 Large Fuji Apple, diced

1 Asian Pear, diced

1 Mango, diced

3/4 cup Hazelnuts, chopped and toasted (I used Walnuts)

1/2 Cup Pomegranate Seeds (I used dried Cherries chopped)

1/2 crumbled Blue Cheese

Dressing and Salad Instructions:

Whisk vinegar, shallot and Honey in a small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and ground pepper.

Combing Romaine and next 6 ingredients in a very large bowl; toss to blend. Add dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad amongst plates and sprinkle with Blue Cheese. Serve.

After toasting my tortillas, I served the tacos with some Fat Free Greek Yogurt instead of Sour Cream or cheese...they were delish! Enjoy this weeknight dish that is so fast and easy to make!

Rub with Love

I was at Bristol Farms the other day and saw these rubs by the butcher. I had to try one! It seems like the perfect thing to keep in the spice cabinet for a day when I have nothing to make for dinner. I have also been dying to try Rocco Dispirito's Macaroni and Cheese and I thought it would make a nice pairing with this rub. The rub was spicy, earthy and a little sweet. Even though it is for chicken, I bet it would be great on fish too!

If you like Macaroni and Cheese you have to try this one! No it wasn't as rich as the real thing, but it comes close. It definitely hits the spot with a LOT less calories and fat!

Dreaming of Blue Cheese

Lately I have been feeling like something with Blue Cheese, but of course I don't want all the fat and calories that come along with it. I found this recipe for Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce and it seemed like just the thing to satisfy my craving and keep within the parameters of fat and calories I allot myself every day.

I also made a wedge as an ode to my Blue Cheese theme because when I hear "blue cheese" I can't help but think of a lettuce wedge. Too much cheese, especially Blue Cheese, is never a good thing so I made this avocado dressing instead!

Avocado Herb Dressing

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 reduced-fat sour cream

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 Teaspoon chopped fresh Tarragon

1/8 Teaspoon salt

1/2 ripe peeled avocado

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 drops hot sauce

Combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. While running, add the water, vinegar and hot sauce and blend. Store in an airtight container. (1 Tablespoon 19 calories, 1.4g Fat)

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I chopped some fresh tomatoes and red onion to go with the wedges. Brian's is the one with the yellow tomatoes, he doesn't like red ones. Only yellow. ??????

Finished product! Tasted Great and I will make it again!

Weeknight Wonder

I missed my Sunday grocery shopping again this week because I was working. I found this recipe for Chicken Curry in my Cooking Light Cookbook my sis gave me. It says you can feed 4 people for less than $10. This seemed perfect because I had to get my ingredients at Bristol Farms in order to save time...and my feet.

I spent more than $10, but it was perfect because it was fast and easy. It tasted great and I will make this again soon now that I have the curry paste in my fridge. I probably have all the other items in my kitchen anyways on a daily basis!

Only complaint is that it doesn't call for any pepper or heat. It needed both. After taking a few bites, I went and got my grinder and some crushed red pepper. Perfect! I also added some mushrooms and yellow onion I had just to include some more vegetables because I was way too lazy to make a salad. Sometimes a salad is just too much work!

Finished Meal which I ate with my feet up!

Brian was not thrilled with the dessert (Fresh Cheeries) I got, so he insisted we go get frozen yogurt! Turned out to be a fun excursion at 8 pm!

Fruit Topping which I love

Candy Toppings for Brian

Ended the night watching Real Housewives of Atlanta. Not a huge fan of this week's episode, but I am excited to see next weeks, as it looks more interesting. Also, excited for this weeks Beverly Hills episode. Camille bugs me and I can't wait to hear the phone call from her husband....

Dinner Party Time!

Friday night, our friends Brooke and Alan came over for dinner! Brooke and I have known each other since elementary school and I am so lucky that her boyfriend, Alan, got a job here in the desert so Brooke and I have been able to reconnect. There is no one better to reminisce with about High School with or laugh about funny things we hear about High School peops than Brooke! We talk about other things also of course, but one thing is for sure...it is always a good time with lots of laughing!

Lately, I have been obsessed with my new cookbook from Ina Garten (you may have noticed from my recent posts this week) and I was so excited to see this Salmon recipe.
I really like simple, fresh flavors so this seemed perfect!

As usual, I was coming home from work to prepare for this so I had to chose something that I could make quickly and still enjoy my company. I also wanted to make a roasted vegetable platter, but it is so time consuming washing and chopping all the vegetables. I decided to wash and chop everything the night before and store them in Tupperware so I was ready to go with that when I got home. My plan worked out perfectly; I was very calm and able to have a great time with my guests...the ultimate goal of a dinner party!

In five minutes I already had all the vegetables on the cookie sheets seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil, crushed garlic and tarragon ready to go in the 375 degree oven for 20 minutes

These Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto were amazing...and amazingly easy! Even though 2 out of the 4 of us claim to dislike tomatoes, everyone loved them!

Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto
2-2.5 lb Red Tomatoes big enough for roasting (I used Roma)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup Store Bought Pesto
1/2 cup Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and slice tomatoes. Gently squeeze out the "guts". Lightly drizzle with Olive Oil and place in glass roasting dish face up. Season with Salt and Pepper. Place in oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread tomatoes with pesto. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to oven for 7-10 minutes or until cheese has become bubbly and slightly browned.
May serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Brookie and me

My bread basket I put together with some fresh breads from Trader Joe's

Ta Da! Roasted Vegetable Platter! Something for everyone here...

Roasted Salmon (and Chicken) with Green Herbs
2-2.5 lbs Salmon
1/2 cup Minced Fresh Parsley
1/2 cup Minced Fresh Dill
1/2 cup Minced Fresh Scallions (white and green parts)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
Salt and Pepper

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees. Place salmon in glass roasting dish and season well with salt and pepper. Whisk oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and drizzle evenly over salmon.
Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine herbs in a small bowl. Coat salmon with herbs liberally and spread on sides and bottom as well. Pour the wine around the fish filet.
Place salmon in oven for 15 minutes till just still pink inside. Remove from oven and cover tightly with foil for 10 minutes to finish the cooking and rest. Serve.

Guests at the dinner table

Brooke's beautiful dessert she brought from her Club. Red Velvet Cake with Pomegranate Seeds and Toasted Almond Slivers. Also, the Syrah they brought was so smooth and yummy! I don't even like wine and I loved it!!

Thank you Brookie and Alan for coming and having so much fun with Bri and I! We had the best time and can't wait to do it again!

Escape to Tuscany

Last night turned out to be a late night at work, so I was thrilled to come home and make this Tuscan Baked Chicken and Beans because it is one of those meals you start and put in the oven and then forget about. You just brown the chicken and bacon quickly and then just pop in the oven for 40 minutes. 40 minutes in my world is like a day off! I was able to empty the dishwasher, change my clothes, relax on the couch with my feet up and make a salad while the dinner was cooking.

When I make a recipe I usually change a few things around and add things, but the 1 and only thing I changed on this one is I substituted Turkey Bacon for Regular Bacon. I thought the dinner over all was good, but it lacked....something.
I guess it was just lacking bold flavors. I got the recipe out of my new cookbook (which obviously doesn't have reviews in it), but when I was attaching it to this post just now I noticed most everyone loved the recipe but felt the same way I did.

Next time I think I need to add more tomatoes (maybe even another half or whole can), add more spinach, less beans, garlic and more spices. I don't know...I need to play around with it, but it needs something. Would be a great meal if you are cooking for kids or someone who likes more bland food. I plan on renovating this and making it again!
I think it is a good start and could be great!

My Salad: Romaine, Celery, Grape Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts

Tuscan Chicken and Beans