Breakfast For Dinner

I LOVE me some breakfast for dinner sometimes.  I'll just get cravings for a stack of pancakes and some turkey bacon.  My family was a big fan too. Growing up, sometimes we would have pancakes, or eggs, or indian style eggs with leftover keema (mince) and handmade rotis.  Those were some good breakfast for dinner nights!

Unfortunately the hubby is not a fan :(.  He believes in breakfast for breakfast, lunch for lunch, and dinner for dinner.  Nothing irritates him more than going to brunch...while the rest of us are ordering omelets and french toast at 1pm, he orders the grilled chicken sandwich or the hamburger. But this is why I love him, he doesn't give in to peer pressure, unless it involves karaoke. Then he'll sing!

He does have to give in when he's forced to have breakfast for dinner at home though! Otherwise he will have had to scrounge up something on his own.  He was a trooper and gave my dinner a go.

Nothing says breakfast for dinner like the classic southern dish, chicken and waffles.  It is such a popular dish in the south that there is a line, long as can be, at the Breakfast Klub here in Houston and there's a food truck that sells chicken and waffle sandwiches!  Every city has their take on this classic.

So I took the classic and gave it a twist.  Instead of the normal, beautifully sweet cake-y waffle, I made a crispy jalapeno cheddar waffle and accompanied it with cajun fried tenders and a fried egg on top!  A few dashes of hot sauce and we were chowing down on dinner!

In the end we both felt it needed some sort of sauce...so we finished off the meal with a drizzle of maple syrup on our waffle :), yummy indeed.

Please note, I will no longer post spice measurements.  I don't think spices really need them because everyone likes their food different, from bland to bursting.  Spice at your own risk and level :)

Chicken and Jalapeno Cheddar Waffles: serves 4

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts cut into tenders
1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I made my own, whole milk + 1 cap of vinegar, stir and let sit for 5 min.)
chili powder
garlic powder
sea salt
black pepper
red chili flakes
2 cups flour
your favorite cajun seasoning
vegetable oil for frying

Throw everything up through the red chili flakes into a ziploc bag and let marinate from an hour to overnight.  I marinated mine a little over an hour and it was great!

When you're ready to fry the tenders, set a deep pot with enough oil to to deep fry and set on medium high.

As the oil heats, toss in some cajun seasoning into the flour, and start coating your chicken tenders with the seasoned flour. Dip a covered tender into the oil and if it begins to sizzle and bubble, your oil is ready for frying!

Don't overcrowd your pot with tenders, fry them in small batches so that they cook evenly throughout.  I fried mine for about 5 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towels as you take them out.

To keep everything warm, I stuck the tenders in a warm oven (200-250 degrees).

Waffles: you will need a waffle iron to make these, there is no way around it.

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup yellow or white cornmeal
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 jalapeno, seeded to your liking and diced finely
1 cup cheese, I used cheddar and jack and probably more than a cup ;)
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat your waffle iron to your desired setting.  I put mine a little over the middle setting to give it that pretty golden color.

Stir dry ingredients (up until salt) and set aside.  Stir wet ingredients until eggs are fully incorporated.  Add the wet ingredient to the dry ingredients, stir a little and add the jalapenos and cheese.  Stir until just incorporated.  DO NOT OVERBEAT. 

About 3/4 of batter was used for each waffle.  I kept these warm in the oven as well.

Fry up a few eggs and top each waffle with an egg, served with a side of tenders and some hot sauce and maple syrup!  This dinner is a little outside the box, but that's how I roll...

Side note, San Fran and Coachella is 39 days away.  BEYOND EXCITED!

Theophilus London

Citrus Baked Chicken Fajitas

Hola friends!

I haven't cooked in a week, and it's made me feel not myself!  My husband was out of town last week so I took advantage of the time by spending some quality time with a few friends.  I missed my hubby and am glad he made it back from a successful trip, but it was good catching up, maybe a little gossiping, over food and drink with my girl friends :)

So today I finally got around to trying a recipe I've had up my sleeve for a few days.  I found the method on budget bytes, a blog I faithfully follow.  I followed the method used and made my own fajita recipe.

These fajitas are baked in the oven, so it's a wonderful one dish meal.  Who doesn't love that?  I threw everything into a baking dish and let it do its thing in the oven while I vegged out.  Most people probably decide to be productive during this time, but not me!  I plopped myself on the couch with a cup of chai, a blanket, and the remote.

Citrus is a great complement to chicken, so I figured it would work well for chicken fajitas.  And I figured right!  It added an amazing flavor to the chicken and vegetables which made these fajitas dynamite! yeah. dynamite.  Another great thing about this recipe is that you can make quite a bit at a time, which is exactly what I did.  I now have lunch for the rest of the week!

Shazad LOVED these and he's a beef fajitas kind of guy!  Next time, I'll try this method out on beef or shrimp.

These were enjoyed topped with some fresh spicy guacamole and a sprinkle of sea salt wrapped in fresh made whole wheat tortillas, with a side of organic refried black beans.

Citrus Baked Chicken Fajitas:
*You can scale this recipe down, I made this much so I could have leftovers for lunch.

3 chicken breasts, halved and sliced into strips
1 tbs sea salt
1/2 tbs black pepper
1/2 tbs garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp corn starch
1 tbs oil (I used olive)
1/2 lime
1/2 large orange

Combine all of the ingredients, including the juices of the citrus, and let sit for about 30 min.

Preheat oven to 400.  Start chopping and slicing your veggies!

1 large red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 onion sliced thickly
5 large mushrooms, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes with peppers (Ro-tel), drained slightly
Jalapeño, sliced thickly (use to your liking)
Sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder
Drizzle olive oil
1 tbs salted butter, or unsalted
Cilantro

Combine veggies (sans tomatoes and cilantro) in an oven safe baking dish, toss with spices and oil.  Add chicken and add the can of tomatoes on top.  Pop in the oven for 25 minutes.  Then add butter and squeeze in the other half of the lime and orange, and stir.  Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.  Sprinkle with cilantro.

Use your favorite tortillas and top with whatever condiments you wish!  Enjoy!

Not So Perfect Circles

As I write this post, I am in bed watching Paranormal Activity 4.  Yes, I have watched the three before this one. Guilty pleasure I guess.  No judge-y

So glad the week is half over, it's been one of those really long, kind of a suck, weeks.  They happen and I just have to giddy up and go!

Tonight I made black bean and chicken tacos in the slow cooker with handmade tortillas and a side of cumin and coriander roasted green beans.  Yum, yum, yum.  The slow cooker is such a life saver!  I dumped everything in this morning and the chicken was ready to shred when I got home.  All I had to do was make the tortillas and roast the green beans.

Making homemade tortillas have always been a little daunting for me, but I really did not feel like stopping by the store on the way home to get the pre-packaged ones.  I figured since I have the ingredients I need in my pantry, why not use what I have and make tortillas from scratch?  I know exactly what goes into them and they're lard free, so to me that makes them more healthy :).  After my batch today, I will never go back to store bought tortillas.  They may not have been shaped like perfect circles, but they turned out soft, chewy, and fresh tasting.  Shazad thought they looked like butterflies.  Absolutely delicious butterfly shaped tortillas.  I'll be using the leftover tortillas tomorrow to whip up breakfast tacos for our morning!

 Slow Cooker Black Bean and Chicken Tacos:

2 whole chicken breasts, frozen are fine
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 small onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1/2 green bell pepper, diced roughly
1 can tomatoes with chilies (spice level, your choice)
1 tbs minced garlic
Juice of 1 lime
Dash of hot sauce
Sea Salt
Pepper

Throw everything into the slow cooker and give a little stir. Put on low heat for 8-10 hours.  Shred and keep on low so the yummy goodness gets all up in that chicken!

Handmade Tortillas:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup olive or canola oil
1 cup hot water

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.  Drizzle in oil and mix with your fingers until dough is crumbly.  Add hot water, combine and knead for 5-8 minutes on a floured surface until a nice smooth soft ball forms.  I used my trusty kitchen-aid mixer.  I added a little bit of flour at a time to keep the dough from sticking and making a nice ball.

Put the dough back into the mixing bowl, or keep in the mixer and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Make golf size portions from the dough.  Lightly flour your area, flatten the ball, and roll away!  Don't worry if you don't turn out pretty cirlces.  I think they give the tortillas unique-ness if they're shaped funky

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and throw on your first tortilla.  Once bubbles form, flip.  Let it do it's thing on the other side, and then flip again.  If they char, then you've cooked them properly.  Move on to the next.

Keep on a warm plate or cover with a clean dish cloth to keep tortillas warm.

Roasted Green Beans with Cumin and Coriander:

1/2 lb green beans, rinsed and trimmed
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 400.  Toss together green beans with olive oil, cumin, coriander, and salt.  Throw them on to a foil lined baking pan and put in the oven to roast for 15 minutes.

Build your tacos on your fresh tortillas with whatever you like!  I whipped up some pico, topped with a little light sour cream and shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Best Lasagna Ever

Meal planning.  What does that mean anyway? I barely even plan for the next day, much less what I plan to eat every day.  But man, oh man, does it save time and money!  I have been doing this for a few weeks now (part of the whole 2013 resolution movement) and as much as I love to go grocery shopping, it's great not having to go to the store multiple times during the week after work to pick up a few ingredients and leave with an entire basket and bird crap on my car. 

It works great when I make a list on Sunday mornings of what meals I want to make for the week, usually 3-4, and then go through my pantry and fridge to see what I need to restock.  I make one big trip to HEB and other stores, get everything I need, and get a kiss from my husband for saving him money and keeping our bellies full! 

Granted, I have times where I realize I missed a key ingredient (I suck at making thorough lists) and have to make a quick stop at the store or veer away from my actual meal plans.  But this is a work in progress and I am definitely doing a lot better than I used to!  When the HEB greeter knows who you are and knowing EXACTLY where everything is on each aisle, some by aisle numbers, makes you realize how frequent a customer you really are. Yeast?  Top shelf towards the end of aisle 9.  Nutella?  Very top shelf above the peanut butter. Pomegranate molasses?  International aisle, bottom shelf.  Ask me anything.

So here are my meals I plan to make this week!

Tuesday:  Lasagna
Wednesday:  Chicken and black bean tacos
Thursday:  Seafood Rice

Here is the recipe for tonight's meal, lasagna.  It was delicious, creamy, and so filling!  Let's begin first with the best marinara ever in life.  I will never ever go back to ready made sauce.

Lasagna Recipe:

Sauce:

2 tbs. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 tbs. minced garlic
1/2 tbs. red pepper flakes
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano are the best)
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
3 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup water

Rest of the lasagna:

1 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. ground meat (I used ground beef, but you can use turkey or chicken)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 cup cooking white wine
2 cups shredded mozarella
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
8 oz. low fat (neufchatel) cream cheese, softened
9 lasagna noodles, cooked before al-dente stage (they will cook more in the oven)

Heat oil over medium heat, add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook until the onions and garlic begin browning.  The more color on the onions and garlic, the deeper the flavor of the sauce.

Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.  Stir until smooth.

Add sugar, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and water.  Stir and reduce heat to the lowest setting.  Cover, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes.

As the sauce is cooking, begin making your meat mixture, boiling your noodles, and preheat the oven to 375.

Heat oil over medium, add your meat of choice, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning.  Brown the meat.  Once browned, turn the heat up to high to burn off any water.  Add wine, heat on high until the wine has evaporated.

Reserve 1/2 cup of mozarella cheese and then in a separate bowl, combine the 3 cheeses.  It will be goopy, so it may be easier to combine with a fork or your fingers ;)

Take out your large baking dish and let's begin the layering process!

bottom layer: 1 cup of sauce
1st layer: 3 noodles, drops of cheese mixture, half of the beef mixture, ladle on some sauce.
2nd layer:  Same as first layer, finishing off the rest of the beef mixture
3rd layer: drops of cheese mixture, rest of the sauce, top with reserved shredded cheese

Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes until noodles are cooked through and the dish is bubbly.  Let rest for 5 minutes after taking out of the oven and then serve!  Garnish with parsley.

Enjoy! Enjoy!

Cooking Essentials

Hello hello!

I hope all is well with everyone!  I have a lot of good things to share today and I hope my long post won't scare people away.  But I promise you, it'll be worth it to go through! 

Good thing #1:  Cooking Essentials

A friend of a friend suggested I do a post about basic cooking essentials, which I thought was brilliant!  He's a bachelor living a solo life out in DC and wants to learn how to cook, but gets intimidated by recipes because of the supplies and ingredients needed.  Like anything in life, you gotta learn the basics in order to build on a skill, so I sincerely hope the following helps anyone who is lost in the kitchen and wants to learn the basics of cooking.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/12491070/bird-measuring-spoons

 Essential kitchen items:

• Set of measuring cups and measuring spoons

Most, if not all, recipes include measurements.  A drinking cup or spoon does not give accurate measurements, which is very important when baking.  Not so much when cooking, but most people look frightened when I say I don't measure and cook with a "feeling," so now I try my best to use measurements when sending out a recipe to a friend or into the internet world.

• Non-stick skillet

A good quality skillet, in my opinion, is a necessity in the kitchen!  You can do so much with just one pan.  Literally, an entire meal can be made in a skillet.  Buy a good quality, non-stick pan that is medium to large in size, has a good, sturdy handle, and has a little depth for sauces and pastas.

• Set of accessories (wooden spoon, spatula, serving spoon, whisk)

These are your accessories that will make life easier for you in the kitchen.  You need to be able to stir, flip, and serve whatever you cook without damaging your pots and pans.

• Sharp, solid knife

You will use this knife ALL THE TIME.  So invest in an awesome one that will allow you to chop up vegetables and cut meats.  Not at the same time I hope...hygiene 101.

• Good-sized medium-large pot and 1 small pot

How else will you boil potatoes, pasta, or eggs?

• Set of glass baking pans

 You can bake, roast, and serve in these.

• Large mixing bowl

You know, to mix things in.

• Pantry and refrigerator essentials

Basic spices such as sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasoning.  Other essentials include flour, sugar, butter, assorted fresh vegetables and fruits, onions, garlic, baking soda, baking powder, pasta, milk, peanut butter, olive oil, rice, vanilla extract...just to name a few.  Take a big visit to the grocery store and before you know it you'll have a stocked up kitchen!

Good Thing #2:  Green Smoothie Delicious-ness

Please don't run away, I assure you this is so good and so good for you!  Win, win.  I used to shy away from any healthy green smoothies because of the incorporation of spinach and it being green, but lately I have been having hair issues. If you don't already know, I am very vain when it comes to my hair and I have learned that spinach is very good for hair, nails, and skin.  So why not give spinach a chance in my smoothie?  If it means better hair, I will try it!

Although this smoothie is full of spinach, I promise you do not taste it!  It's the other goodies that go into this smoothie that make it taste more like a sweet shake.  This smoothie is great after a workout, which is usually when I have it since it also counts as my breakfast.

Green Smoothie:

3 cups baby spinach
1 frozen banana (cut-up before freezing)
1/2 cup of greek 0% yogurt (I prefer vanilla or honey vanilla in mine)
1 tbs natural peanut butter (I have used the natural peanut butter with honey, and it's even better)
1 cup milk (almond, soy, low fat, skim, whatever you like)

Throw all this into the blender (I love my magic bullet), and blend until completely smooth.  Enjoy!

Good Thing #3:  Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Mashed Red Potatoes

This recipe is considered Luby's night in my house because pot roast is my husband's favorite meal there (my husband and I are old souls, don't judge). This meal is great because the roast slow cooks all day, while you are out doing the whole work or staying busy thing.

Pot Roast:

2 lb roast, frozen or thawed (I used frozen this time)
3 cups beef broth
3 peeled carrots cut in large chunks
1 large onion cut into quarter chunks
2 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs sea salt
1 tbs ground black pepper

Place all ingredients into the slow cooker and let it cook on low for about 10 hours (frozen)/ 8 hours (thawed) until tender and then place on warm while making your sides.

Mashed Red Potatoes:

5-7 red potatoes, cut in half
1 cup warm milk
3 tbs butter
salt
pepper

Boil potatoes in a large pot of water over high heat until tender.  Drain and put potatoes back into the hot pot.  Smash them with a fork or smashing gadget.  Add half of the milk and mash some more.  Add the butter and smash more.  If you like your potatoes creamier, add more milk.  I ended up using my whole cup of milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Gravy:

1 cup pot roast juices
1 tbs flour
2 tbs butter
salt
pepper

Melt butter in a sauce pan, add flour and whisk until brown-ish in color.  Slowly pour in the pot roast liquid and whisk, whisk, whisk to get rid of any clumps. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until desired thickness.

Enjoy this comforting dinner!

Cardamom and Vanilla Ricotta Fritters

I hope all of you had a wonderful and thankful Thanksgiving holiday with family, friends, and pets and didn't do too much damage when it came to food consumption or black Friday shopping!

What was your favorite Thanksgiving memory, eats, or buy this year?  Did you maybe get some good news this Thanksgiving?  Did your mom/grandmother/sister/cousin/great great great aunt blow your mind with their pecan/pumpkin pie?  Did you score your dream TV because you camped out a week before and had your Thanksgiving meal on the concrete outside of Best Buy?  Do share!

My favorite moment this Thanksgiving had to be the morning of.  My baby sister, she's 7, stayed the night with me and my husband, so when we woke up, we stayed in our pjs, grabbed doughnuts, hunted down the newspapers (took 3 gas stations and an HEB before we found one), and picked up our favorite Starbucks drinks and headed home to watch the parade on TV.  Best morning ever.  Nothing like seeing your cutie pie of a sister sipping on her hot chocolate and reading the comics under a blanket.

And then I had to bake a few loaves of bread, a cake, and stuffing. Morning over.

Well, speaking of food (as always)...considering I'm an obsessive dessert lover, I've noticed I haven't shared many dessert recipes through my blog.  I mean I'm the girl who eats dessert before my main course; who scopes out the dessert menu before looking at the food menu in a restaurant; who will STILL have dessert even though I have just gotten through one of my husband's anti-dessert lectures; and I'm also the one who almost always brings the dessert to the party.  People NEED dessert as a part of their lives. And I am happy to provide it! 

SOOOOO...

Make these fritters today. Seriously, it's super quick to throw together and just melt in your mouth AMAZING-ness.  The basic recipe (minus cardamom) is so versatile!  You could literally make them so many ways: lemon fritters, chocolate fritters, plain vanilla fritters, vanilla bean fritters, pumpkin spice fritters, and I could go on....GET CREATIVE!  These are great as an after dinner treat, but also really great for Sunday breakfast!  They're basically really rich amped up doughnuts perfect with your favorite cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

Cardamom and Vanilla Ricotta Fritters:

2 cups oil
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cardamom powder

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
powder sugar/cocoa powder, for dusting

Heat 2 cups oil over medium heat.  I used a dutch oven which worked great.

Whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla.  Add the ricotta and mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and cardamom powder.

Add the flour to the ricotta mixture and mix until just combined.

Use an ice cream scooper or 2 spoons to drop balls into the hot oil.

Have a plate with the sugar and cinnamon mixed up.  Once the fritters are golden on both sides, drain on a paper towel and then toss them in the sugar cinnamon mixture.

Once all of the fritters have been tossed in the sugar cinnamon mixture you can dust them with powdered sugar and/or cocoa. 

Devour immediately! Preferably with someone you love. Or at least like :)

Chicken Soup for the Soul

When you think of something that is good for the soul, what do you think of?  I automatically think of chicken soup!  And then I think of those cheesy, but entertaining, chicken soup for the soul books...remember those?  I'm not ashamed to admit I've read most of the series...well, maybe I'm a little ashamed.

I was originally making this soup yesterday, but then was forced to get sidetracked because of my sister, who was meeting me up for a run, was having cheeseburger cravings.  Before I knew it, I was sticking the cooked chicken in the fridge, dragging my husband into the car, getting cheeseburgers, and baking sea salt chocolate chip cookies as soon as we got home.  It turned into a "let's be fatties" night.  Needless to say, she is no longer allowed over during the weekdays!

Speaking of running, if you're looking to become a better runner, I suggest you download the couch to 5K app on your smartphone.  It is so awesome!  I have never enjoyed running because I am like an old lady and power walk.  My excuse is the horrible shin pain and my horrible ankles...old lady excuses.  Anyway, it's a great app to teach you how to get used to running and get ready to do a 5K.  I have one coming up next weekend, which I am super excited about!

So today, AFTER MY RUN, I resumed last night's dinner, chicken noodle soup and pesto grilled cheese sandwiches.

This recipe does take a little time since it is from scratch, but it's totally worth it and you have leftover soup for lunch the next day!

Chicken Noodle Soup:

olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbs minced garlic
1 cut up whole chicken, rinsed, and patted dry
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
8 cups water
1 tbs salt
freshly cracked pepper
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 sliced carrot
1 cup dry egg noodles
fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a large pot to medium high with 2 tbs olive oil.  Add onion and garlic, saute until edges of onions begin to brown. Add chicken and let lightly brown on all sides.

Add bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, water, salt, and plenty of black pepper.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 20 minutes with the pot partially covered.

Remove chicken to a plate to cool.  Drain the broth through a sieve into a bowl.  Be careful, the broth is super hot!  You'll be left with a somewhat clear broth.  Give the pot a quick rinse and pour in your broth.

Bring the broth back to a simmer.  At this time you can add some extra salt to flavor, but be careful not to over salt the broth!  Add the veggies very carefully trying not to splatter yourself.  Let the veggies simmer in the broth for about 10 min.  Add the dry egg noodles and let cook for about 8 or so minutes.

In the meantime, shred up the chicken.  Once the veggies and noodles have cooked a bit, add the chicken and let simmer.  The soup is cooked!

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Pesto Grilled Cheese Sammies:

4 slices sourdough bread
butter
4 slices of any cheese, I used colby jack
Jarred pesto, a good quality kind

Preheat the griddle or pan on medium heat.  Spread pesto on both sides of bread and top with cheese.  Butter the top of each sandwich.  Start by toasting the buttered side first and as it is browning, spread butter on the other side.  Flip once golden and let the other side brown up.  Cut in half.

Enjoy, Enjoy!