The Best Fried Chicken

Nope, not a post about fried chicken! But if you're wondering, Havana in Houston is supposed to have one of the best fried chicken meals. After having a weak moment and giving in to some fried chicken the other night (all because I read an article about the best fried chicken in Houston and began craving), I needed something fresh and clean to eat for lunch the next day.  So I am sharing with you a salad recipe that is very filling for being what some call "bird food."

This is literally things I had in my fridge that I threw in to the mixed greens left over from the crispy citrus-y chicken I made, and made extra balsamic dressing from the same recipe.  Feel free to make it your own!




Mixed Green Super Salad:

2 cups mixed greens (I used spinach and arugula)
4 strawberries hulled and cut in half
handful of grapes
1 tbsp feta crumbles
1 tbsp walnuts
1 tbsp cranberries
2 slices deli turkey chopped (or any other protein, or none, your call)
balsamic dressing

 Throw everything in with your greens and toss! Dressing on the side if you are going to eat it later to prevent the greens from wilting, or toss with the dressing and eat up!

A quick sidebar, I went to St. Genevieve's for a girls dinner last night, and I highly recommend you trying it out.  The food and atmosphere were great!  However, service had little to be desired with our waitress and her dry attitude serving us cokes and waters instead of what I'm sure is her normal table of fancy cocktails and martinis.  Nevertheless, I would go back.  The food is small plates, so you can pick a few things and share, the music is fun (they played Theophilus London, awesome), and the ambiance is trendy and young. Other great things about this place is the fact HH lasts until 8! That means you can actually get to a HH after work! Also, the desserts are AWESOME.  As a baker, that is high praise from me. Table side smores with vanilla and strawberry dipping sauces?  Two of the biggest, softest, and warmest chocolate chip cookies you have ever seen?  Yeah, that's a pretty freaking great dessert.  I plan to visit soon to enjoy some HH refreshments and cookies :)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Crispy Citrus-y Chicken

WHOA, two posts in a row?! And alliteration?!? That's a pretty big deal! I've realized that when work is slow it's the perfect time to update this here blog.

I have been on a cooking spree since coming back from vacation.  We escaped to Miami and on to a cruise to Cozumel for a week...where we went parasailing, did touristy things, lounged around, ate, drank, slept in, shopped, ate some more, slept some more...you get it.  I LOVE the beach, I never get enough of it.  This trip was my 3rd beach vacation this summer.  You can understand why we might be going through some post vacation blues.  My legs are finally a pretty brown color and my husband has lost his farmer's tan.  This means I only have a couple weeks to enjoy the tan before I'm back to my normal pasty white leg self and covering them up with tights and boots.

Now that you know all about my legs, let's get down to the reason we are here...a recipe! My husband and I have had our fill of take out and dining out.  Nothing beats a home cooked meal! As of late, I have been (obsessively) reading blogs about people who have inspiring and motivating stories about how they lost weight by eating better and working out.  I ran across this great blog that includes recipes, two of which I have already made, that makes eating better easy and delicious!  Last night I made her Crispy Citrus Chicken, and this morning I made her Green Eggs and Ham (substituting the ham for turkey bacon and serving it on a slice of whole wheat toast) after a really great morning work out.  Both were pretty looking, filling, healthy, and so so so good.

I of course made a few minor adjustments to the recipe to make it more personal, but you can always go back to the original recipe on her blog to get her directions and other great recipes.

Crispy Citrus-y Chicken:

- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
- 1/2 cup plain whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1/2 tbsp orange zest
- 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
- sea salt
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- 1 egg
- a splash of milk
- olive oil

Salad topping and dressing:

- balsamic vinaigrette
- olive oil
- honey - 2 cups leafy greens (I used a mix of spinah and arugula)
- 2 tbsp walnuts
- 2 tbsp crumbled feta
- 1 tbsp dried cranberries

Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of parchment paper and pound down with a kitchen mallet, heavy skillet, your head (no, not your head, i'm kidding), or anything else that has some weight to it, until the chicken breasts have thinned out a bit.  Salt and pepper them up.

In a plate or pie dish, throw in the bread crumbs, zests, sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Give it a good mix.

In a separate dish, whisk the egg and splash of milk.

Heat up your skillet to about medium/medium-high and pour in a bit of olive oil, just enough to coat the pan.

Make a mini assembly line, and dip the chicken in the egg wash and then coat in the bread crumbs.  Place the chicken in the skillet and let it pan fry for about 5 minutes on each side.  They should cook up pretty quickly since the chicken has been pounded thin.

As the chicken is cooking, you can start on the dressing.  Combine a 1/2 tbsp olive oil with 1 tsp honey and 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk dressing, add greens, and toss.  Throw in the walnuts, cranberries, and feta.

Plate the chicken with the salad on top.  I served the chicken with some roasted asparagus and cherry yellow tomatoes.  Enjoy!

Tostada Tuesdays

Hello again.  Slow day at work means I get a chance to share a recipe! Yay!!

Usually it's Taco Tuesday in my world, but to step out the box a bit, I made tostadas one Tuesday night (adventurous, I know).

If you are looking for something healthy, fresh, and simply delicious, make these tostadas tonight! You can use any ingredients you have on hand, these tostadas can be done up in a variety of ways!

As a side dish, I made Mexican street corn, which reminds me of the days when my dad used to drag me to flea markets on hot summer days where the only silver lining was having the best corn in Houston.  Anyone else have this same experience? No? It's just me then...

Tostadas:

- 4 corn tortillas
- cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and lay out your tortillas swirling the bottoms on the cookie sheet to get them oiled up and then spray the tops the tortillas with spray.

Stick them in the oven and check on them periodically until the bottoms looks they are browning, flip them and let them crisp up until golden, about 10-12 minutes total.

To top them off:

- 1 marinated chicken breast, chopped
- organic, no fat, refried black beans
- shredded monterrey jack cheese
- salsa
- shredded lettuce
- chopped avocado
- pico de gallo (chopped yellow sunburst tomatoes, diced jalapeno, diced sweet onion, chopped cilantro, squeeze of lime, sea salt, and black pepper)

To assemble:

Spread a layer of beans on the tostada (carefully, so you don't crack the shell). Top with some salsa and a sprinkling of cheese. Pop back in the oven to melt the cheese.

Add lettuce, chicken, avocado, and the pico on top and a sprinkling of some more cheese if you want and a squeeze of lime! That's it!

*Serves 2 




Mexican Street Corn:

- 3 grilled corn on the cobs
- Mayonnaise (olive oil)
- Lime
- 1 tbs. butter, melted
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder

Slice off the kernels from the grilled cobs into a bowl.  Add melted butter and a little less than a tablespoon of mayonnaise. Squeeze in the lime, add sea salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder to taste.  Mix it up and enjoy!

Thursday Ramblings...

Seriously thought today was Friday because last night felt like a Thursday.  Don't you just hate when that happens?? So I haven't posted anything in such a long while and I feel bad.  I wish I could be one of those really awesome bloggers who keep up with their blog EVERY DAY and post recipes and professional looking pictures of their food, but alas, that is not me.  I have some major downtime at work and thought this would be a great way to fill in some of my time.  There's only so much you can look at on Pinterest, stalk on Facebook or Instagram, read on Twitter and on the blogosphere.  I'm a social media whore, clearly.  I did make a promise to myself though,  that when I turn 30 next year, I will only keep one piece of social media or maybe none at all.  Well the blog will stay. Hopefully.

This past weekend, I had a chance to spend some time at home. No parties, no functions, no friends (i do love you guys), and no bakery orders (I have a bakery for those of you who haven't heard, Sugar Muse Bakery). I spent time in my pajamas.  Oh the power of super comfy pjs...sometimes you just need ME time and laziness.  If you know me pretty well, you know I like to keep SUPER busy.  Not just normal busy, but like "you will never find me at home" sort of busy.  That's just been my way and also happens because I pretty much never say no to any opportunity to do something.  But this time, I said no to everything.  Sometimes, I just need that.  I spent time with my husband, who works a crazy and very ridiculous schedule.  To his annoyance, I complain and whine about it everyday.  I went to bed early every night, spent time cleaning the house, working out, and crafting!  I began two new projects.  I am refinishing an old frame I found in our shoe closet, with fabric and mod podge.  I am really excited to finish it this weekend hopefully and post pictures.  I also cut up old sorority and concert t-shirts into cute work out tank tops.  It was was a DIY, much needed, chill out weekend.  DIY projects seem to give me a sense of accomplishment, much in the same way baking or cooking a challenging meal does.  That's probably why I've already compiled a list of things to attempt in my spare time.  For example, colored jeans.

One more thing before I let you go and you can breathe your sigh of relief that I'm finally done talking...I began Weight Watchers. It has been a little over a week of eating better, the occasional rare indulgence, and going to 5:30am spin classes.  To be honest, I have already begun to notice a difference.  I am happier, energized, and motivated!  I have set 3 goals for myself, a tubing/birthday trip for a close friend coming up at the end of June, South Padre for my husband's 30th birthday in July, and our big cruise/Miami trip in September, which will hopefully be at my goal weight.  I really and truly think that I can do this. Watching my husband melt away 30 lbs in just a few months has motivated me to make a change.  It was time before I hit that slippery slope where turning back was going to become even more of a challenge. Some may scoff at the whole points system that WW so highly promotes, but I have found that it helps me keep myself accountable for what I put into my body, plus I get an awesome discount from work (BONUS).  Another thing that has helped me not spiral into rapid weight gain is thinking twice before buying anything processed.  We have upped our consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and home cooked meals.  It really does make a difference.  It has been my habit to cook with mostly fresh ingredients in the past, not much canned or processed.  But there were those times I was lazy and made mashed potatoes or mac n' cheese from a box.  Both of which are no more in our house.  If I want either of those things, I will make it from scratch.  It tastes so much better and I control what goes into it.  And I think we can all agree that everything tastes better when you don't have a cardboard after taste.  My husband and I have also become really active, taking lengthy walks together, working out together, and pretty soon we will be attending Bikram yoga again and starting a bicycling club with some friends in Sugarland!  Things like working out become not so scary when you have someone to enjoy it with.

Anyway, I plan to post a recipe I attempted the other night for Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef) and Roasted Brussel Sprouts tomorrow.  I am pretty positive it will be another slow day in the office.

Oh! One more thing (I promise, last thing), I would love it if any of you have a recipe to share to be a guest blogger on here.  Shoot me an email :)

Chocolate Crepes with Vanilla Caramel Sauce

Life revolves around love. Songs and music are inspired by it, wars are fought, hearts are broken, and hearts are healed, all in the name of love. Love can be shown in so many ways, and I show my love through food. So in the theme of love, since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I bring you a perfect dessert recipe that will warrant you a hug, and is SO much better than a box of chocolates.

This is not my first attempt at making crepes, I make them pretty often, usually with nutella and some fruit. But I wanted to experiment with CHOCOLATE.  The rich chocolate crepes are perfect for a Valentine's Day (or night) treat! And for those of you who are dazed by how quickly the days are going by, the 14th is next week! 

Crepes are amazing; so versatile. You can make them savory or sweet, mix and match hundreds of fillings and toppings, and eat them as appetizers, main dishes, or dessert. The possibilities are endless! I have been having a huge craving for crepes, so tonight my awesome husband cooked me dinner and I made crepes for dessert :). 

My chocolate crepes are filled with nutella and bananas, drizzled with vanilla caramel sauce, and topped with strawberries and toasted almonds. This is what heaven is. I cannot begin to describe the AMAZING-ness of this dessert! Do yourself a favor and make this for the special person or people in your life. I guarantee that you will be rewarded with ooh's and aah's.

Chocolate Crepe Batter: makes 4 crepes

- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbs dutch processed cocoa
- 2 tbs granulated sugar
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tbs melted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pure almond extract
- nutella, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, powdered sugar, toasted almonds

How-to:

Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt.  In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, butter, egg yolk, and extracts.

Add flour/cocoa mixture to the liquid and whisk until smooth.

Heat up a skillet until hot. Spray pan with butter or melt 1/2 a tbs of butter. Pour a 1/4 of batter into pan and tilt in order for the batter to spread into a thin large pancake.  Cook for about a 1 1/2 minutes, flip carefully, and cook for another minute.

Spread nutella onto crepe, top nutella with bananas, and fold over crepe. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, top with sliced strawberries, drizzle with vanilla caramel (recipe to follow), and sprinkle with toasted almonds!

Vanilla Caramel Sauce:

- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tbs pure vanilla extract

How-to:

In a small saucepan, melt butter and add sugars, and heavy whipping cream on medium heat. Let this mixture come to a rolling boil for about 5 minutes to thicken up.  Turn off the heat and add vanilla. Top your crepes, or use this sauce on ice cream, fruit, and other desserts!

Valentine's Day is not just for couples, it is for friends, for brothers and sisters, for parents, for pets, and any other important people in your life. So celebrate this day with those who make you feel special and loved! It doesn't have to be a huge production with flowers, candy, and gifts. Cook dinner together. There is nothing like bonding over cooking and enjoying a good meal, or dessert!

Happy eating and happy Valentine's day!

Asian-y Baked Wings

Super Bowl weekend is upon us!! I am not a huge football fan, but I do love the excitement and fun Super Bowl brings. Who are you rooting for this Sunday, the Patriots or the Giants? My husband and our brother in law are huge Patriots fans, which means I need to dig out Shazad's Patriots shirt from the depths of one our many drawers so that I can wear it. Yeah, you read that right, so that I can wear it...weirdly, he never wears sports shirts.  But he wears this super old Astros hat EVERYWHERE! We all have our things.

Sidenote,  I am super excited about Madonna performing the half-time show...how awesome is that?? It's MADONNAAAA!  One of the greatest musical icons ever.  Don't talk to me during the half-time show.

On to the more important question, what are you snacking on? Everyone knows the best thing about watching the BIG game is the noshing on chips and dip, mini everything, the drinks, and the football inspired desserts! One of the most popular snacks you will probably see at your Super Bowl party are the infamous chicken wings...fried, battered, sauce-y, grilled, buffalo-style, the list could go on...but have you tried BAKED chicken wings? They are absolutely delicious and flavorful, and so much healthier than your popular fried version. They take a little more time because of the baking, however, you can use that time to watch pre-game happenings, place your bets on who will win the coin toss, or what will Kelly Clarkson wear as she sings the national anthem (people actually bet on this?). 

No matter who or what you are betting on, these Asian inspired chicken wings will be sure to please both Patriot and Giant fans alike!

Disclaimer:  For those of you who know me, I never measure when I cook. Only when I bake. Since these wings are seasoned to your liking, sprinkle as little or as much dry seasoning as you want. I was helpful though, and have measurements for the sauce. You're welcome.

What you need:

- 20 wings and/or drummettes
- sesame oil
- salt
- pepper
- ground ginger
- garlic powder
- red chili flakes
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 3 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs oyster sauce
- 1 tbs hot sauce
- 4 tbs butter, melted
- sesame seeds, for garnish

How-to:

Preheat oven to 350.

Wash wings and thoroughly dry them with paper towels.

Lay the wings out into a glass dish, and  drizzle them with sesame oil. Sprinkle them with the salt, pepper, ground ginger, garlic powder, and red chili flakes. Rub the spices into the wings.

Bake wings for an hour.  As wings bake, get started on the yummy sauce!

In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hot sauce, and butter.

Toss the baked wings in brown sugar sauce (wings are hot, be careful). Lay the wings back into the glass dish and allow them to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Set the oven on broil and broil wings for a final 5-7 minutes, or until nice and crispy. Keep an eye on them when on broil. They can easily burn!

That's it! You are ready to enjoy some finger licking good wings! I served these with baked seasoned potato wedges.  They would be great with sweet potato fries, veggies, and of course, do not forget the ranch and blue cheese dressings!

Enjoy your Super Bowl festivities, be responsible, sober drivers post-game, and may the best team win! The Patriots of course ;).

Happy Eating!!!

Fork and Knife Sloppy Joes

I'm back! And I plan on staying :). I apologize to those who take an occasional gander at my blog, and have not seen any new posts the past few months. The blog always crosses my mind, however, my laziness overtook me and I have not posted some very fabulous recipes. Again, I apologize. I do plan to stick around and make this blog a priority! I hope some of you can keep me on the path :).  In an attempt not to skip yet another month of blogging, I am posting this TONIGHT!

Tonight's dinner was a blast from the past...sloppy joes! It has been YEARS since I have had one, and growing up in a Pakistani family, these American favorites were always a treat my mom or I would whip up. These sloppy joes on tonight's post have a little twist, are a little more grown up, and must be eaten with a fork and knife. I experimented with beer this time...I do on occasion cook with wine in my meat sauces and soups, however, never beer. My inspiration came from this past weekend's Saint Arnold's one pot cook-off, and then the same day I ran across this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Homesick Texan, which also used beer. I figured, hmm, an opportunity to try something new.  I used the basic recipe and technique, however, made my own changes depending on what I had at home already. I limit my trip to the grocery store per day, at the most, twice. Maybe three...

These yummies went over very well with my hubby. They were sweet and savory, the beer gave the meat sauce some depth, spices gave it smokiness, and the cool, creamy guacamole was just perfect for the heat of the sandwich. I served the sandwiches with roasted garlicky asparagus and green beans.

My birthday is coming up in March, and if any of you lovelies would like to get me a thoughtful gift, I would love Homesick Texan's cookbook!

Tweeked Recipe adapted from Homesick Texan's Tex-Mex Sloppy Joe:

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 oz. can tomato sauce (I used 3/4 of the can)
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 12 oz. beer (Saint Arnold's pale ale, or any other lager)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 cup cilantro, divided
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt and black pepper to taste
- hamburger buns
- Guacamole, onion, jalapenos, cheese, etc for toppings (Made homemade guacamole)

How-to:
Brown meat in skillet on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Drain excess fat. Add onions and bell pepper and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for about a minute.

In a large measuring cup, mix together the tomato sauce, oregano, cumin, paprika, chili powder, red chili flakes, and hot sauce.  Pour tomato mixture, beer, ketchup, and 1/2 the cilantro into the meat. Stir well and let simmer.  Cook for 15-20 minutes. Add remaining cilantro and lime juice. Add salt and pepper and additional seasonings to taste. Stir well.

Serve on toasted buns topped with homemade guacamole. Feel free to add additional toppings, but I had just enough energy to make some homemade guacamole.

Grab a knife and fork and get to eating!