Apple Pie

Well - I guess I'm in the mood to share my favorite desserts tonight! I don't have many on my website, so I guess this is a good thing for my readers! It has to be the Christmas season...and the fact that I'm cooking right now in preparation for our family Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow!

My husband LOVES apple pie, so one day I decided to make one for Christmas dinner. And he LOVED it! It is now a Christmas tradition and he only gets it once a year!

I get to claim this recipe as my own, excluding the Double-Crust recipe. I found this recipe in a cookbook, but I completely re-vamped the filling; therefore, I get to call it mine :) This one is NOT gluten free (sorry guys).

This one takes some time to make. If you want to take short cuts and save time, you can buy a pie shell and a pie crust top and just make your filling. But if you make your own crust...it's so good!

Enjoy this one! We love to serve it with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream on top!

Recipe for Double Crust Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 10 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

• In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt with a hand whisk.
• Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea sized.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the flour mixture. Gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time until all the flour mixture is moistened.
• Divide in half; form each half into a ball
• On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten 1 dough ball. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle 12 inches in diameter.
• To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin and then unroll it into a 9-inch pie plate (or I re-use my aluminum pie pans)
• Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim the pastry even with rim of pie plate. 
• Transfer apple pie filling (recipe below) to pastry-lined pie plate.
• Roll remaining dough ball into a circle, about 12 inches in diameter.
• Cut slits on top to allow steam to escape. Place the pastry on top of the filling, then trim 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate. 
• Crimp the edges as desired (there are so many cute ways to do this!!)

Recipe for Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe for Double-Crust Pie (above) or use a store bought ready made pie shells and topping if you are short on time.
• 6 cups of thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith Apples (about 5-6 apples)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice from fresh lemon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon milk (for topping)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (for topping)

Directions:

• Prepare and roll out pastry for Double-Crust pie (see recipe above).
• Take your Granny Smith Apples and core them and cut into slices.

• Peel the apple slices and cut slices until they are thin. Place in a large bowl.
• Take 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and sprinkle over the apple slices. Combine the apple slices with a spoon to ensure that the juice is covering all apple slices.
• In a separate bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined.
• Pour mixture over apple slices and mix well until all apple slices are well coated.
• Transfer apple mixture filling to the pastry-lined pie plate. Trim the bottom pastry to edge of pie plate.
• Place on filling, cut slits in pastry and crimp edges as desired.

• Brush top pastry with milk and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar. This gives your pie a nice brown topping.

Chef's Note: To prevent over browning, cover edge of pie with foil or a pie edge cover.

• Bake at 375 F for 40 minutes.
• Remove foil or pie edge cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven an cool on a wire rack.

Red Velvet Cake

I get so many requests for this recipe. My dad has been making homemade red velvet cake since before I can remember and I asked him if I could share the recipe on my website and he said YES! I have no idea where he got this recipe...and he wont tell me any details about the history.

Most of my readers probably dont know, but I have a lot of recipes that are published. I write for a magazine and after talking it over with my dad, this recipe will be published in the February publication! My dad and I made this red velvet cake for my publisher and took it over to her as a Christmas present! It's absolutely beautiful and great for a holiday celebration!

Dad and I made 2 cakes this week, 1 for my publisher and 1 for our Christmas family dinner. This one defiantly is NOT gluten free and it contains nuts. I have not attempted to make a gluten free version. Perhaps one day I will...

Enjoy this treasured recipe. We get requests to make this cake and ship it all over the US because it is so popular and tastes so fantastic! Everything in this recipe is homemade, so get ready to invest some time if you plan to make this! It takes a total of about 4 hours to make (that includes cooking and cooling time) but it is so worth it!

This recipe is fantastic for both Christmas and Valentine's Day!

May God bless all my readers! Remember - Jesus Christ is the reason for the season!

Merry Christmas!!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 1/2 cups self rising flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (two 1 oz. bottles) red food coloring
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 2 large eggs

Frosting:

• 1 full stick (8TBSP) plus 1/3 sticks butter softened
• 10 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1 pound box confectioner sugar
• 2 cups chopped pecan pieces

Directions

To make cake:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Mix together all ingredients with an electric mixer. NOTE: If you have a standing electric mixer, I recommend using this. The mix feature is so gentle that it will ensure that your cakes don't split on top.
• Spray three 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick coating. NOTE: If you have flexipans - I HIGHLY recommend using these. You can eliminate the spray and they pop right out - no sticking! My favorite brand is Demarle Flexipan.
• Pour batter equally into the three pans and bake for 20-25 minutes. (Test for doneness when a toothpick comes out clean).
• Cool layers on wire rack for 10 to 20 minutes.
• Carefully remove layers from pans to cool completely.

To make frosting:

• Combine butter, cream cheese and confectioners sugar in a bowl.
• Beat with your electric mixer until fluffy.
• Fold in 1 1/4 cups of pecan pieces: use to fill and frost cake when cool. NOTE: I take my pecan pieces and chop them until they are very fine.
• Decorate top of cake with remaining pecans.
• Cool 1 hour.

Chef's Note - If you have some red velvet cake that was left over in your pan when removing the cakes, take those crumbs and break apart and decorate the top of the cake. It definitely makes the cake look more festive!

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Lemon Sauce

I am so excited about this recipe I found!! I am always looking for sauces that are gluten free and dairy free, but I really struggle to find any that taste good! I finally found one I was interested in trying and it's really yummy!!

I found it in Cooking Light and they describe it as , "the classic Greek lemon-egg soup, avgolemono." The chef stated that this sauce could be put on everything...chicken, fish, mashed potatoes, vegetables, etc. I paired our chicken meal with mashed new red potatoes and steamed broccoli and it was fabulous!

This dish and the sauce is gluten free (if you use a Gluten Free chicken stock) and dairy free. This was a fairly easy dish to make and I will definitely make it again!

Ingredients for Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Pepper seasoning
• Salt and pepper (for taste)

Ingredients for Lemon Sauce

• 2 cups of unsalted chicken stock
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons of grated lemon zest
• Fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp of kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil

Directions for Chicken and Lemon Sauce

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place your chicken breasts in a 9x13 glass Pyrex dish. 
• Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken for taste.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Lemon Pepper seasoning evenly across the 4 pieces of chicken.
• Bake Chicken for 40 to 45 minutes until done and no longer pink.
• About 20 minutes into your chicken baking, you are ready to start making the Lemon Sauce.
• Heat the chicken stock over medium-high heat in a heavy medium saucepan until tiny bubbles form around the edge. Do Not Boil.
• Combine the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt in a medium bowl.
• Whisk until the eggs are frothy and lighter in color.
• Ladle about a cup of the hot chicken stock into the egg mixture 1/4 cup at a time, while stirring constantly (but not too vigorously) with a whisk.
• Lower the heat on the remaining chicken stock to as low as possible. Wait for 2 minutes, and then add the egg, lemon and stock mixture back to the pot, stirring to combine.
• Warm the sauce gently until it coats a spoon.
• Whisk in the olive oil to finish.
• When the chicken is done cooking, pour the desired amount of lemon sauce on top of the chicken and serve.
• Store remaining lemon sauce in the refrigerator for future use. Use within 3 days.

Lemon Sauce Servings: 10

Nutritional Information:

Calories 39; Fat 2.8g; Protein 3g; Carbs 1g; Chol 56mg; Sodium 169mg; Calc 10mg

Very Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup

Ok, it's REALLY cold outside! Even though we are in Phoenix, we went from summer weather in the low 90's to fall weather in the upper 60's. But it's getting to the mid 30's at night!! Cold weather means it's time to pull out the soup recipes! I'm dedicating this recipe for all my friends and family in the state of Tennessee. They have had a really early winter and it's really cold there!

I make this recipe gluten Free by using Gluten Free noodles and Gluten Free chicken broth. I do not advise using rice noodles for this one because they turn to mush sitting in the broth. Ronzoni Gluten Free Pasta is the best pasta I have found for making soups.

This recipe is packed full of vegetables and has a fantastic taste. I love the fact that this recipe calls for rotisserie chicken. It saves you a lot of time in the kitchen and it tastes really good! I hope this recipe helps you stay good and warm this fall and winter season! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes (32 oz. each reduced-sodium chicken broth)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
•  1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 yellow squash
•  ½ bunch asparagus
• 1 zucchini
• ¼ lb penne pasta (If you are going gluten free, Ronzoni Gluten Free Pasta is fantastic!)
• 1 Rotisserie Chicken (already cooked)
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

In a large sauce pot, combine the chicken broth and 4 springs of fresh thyme. Turn to medium heat and let simmer.

Meanwhile, mince the onion, slice the carrots, dice the squash, cut the zucchini into long thin slices and and chop the ends of the asparagus off.

In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook the penne pasta. While the pasta is cooking, shred your Rotisserie Chicken.

Add the salt, pepper, onion and carrots to the chicken broth. Once the onion and carrots are tender, add the squash, asparagus, zucchini, shredded chicken and the penne pasta. Reduce the heat to low.

Let cook for 10 minutes. Remove the fresh thyme sprigs. Add freshly chopped chives and parsley. Season with additional salt, pepper and lemon juice, if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Crock Pot Roasted Garlic Herb Chicken

I had a friend include me in a recipe exchange email chain and I'm so glad she did! I got a FANTASTIC crock pot recipe and I'm so excited to share it! I love crock pot recipes. They are perfect for fall weather and busy schedules! 

This one is super interesting because of the garlic and lemon. The taste came out amazing and the chicken was very tender. This one is gluten free, as long as your chicken broth has no gluten included. It took me 10 minutes to prep this one and then off I went with my day!

Enjoy this super easy recipe and thanks to Mrs. Vicki Davidson for passing it along! It's definitely worth repeating!



Ingredients:

• Whole Chicken
• 1cup chopped celery
• 2 cups baby carrots
• Chicken broth (gluten free)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Place carrots & celery at the bottom of the slow cooker, and pour chicken broth over the celery and carrots just to cover them. Place chicken on top.

In a bowl mix the garlic, juice of the lemon, rosemary and salt & pepper to taste. Save the lemon rinds. Then rub this mixture onto the chicken.

                                      

Throw the lemon rinds in the crock pot and cover. Cook on low for 5-6 hours until chicken falls off the bone.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

The fall season is here! Well, in AZ it i still 95 degrees during the day so it doesn't really feel like fall, but the nights are cooler so that counts! Like many others, fall time makes me want all my pumpkin flavors and smells...pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, the smell of pumpkin candles and the pumpkin hand soaps and wallflower plugins from Bath and Body Works!

My friend Jillian brought in these yummy little pumpkin muffins to work one day and I tried one. They were so fantastic that I had to ask her for the recipe! I made a batch of these and they were gone in 2 days! My niece came into town for 4 weeks and we made a total of 3 batches while she was here! So yummy! Thanks Jillian!!

This one is pretty easy to make and you can make these gluten free if you substitute the all purpose flour for a Gluten free version.

I think this recipe falls into the category of things I will look forward to every fall!!

Enjoy :)


Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (If you are Gluten Free, substitute with a Gluten Free flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup solid packed, canned pumpkin puree

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, ground spices, and salt. 
• In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and pumpkin puree, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.   
• Fill the muffin cups evenly to the top with the batter using a spoon or an ice cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake for about 18 -20 minutes, or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 regular-sized muffins.

Rosemary Dijon Baked Chicken Breast

This is one of those recipes you will want to make when you don't really feel like putting a lot of effort into your meal, yet you want to eat a good and healthy meal. I found this one at Allrecipes180.com. I did re-name this recipe because their naming convention just wasn't doing it for me (sorry).

This one is really simple to make and it has such an amazing taste. I'm a HUGE fan of recipes with Dijon Mustard! This one always turns out really moist and my kids asked for seconds. This one pairs really well with mashed potatoes and green beans as your sides.

This one is Gluten Free. Try this one on a night where you want to make dinner but you just don't feel like being in the kitchen for more than 10 minutes prepping. You'll love it and will appreciate the simplicity of this meal!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• Fresh Rosemary

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a small bowl, mix together mustard, syrup, and vinegar.
• Place chicken breasts into 9×13 greased baking dish. It's REALLY important that your pan is well greased so it doesn't stain! 
• Season the chicken with salt & pepper. 
• Pour mustard mixture over chicken. Make sure each breast is coated.

• Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
• Season with chopped rosemary.

Garlic Ginger Shrimp Stir Fry

I tried a YUMMY new shrimp recipe tonight! My husband is out of town for work travel (he hates seafood) so I get to try new seafood recipes every once in awhile! This one came from the Steamy Kitchen and reminded me of a PF Chang's recipe I love so much! This one was really easy to make...almost too easy to make.

This one is Gluten free (make sure your soy sauce is Gluten free and read your label on the oyster sauce). I paired this with brown rice, threw in some sugar snap peas and broccoli and it turned out great!

Enjoy!


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left intact optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 5 stalks green onion, chopped (white and light green parts)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely minced or grated

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, soy sauce and cilantro and set aside.
• Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, add shrimp and cornstarch and toss to coat.
• In a wok or large saute pan over high heat, add half the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. When the wok is very hot, add the shrimp in a single layer and cook partially until one side is seared brown, about 1 minute. Flip and sear the other side of each shrimp, about one more minute. They don't need to be cooked all the way through yet. Remove them to a plate or bowl and set aside.
• Turn the heat down to medium and let wok cool off a bit to prevent the aromatics from burning. Add the remaining olive oil and add green onion, garlic and ginger and stir fry for a minute until fragrant.
• Pour in the sauce mixture and add the shrimp back into the pan. Stir fry for another minute until shrimp is cooked through. 
• Add your sugar snap peas and broccoli and stir fry for about 3 to 5 minuted.
• Serve immediately.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Bourbon-Peach Barbecue Sauce

I don't cook many pork recipes, but I have a friend who tried this one and said she loved it so I had to try it. Thanks Jillian for sharing this recipe! She found this one at Cooking Light. I'm from the south, so it's really hard to find good barbecue out here where I live so I typically just don't bother. But this recipe is great and it's absolutely worth repeating!

What makes this recipe taste so good is the smoked paprika. Not regular plain ole paprika, but smoked paprika. It really gives it a smoky flavor and it reminded me of my southern barbecue from back home. This one is gluten free (use gluten free soy sauce and make sure your chicken stock is gluten free) and dairy free. Make sure you read all your labels to ensure everything is gluten free if you are going that route! One thing I want to point out is this recipe calls for balsamic vinegar. I love flavored vinegar and I had a peach balsamic vinaigrette on hand, so I used that. Regular balsamic vinaigrette does the trick, but if you have flavored, use it!

I love my crock pot meals, so take advantage of this one! This recipe goes great with baked beans and cole slaw. It's evern really tasty on rolls for a sandwich!!

Nutritional Information is below!


Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (3 1/2-pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast (Boston butt), trimmed
• 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson) 
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup peach preserves
• 2 cups vertically sliced onion 
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup bourbon 
• 2 tablespoons cold water 
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper; rub evenly over pork.

2. Coat pan with about 1 tsp of olive oil. Add pork to pan; cook 10 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Place pork in a 6-quart electric slow cooker.

3. Add stock and next 4 ingredients (through crushed red pepper) to skillet; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add preserves, stirring with a whisk.

4. Pour mixture over pork; top with onion and garlic. Cover and cook on LOW 6 1/2 hours or until pork is very tender.

5. Remove pork from pan, reserving liquid; cool slightly. Shred with 2 forks. Remove onion with a slotted spoon; add to pork.

6. Place a large zip-top plastic bag inside a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Pour cooking liquid into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into skillet, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat.

7. Stir bourbon into drippings; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until mixture is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups. Combine 2 tablespoons cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk; add cornstarch mixture to sauce, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle sauce over pork; toss gently to coat.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving: serving size: about 3 ounces meat and about 2 tablespoons sauce

Calories: 206
Fat: 5.9g
Saturated fat: 2g
Monounsaturated fat: 2.6g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g
Protein: 17g
Carbohydrate: 20g
Fiber: 1g
Cholesterol: 54mg
Iron: 2mg
Sodium: 369mg
Calcium: 41mg

Sweet Garlic Chicken

I have such a funny story to go with this recipe post! I received a text tonight from my next door neighbor and she said her husband walked by our house outside and smelled this wonderful smell. He walked back in his house and said, "Amanda must be cooking something really good because even the outside of her house smells fantastic!" Ha Ha! I LOVE IT!

And yes, indeed I was :)

I made this wonderful little dish from myfridgefood.com called Sweet Garlic Chicken. It is really easy to make and is a fast prep. This is a gluten free dish and has 4 easy ingredients: chicken breasts, olive oil, fresh garlic and brown sugar. That's it!

I do want to share that this dish stirred up a lot of conversation on a Facebook post about the 4 Tablespoons of brown sugar this dish calls for. But let me stress that it's only 4 Tablespoons of brown sugar spread over 4 breasts of chicken. That's really not a lot. I dont eat brown sugar every day. As a matter of fact, I rarely eat sugar. But having some sugar in your diet is not a bad thing. If you are diabetic, you may not want to try this dish. But it's a chicken dish and there is nothing wrong or unhealthy about eating chicken with about 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar on it per piece.

Ok off my soap box:)

Below is the recipe and I hope you love it! Oh! And my neighbor text me about 2 hours later and said they saw my post on Facebook for this recipe (and they loved how this smelled outside my house) and decided to try this chicken dish tonight.  They told me they loved it and it will be a repeat in their house! So, yes it's worth repeating!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.  Line a Pyrex baking dish or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray or lightly brush with oil.

• In small sauté pan, sauté garlic with the oil until tender.

• Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Add salt and pepper as desired.

• Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture. NOTE: Your brown sugar mixture should be the consistency of a rub and not a liquid.

• Cook uncovered for about 30 to 40 minutes until your chicken is done all the way through. You are then ready to serve! 

Grilled Green Beans

If you guys have a Facebook account, you have probably seen this recipe floating around out there. Everyone claims this recipe is super simple and tastes great, so of course I just had to try it!

And let me tell you, not only is it simple but it also has a really great taste! This has to be the one of the easiest and most convenient recipes for a side dish that I have posted. It's gluten free and you want to make sure you use fresh green beans! I used fresh lemon juice and Parmesan cheese too. This one is a keeper and a great side dish for summer meals!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz green beans
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (optional)
• pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cut the ends off your fresh green beans and wash thoroughly.

2. Mix all ingredients except the Parmesan cheese in a large Ziploc bag. Let flavors marinate for 10 minutes or so.

3. Put on a grill over medium heat. Turn green beans frequently until crisp tender (about 10 minutes). (Use one of those special grill skillets or a cast iron skillet if you are worried about losing beans through the cracks. I used a grilling basket).

4. Remove beans from heat, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and you are ready to serve. Easy!

Greek Marinated Chicken

I found a fabulous chicken recipe this past weekend and I just have to share it! This one is a Greek Marinated Chicken made with chicken thighs and legs. This one comes from "Budget Bytes". Their website is: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/06/greek-marinated-chicken/ and I can appreciate the information they place on the site. They give a lot of information about balancing your budget and still having the ability to eat well. That's right up my alley! Check out their site for some great budget information with your grocery list!

This Greek Marinated Chicken recipe grabbed my attention because they posted a picture with the chicken marinating in a white creamy sauce. When I looked at the ingredients, I saw it was made from plain Greek yogurt! YEAH for a healthy marinade high in protein!

This one is really easy to make. You do need to let your chicken marinate for 30 minutes, but this one is gluten free and can be baked in the oven or grilled. Step by step instructions are listed below. This one has a wonderful garlic and lemon taste and was a huge hit tonight in my house! This will easily become one of your family's favorites!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 medium lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 4lbs chicken pieces (I chose thighs and legs)

Directions:

• To make the marinade, combine the yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl.

• Use a cheese grater or zester to scrape a thin later of lemon zest from the lemon skin into the bowl.
• Add the the juice from half the lemon. Stir until the ingredients are well combined.
• Clean and then chop about 1/4 cup of fresh parsley and add to the bowl and mix well with the marinade.

• Grab a gallon sized zip top bag and add the chicken pieces and marinade to the bag. Move the chicken around to ensure each piece is well coated.

• Refrigerate the bag for about 30 minutes.
• After marinating, you can choose to grill the chicken or bake in the oven. If you bake in the oven, preheat oven to 375 and bake for about 40 to 60 minutes to ensure done.
• I chose to grill the chicken and grilled for a total of 35 minutes.

Ensure your chicken is cooked fully through and it is then ready to serve.

                                  

French Toast

This recipe is one of my husband's favorites. He only gets it 2 times a year...Father's Day and his birthday! So he got it today as it is Father's Day! Let's be honest though...it's not good for you but it tastes absolutely amazing! I am a health freak who constantly eats well, but you have to enjoy life's simple pleasures every once in awhile :) I am a believer in a cheat meal!!

I'm claiming this recipe as my own, only because I have altered it so much. It originally came from Better Homes and Garden...but my version is better (sorry, Better Homes).

This is not gluten free; however, I have made this with gluten free bread and it tastes pretty good...so feel free to sub out your bread if you are gluten free.

Ingredients:

• 4 beaten eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• Maple Syrup
• 8 slices Texas Toast

Directions:

• Pre-heat over to 350.
• In a small and shallow bowl, beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg.
• Cut your slices of Texas Toast so you have 3 columns.

• Dip bread slices quickly on both sides. You want to ensure both sides are covered, but not soaked.

• In a skillet, melt your 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
• Add half the bread slices and cook until the first side is lightly browned.
• Turn over and cook until the other side is browned.
• Repeat with remaining bread slices.

• Once all the bread slices are browned, place them on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes. The goal is to get these slightly crispy. This is what makes this recipe so good!

• Remove and add butter and syrup.

Homemade Guacamole

I have been told that I make AMAZING guacamole. I typically just throw my ingredients in without measuring, but I have had so many requests to post this recipe that I actually sat down and wrote out the ingredients and measurements. I don't like overly creamy guacamole...I like some small avocado chunks in my version, so just FYI.

This recipe is super easy and fast to make. I think people should really strive to make their own fresh guacamole instead of buying store bought. I try my hardest to use the freshest of ingredients. There is just no comparison in taste. This recipe is Gluten free and goes great with veggies if you are trying to stay away from chips. But I eat it with chips and veggies :)

Just a note when picking out your avocados, make sure that when you gently press them they are soft. You do not want firm avocados when making guacamole.

With summer now in full swing, this recipe is a HUGE winner in my house and in our neighborhood for all my friends! I make at least 3 batches for our summer parties!

Ingredients:

• 8 fresh avocados
• 4 limes
• 5 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion - optional (white or red is fine. Using a red onion will give it more of an onion taste)
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons shredded cheese (I use a Monterey and Mild Cheddar mix)
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

• Cut your avocados horizontally. Remove the seed, spoon out the avocado and put into a mixing bowl.

                            

•  Squeeze as much of the juice out of your 4 limes as you can into the mixing bowl. I use a citrus press and it works wonders!

                            

• Wash and then chop your fresh cilantro and place into the mixing bowl. Do the same with your onion and garlic clove.

                            

• Sprinkle your cheese in the mixing bowl.
• Add 1 teaspoon of garlic salt.
• I take a potato smasher and smash all my ingredients together in the mixing bowl. I then stir until it's very well blended. Feel free to add a bit more garlic salt for taste if you feel it needs more.
• Serve with your favorite chips, veggies or with any Mexican dish.

                             

 

   

 

 



 

Summer Salmon and Strawberry Salad with White Wine Dressing

This beautiful salad is all mine :) I created this one some time ago and it's one of my favorites. This one is perfect to eat as a lunch dish and is low in carbs and high in protein. This one is perfect for summer and since it's warming up, I decided to make this one today and have it for lunch. It's gluten free and fills you up to where you feel satisfied, but not overly full. The salad dressing is homemade, as well. NOTE: This dressing is best if made before hand and chilled before serving.

If you love to try different salads, you should try this one. This one will easily become one of your favorites! And it's really easy to make. The recipe below is for 1 serving.

Ingredients for Salad:

• 2 Cups Spring Salad Mix
• 4 Strawberries quartered
• 3 Tablespoons Chopped Walnuts
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Cranberries
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Celery
• 4 oz Fresh Salmon
• 1 Lemon Wedge
• 1/4 tsp Dry Dill
• Salt an Pepper for taste

Ingredients for Dressing:

• 1-1/2 c. canola oil
• 1 c. wine vinegar
• 10 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 2 Cloves Garlic, crushed

Directions:

• Take the strawberries, salad mix, walnuts, cranberries, and celery and place in a salad bowl.
• Heat over to 350. Take your salmon and season it with dill, salt and pepper and lemon juice.
• Bake for 30 minutes until done.
• Once the salmon is done, place on top of the salad.
• You are now ready to add the dressing. Take all ingredients listed for the dressing and shake vigorously until well combined. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the dressing to the salmon salad.

NOTE: The dressing should be chilled before serving on top of the salad. It tastes better if it is chilled.

Steak with Creamy Balsalmic Mushroom Sauce

I love it when I find an excellent recipe! I did a lot of research and looking around this weekend for some good recipes and tried some out this weekend. I found this particular recipe on "A Sweet Pea Chef" website (http://www.asweetpeachef.com/). I've tried some of her stuff before and she does a really nice job on her recipes, so I'm sharing this one with you!

This one was surprisingly easy to make. It sounds a little "fancy" but it took 30 min total to make. What makes this dish so fantastic is the mushroom sauce. And let me stress to you that a good quality balsamic vinegar is essential for this recipe. One of my favorite places to get good quality oils and vinegars is a store called "Oil and Vinegar" (http://oilandvinegarusa.com/). They have a lot of different flavored oils, as well as vinegars. I used a Hibiscus Vinegar for this recipe and it was absolutely fabulous!

This dish is gluten free and my recommendation is to use either Ribeye steak or New York Strip. I paired this dish with homemade mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli and carrots. This one is definitely a keeper in our house and if you love steak, you'll want to make sure you try this one.

Ingredients:

• 4 New York Strip or boneless ribeye steaks
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 20 baby bella mushrooms quartered
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus some for seasoning your steaks
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, plus some for seasoning your steaks
• 1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar (I used a hibiscus balsamic vinegar)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

• Heat an outdoor grill over medium heat. Coat each steak evenly with salt and pepper for flavor.
• Place steak on grill and cook for 5 minutes. Then, flip and cook an additional 5 minutes. Cook steak to your desired temperature. While steak is cooking on the grill, start the sauce.
• In a medium saucepan, heat your olive oil over medium-heat. Add mushrooms and saute for 8-10 minutes, until most of the juices have released and the mushrooms start to brown.

                                                          

• Add the garlic and cook and additional minute, allowing the garlic to become fragrant. Add the salt and pepper.
• Add the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar and cook 8-10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
• Add the cream, and stir well. Cook until heated through and then remove from heat. 

                                     

• Add the butter and stir to combine until melted.
• Serve hot over the steaks.

                                     

Southern Style Pot Roast

This has to be my all time favorite recipe for pot roast. I have 2 pot roast recipes that I switch out on a regular basis. This one is savory and full of flavor and I thank Mrs. Paula Deen for this recipe! I found this one back in 2008, tried it out and fell in love. My kids love this one and it's a BIG winner in our house. This one CAN be gluten free if you use gluten free cream of mushroom soup and gluten free beef bouillon granules. It is so important to read those labels! Some cream of mushroom soups are gluten free and some aren't. Same thing with bouillon cubes/granules. I use Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce and it is gluten free.

This meal is perfect for a Sunday dinner. Easter is this Sunday and this would be a fabulous recipe to make to accompany your traditional side dishes of mashed potatoes, green beans and corn! Enjoy this one because it's absolutely fabulous :)

Ingredients:

• 1 (3-4 pound) boneless chuck roast
• 1 tsp House Seasoning (ingredients below)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup (use a gluten free version if you are gluten free!)
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules (use a gluten free version if you are gluten free!)
• 3/4 cup water

Ingredients for House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients and store in an air tight container for up to 6 months

Directions for Roast:

• Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
• Once you mix your house seasoning together, rub about 1 tablespoon of the seasoning on the front and back of the roast.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides.  

                             

• Place the meat in a roaster pan or a 13x9 casserole dish.
• Add the onions and garlic to your skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb the leftover roast juices.

                             

• Now place the onions and garlic in the roaster pan with the meat and bay leaves.

                                            

• Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. 
• Pour over the roast. Add water.

                             

• Cover pan with foil and bake 3 to 3.5 hours or until tender.Once done, tear apart and you are ready to serve!

                             

Cook's Note - If the gravy is not thick enough, remove the meat from the pan and pour the gravy into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and thicken it by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water, stirring constantly. Then, pour back on your pot roast.