Carrie's Experimental Kitchen

Book Signing at Ray and Judy's Book Stop

2013-05-17T05:30:00.000-04:00

TGIF!

It's supposed to be a gorgeous weekend here in NJ,

so if you live in the tri-state area, stop by

Ray and Judy's Book Stop located

at 40 Main Street in Rockaway

between 1pm-3pm

Ray and Judy's Book Stop

I will be hanging outside enjoying the beautiful weather,

sampling some food and signing my cookbook,

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen:

A Collection of Mediterranean-Inspired Family Meals.

Grab a copy for yourself, purchase one for a gift or just stop by to say hello; I'd love to meet you!

They have a lovely bookstore that sells new and slightly used books, maps, comic books, sports and non sports cards.

I hope to see you there and enjoy your weekend! xo

Herb Creamed Spinach (Family Favorites)

2013-05-16T05:30:00.000-04:00

The next recipe I wanted to revisit from the cookbook for my Family Favorites theme was this Herb Creamed Spinach. My kids LOVE creamed spinach; however, my husband can't eat the store bought variety that comes in the frozen section. His tongue starts to swell so I think there must be something in there that he is allergic to.

I actually prefer this variation better as it has that extra garlicky flavor. This vegetable goes perfectly with just about any main entree you're serving or you can mix it in with your favorite pasta too. Your family (or guests) will think you were slaving in the kitchen for hours, but don't tell them how easy it really was and maybe they'll offer to do the dishes! :)

Herb Creamed Spinach

Prep Time: 10 minutes Yield: 4

Cook Time: 7 minutes Serving: 3oz.

Total Time: 17 minutes

Ingredients

1-10-oz. pkg. Frozen Chopped Spinach
6 Large White Mushrooms, sliced into 1/4” slices
2 tsp. Canola Oil
3 tbsp. Alouette® Light Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread
1/4 c. Dry White Wine
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

Defrost spinach and drain excess liquid.
In a large nonstick sauté pan, heat the oil and add the mushrooms. Sauté until they soften; then add the remaining ingredients.
Mix well and simmer over low heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 90 , Carbs 5.8g, Fat 4g, Protein 4.6g, Fiber 3g, Sugar 1.6g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!

You can find this recipe for Herb Creamed Spinach, along with 180 other recipes in my cookbook available at many online retailers like Amazon, BN.com and IndieBound.

Signed copies or a hardcover versions available, email carrieexpktchn (at) optonline (dot) net for more information.

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of Mediterranean-Inspired Family Meals

Purchase cookbook for that special person in your life!

Father's Day
Your favorite Graduate (they will have to learn to cook for themselves eventually!)
Birthday's
Anniversaries
Wedding or Bridal Shower
Or anyone just looking for some new inspiration in the kitchen!

Speaking of family favorites....
I'm a Great Aunt! Congratulations to my nephew, Greg and his wife, Jess on their first born. Brayden James was born Tuesday, May 14th, 2013 at 4:02pm, weighed 4lbs. 14oz. and 19" long. <3

Greek Style Sausage & Chick Peas

2013-05-15T05:30:00.000-04:00

I recently received the latest Williams-Sonoma catalog in the mail and I love to peruse it each month to see what new kitchen gadgets they have; as well as look to find some new recipe inspiration. This time I found a recipe for Chick Peas with Lemon, Oregano and Olives that looked wonderful. So I decided to give it a little twist.

The day before we had grilled some sausage and had two links left over. I sliced them up, added in some chick peas, Kalamata olives, lemon and seasonings and turned it into a satisfying stand-alone meal. To me, leftovers always taste better when you can repurpose them into something else!

Greek Style Sausage & Chick Peas

Inspired by Williams-Sonoma Chick Peas with Lemon, Oregano and Olives

Prep Time: 10 minutes Yield: 3

Cook Time: 30 minutes Serving: 3/4 cup

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 Italian Sausage Links, grilled and sliced diagonally into 1/4" thick slices
1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-15oz. Can Chick Peas, rinsed and drained
1 Lemon, zest and juice
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1/4 c. Kalamata Olives, chopped
2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano, chopped (you can use 1 tsp. fresh chopped oregano)
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a large nonstick saute pan; then add in the sausage. Allow to brown on both sides approximately 3-5 minutes.
Add in the chick peas, lemon zest and juice, garlic, olives, parsley and oregano. Saute for approximately 5 minutes until heated through; then season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 277 , Carbs 24.7g, Fat 12.2g, Protein 15.2g, Fiber 7.5g, Sugar 0.5g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!

Lemon-Thyme Brined Grilled Chicken

2013-05-14T05:30:00.000-04:00

Grilling season has officially arrived here in NJ (well at least at my house...I don't like to use the outside grill unless it's above 60 degrees!) and I couldn't wait to try out some new grilled chicken recipes. The first one I experimented with was a basic brine marinade like I've used in the past on pork, and came up with this Lemon-Thyme Brined Grilled Chicken.

I've said it before that brining makes your meat incredibly moist and this was no exception. I especially like to use a brine when grilling as I tend to overcook things on the grill, especially chicken. This chicken was so light and flavorful, though I don't recommend letting it sit in the marinade for more than 8 hours or it may taste too salty. I let mine sit for about 4 hours and it was perfect; then served it with a baked potato and tossed salad.

Lemon-Thyme Brined Grilled Chicken

Prep Time: 4-8 hours Yield: 4

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes Serving: 1

Ingredients

4-4oz. Chicken Breasts, boneless and skinless
3/4 c. Water
2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
2 tbsp. Sea Salt
1 Lemon, zest and juice
2 tbsp. Fresh Thyme, removed from stem

Directions

Combine the water, sugar, salt, lemon zest and juice and fresh thyme in a bowl and whisk together.
Add the chicken to a resealable plastic bag; then add in the liquid. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to grilling, discard the liquid and grill the chicken to the proper internal temperature (minimum 165 degrees).

Nutrition Facts

Calories 186 , Carbs 0g, Fat 4.1g, Protein 36.4g, Fiber 0g, Sugar 0g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. This particular information is based solely on the chicken as all of the brining liquid is discarded prior to cooking.

Enjoy!

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pretzels

2013-05-13T05:30:00.000-04:00

While my mom was in town, we took advantage of the gorgeous Spring weather and headed about an hour north to the outlet mall in Tannersville, PA. I know I've mentioned that NJ is the mall capital of the world, but 95% of our malls are indoors and it was just too nice not to be outside. This particular mall is similar to a mall that we visit when we're in FL called Ellenton Premium Outlets, as it has a wide variety of stores all in one location, with separate store entrances from the outside. I always gravitate towards the food/kitchen/cooking stores and luckily my family shares the same passion.

We stepped into one of those such stores (I can't even remember which one it was now), and my husband found these Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pretzel Pieces by The Hangover Pretzel Company and proceeded to purchase them. We opened them up later that night and they were so good. Just the right amount of "sweet" and crunch to satisfy that dessert craving. I've made Rosemary and Lemon Seasoned Pretzels myself before, but never ventured further than that. So I decided to try to replicate these on my own. SO EASY! Four ingredients. Ready in 15 minutes. DEE-LIC-IOUS...Sorry Hangover Pretzel Company!

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pretzels

Prep Time: 5 minutes Yield: 32

Cook Time: 10 minutes Serving: 1/2 cup

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

8 c. Sourdough Hard Pretzels, broken in pieces
8 tbsp. Salted Butter
1/4 c. Light Brown Sugar
2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add butter, sugar and cinnamon to a small pot and heat over low heat. Mix together until all of the butter has melted.
Add the broken pretzel pieces to a bowl; then top with melted butter mixture. Mix well to coat.
Place the pretzels on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Makes 32-1/4 cup servings.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 57 , Carbs 7.3g, Fat 2.9g, Protein .3g, Fiber .3g, Sugar 1.9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!

Prepping for Summer Giveaway!

2013-05-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

Have you started Prepping for Summer yet???

No???

Well then you'd better start...it will be here before you know it!

We're ready to help you get ready for swimsuits, vacations, barbecues. I've teamed up with some amazing bloggers / friends to put together a great Prepping for Summer Giveaway!

What can you win? Well let me tell you...

Money for essentials...

A $25 Visa Gift Card from My Daily Jenn-ism

Something to help with this winter weight...

It Works! Wrap

from Get Skinny with Roni

A cookbook to prepare food for company...

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen - A Collection of Mediterranean Inspired Family Recipes Cook Book

from Carrie's Experimental Kitchen (that would be moi!)

Something for Cocktails...

Party Bullet by Magic Bullet

from Funny Postpartum Lady and Story of a Girl

Reading material for the beach...

"I Just Want to Pee Alone" & "Life Well Blogged" Books

from Snarkfest

Enter by clicking in the box below...GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

** DISCLAIMER **

Contest valid May10-31, 2013. Must reside in the US. Must be 18 or older to enter. Must have a valid shipping address, No PO boxes. Must respond to the winning notification email within 48 hours or another winner will be announced.

Mother's Day Brunch Ideas

2013-05-10T05:30:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day is this coming Sunday (as I'm sure you're all aware), but did you know that Brunch is the most popular meal eaten on this day? Well at least it will be in other homes. I don't really care for breakfast food; which is why there aren't that many of them here on the blog. Give me oatmeal or a simple egg white omelet with mushrooms or fresh spinach and I'm happy. I'm not even sure what we're doing yet for Mother's Day as we weren't supposed to be in town this weekend, but it's the one day I don't plan an activity for during the year. I just hope I don't wind up cooking!

Here are some breakfast ideas, that you might enjoy:

Apricot Pistachio Oatmeal

Sweet Potatoes and Chorizo

Cheesy Hash Browns

Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Frittata

Bacon & Havarti Quiche

Homemade Pancakes

Taylor Ham, Egg and Cheese on a Hard Roll (aka The Jersey Breakfast)

Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Low Fat Blueberry Muffins

Whole Wheat Apple Walnut Muffin Tops

Mimosa's

And then there is the ENTIRE website filled with what I like to call "real" food to round out your Brunch. Click on the 'Search This Blog' box at the top, left hand side of the page. :)

Wishing everyone in the CEK family a Happy Mother's Day!

Here are some of the Mom's in my life...

Me, Rachael, Don and Gab

My MIL-Linda, Rachael and my FIL-Don

My Mom, her husband Dieter and my grandmother Grace

My Dad, Rachael and my stepmother Michele

My SIL-Donna with Rachael

My SIL Barbara with Rachael

And a special Mother's Day wish to all of my aunts, cousins, friends and niece Jessica,

who will have a new addition joining our family any day now. :)

...Enjoy your day! xo

Common Herbs Used in Mediterranean-Style Cooking

2013-05-09T05:30:00.000-04:00

Many assume that when cooking with certain types of herbs, they are restricted to certain types of cuisine. When in actuality, they are also quite popular in other areas of the world as well. Such is the case with many Mediterranean fresh herbs and spices. There are many herbs which you might automatically think would be associated in this list like basil, rosemary and fennel. However, there are some herbs like ginger and cilantro, that are also used in Mediterranean-style cooking as well.

Today I'll be sharing the most commonly used fresh herbs in Mediterranean-style cooking that I like to use in many of my recipes here at Carrie's Experimental Kitchen. I've also given you a link to a dish I have prepared in the past using such herb; as well as a list of other herbs I don't use very often.

Herbs I use in many of my Mediterranean-Inspired dishes:

Basil:

Originates from southern France and Italy and comes from the mint family
Has a sweet, peppery taste
Can be used in a variety of dishes like pesto, sauces, soups, salads, marinades and dressings
Basil blends well with other herbs and spices such as parsley, rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, and saffron
Try Basil Lime Pecan Pesto Stuffed Pork Chops

Cilantro:

Cilantro has been found in both Southern Europe and the Middle/Far East
This herb comes from the leaf of the coriander plant
It has a strong flavor that tastes of a combination of sage and lemon
Cilantro can be used in Mediterranean stews, soups, curries, vegetables, salads, relishes and tomato-based sauces
Try Roasted Chicken with Pomegranate, Lime and Cilantro

Chives:

Chives belong to the onion family, but are milder and more delicate in flavor than onions
They are native to Europe, Asia and North America
Chives go well in salads and dressings, yogurt, egg, and pasta dishes, casseroles, baked potatoes, soups and sauces
Chives also have insect repelling properties that can be used in the garden to control pests
Try Low Fat Ranch Dressing (Copycat from The Fountain Avenue Kitchen)

Fennel:

Fennel originated by the shores of the Mediterranean
It has a sweet, mild licorice taste and is commonly used with meat, vegetable, and grain dishes, soups, tomato sauces, cakes, pastries, breads, beverages, salads and dressings
Try Roasted Fennel & Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad

Garlic:

Garlic is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine and is a versatile seasoning that complements most any savory dish
It originated in Asia and has been used for over 7,000 years for cooking and medicinal purposes
Garlic is widely used in Mediterranean sauces, stews, soups, salad dressings, casseroles, breads, and grain dishes
Try Gremolata Roasted Potatoes , but a majority of my other recipes have garlic in them too! ;)

Ginger:

Mediterranean cooks use ginger, which originated in southeast Asia, to enhance both sweet and savory dishes like stir fries, sauces, cakes and cookies, and puddings
Try Soy-Ginger Grilled Flank Steak

Mint:

Mint is used in eastern Mediterranean cooking, and peppermint and spearmint
According to Greek mythology, the word mint comes from Minthe; a Greek nymph who was loved by Pluto, and was changed into a plant
Peppermint is often used to flavor candy and desserts, while spearmint is often found in teas, sauces, and jellies that are served with meat, as well as vegetables, like potatoes and carrots.
Mint is also added to salads, stews, soups and stuffings
Try Fettuccine with Pink Grapefruit & Mint

Onion:

Onion's are extremely popular to Mediterranean cuisine, as it enhances other vegetables, soups, sauces, seafood and meat dishes, grains and legumes
There are hundreds of varieties of onions including the large, round Spanish onion, the red-skinned Italian onion, smaller, yellow or white onions, pearl onions and green onions; all of which vary in appearance and potency
Try Roasted Vegetable Ratatouille

Oregano:

Oregano grows wild throughout the Mediterranean and is a cooking staple
It is related to marjoram, but has a stronger flavor
You'll find oregano in French, Greek and Italian dishes, especially in tomato-based recipes
Mediterranean oregano is also used to marinate meats and seafood before grilling and to season olives, cheeses, vegetables (especially eggplant), egg dishes, grains, breads, casseroles, meats, poultry, and salads
Oregano also pairs well with other spices, like basil, garlic, thyme, and parsley
Try Italian Vegetable Beef Soup with Orzo

Parsley:

Parsley originated in Southern Europe and is used in sauces, soups, meat marinades, dressings, salads, casseroles, stuffings, omelets, soft cheeses, and potato dishes
The two main types are curly and flat-leaf parsley, both rich in vitamins and minerals
Try Lemon Roasted Cornish Game Hens

Rosemary:

Rosemary is a native Mediterranean spice and it's needle-like leaf has a sweet, woodsy flavor
Italian cooks use it frequently in marinades and with roasted and grilled foods, like vegetables, poultry, and seafood, but it also works well in stews, sauces, dressings and focaccia
Try Rosemary Grilled Pork Skewers

Sage:

Sage is a Mediterranean spice in the mint family and has a strong, slightly bitter-sweet taste
Mediterranean cooks use it to flavor a variety of foods, including meats, seafood, poultry, stuffings, soups, breads, bean salads and dressings
Try Portobello Mushroom, Zucchini and Sage Risotto

Saffron:

Originated in Crete, Greece
According to Wikipedia, saffron has been described as tasting like"metallic honey with grassy notes" and contributes to that yellow-orange hue in foods
Try Roasted Garden Vegetable Saffron Risotto

Sea Salt:

Sea salt is found in Mediterranean breads, pickled vegetables, dressings, and with cheeses, meats and grains or any savory dish and a few sweet ones as well
Sea salt enhances other flavors, seasons on its own, and provides a necessary nutrient
Try Lime Roasted Zucchini and Shallots

Thyme:

Thyme originates in the Mediterranean, and has an herbal, minty flavor and scent
It's used in many savory recipes and especially with tomatoes and in slow-cooked dishes like soups and sauces
Try Creamy Mushroom & Thyme Soup

If you would like to try some other common herbs used in Mediterranean cooking other than the ones listed here, try these: Bay Leaves, Chervil, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander, Cumin, Fenugreek, Marjoram, Nutmeg, and Turmeric.

*I also wanted to thank those that had sent me personal messages regarding my father in-laws heart valve replacement surgery. It was supposed to be today, but we received a call yesterday afternoon that the doctor had an emergency and had to postpone his procedure for a couple of weeks. I'll keep you posted! xo

Frozen Watermelon Cilantro Limeade

2013-05-08T05:30:00.000-04:00

By Carrie Farias

Have you ever purchased a watermelon and cut it open only to find out that it is not sweet at all? This happens to me every now and then. In fact, Gabrielle was just telling me Friday night that whenever I have to take a fruit salad somewhere the fruit is sweet...make it home, not sweet. I guess it's just my luck. So a few weeks ago I purchased a watermelon such as this and it sat for days. No one would eat it! So instead of throwing it away (like I normally would have done), I experimented with a way to utilize it instead.

This Frozen Watermelon Cilantro Limeade was so light and refreshing and the kids loved it! In fact, after I made this, it was gone the next day. Hubby was away on his business trip at the time so he didn't get to try it, but I promised him to make it again the next time I got an unsweetened watermelon on a hot day. I also snuck in a little rum in one of my drinks see how that tasted and it made a wonderful frozen alcoholic drink too.

Stuffed Baked Red Potatoes with Basil Pesto (Copycat) and a Giveaway

2013-05-07T05:30:00.000-04:00

Can I just start off by saying that I LOVED these potatoes created by my foodie friend Laurie Bakke?! When I first got her cookbook over the holidays I wasn't sure which recipe I was going to try first. Should I try the Thai Marinated Cucumber Salad? The Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Basil, Mint and Sherry Vinaigrette? Or maybe the Stuffed Gourmet Meatloaf? Decisions. Decisions. Then while planning out my dinner one evening, I flipped through the book again and saw these Stuffed Baked Red Potatoes with Basil Pesto...SOLD!

They were a little time consuming, but OH SO WORTH IT! In fact, I bet you could even cook the potatoes the night before when you're not on a weeknight time-crunch because I HIGHLY recommend baking these in the oven like Laurie suggested and not in the microwave. It really gave the skins a crunchy outer texture that just added to the other wonderful flavors going on here.

Overall, these potatoes got two thumbs up from everyone in this house and because it made extra servings, we ate them twice that week.

Stuffed Baked Red Potatoes with Basil Pesto (Copycat)
Recipe Adapted from Laurie Bakke's Kitchen
8 to 10 Medium-Sized Red Potatoes-pierced with a fork
1/4 c. 2 % Milk
2 tbsp. Butter
3 tbsp. Basil Pesto
1 tsp. Granulated Garlic
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for brushing inside of shell

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in center oven. Rub potatoes with oil and salt and bake directly on the rack for 30-45 minutes or until tender all the way through when pierced.
2. Remove the potatoes from the oven and prepare the potato shells by first cutting a small piece off of each end from the 8 potatoes. Scoop out the potato from the shell and place in a large bowl.
3. Stand the potato shells up in a muffin tin or oven safe dish, wide side up and brush the inside of the skins with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove and set aside.
4. While the potato skins are in the oven, heat the milk, butter and garlic over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add the milk mixture and the pesto to the potatoes and mash with an electric mixer until the potatoes are stiff. To bulk up the filling, add the remaining two potatoes and adjust your seasonings.
5. Finally, spoon potato mixture into shells making sure you stuff them all the way so they will not cave in as they bake. Drizzle each potato with some oil and salt and bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and heated through. Serves 8.

And now for the Giveaway....

Laurie has graciously agreed to give one signed copy of her book, Laurie Bakke's Cookbook: Fresh Recipes from Cafe Laurie, Culinary School and other Great Kitchens, to a Carrie's Experimental Kitchen reader! I know that you will love the book as much as I do and kudos to her husband Paul for creating such a work of art for the covers. Click on the Rafflecopter link below to enter and Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chicken and Rice with Zucchini

2013-05-06T05:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday, I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

I don't have many of these, but I recently had a recipe flop. Well, not a complete flop because I was able to ultimately salvage the meal. But this recipe for Chicken and Rice with Zucchini first started off as something else. I had originally wanted to use my bone-in chicken thighs as a braise with the zucchini, but the sauce looked a little boring and colorless. So I wound up removing the chicken from the bone, adding some rice to absorb the liquid and turned it into a one-pot meal.

I was SO glad I did! This dish was amazing and it really simplified my dinner plans for the evening. My guess is that you could also cook this in a slow cooker most of the day on low, then just add your rice a half hour before you're ready to serve. I adjusted the directions and cooking times below to reflect using chicken off of the bone and you could even use boneless chicken or turkey breasts as well in this dish.

Chicken and Rice with Zucchini
4 Chicken Thighs, boneless and skinless
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Zucchini, rinsed
2 Scallions, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
8 oz. Mushrooms, sliced (I used white button)
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 c. White Wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
1 c. Instant White Rice
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large stockpot over medium-high heat.
2. Rinse the chicken, then pat dry. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot and allow to cook approximately 5 minutes; it should be lightly browned on all sides.
3. While your chicken is browning, prepare your vegetables. Remove the top from the zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then chop in 1/4" slices (or half moons).
4. When the chicken is finished, add the zucchini, scallions, garlic, mushrooms and thyme to the pot. Allow to saute for 3-5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften; then add in the white wine. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Next, add in the rice, replace the cover and allow to simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes; until the liquid is absorbed. (If using brown or long grain rice, cooking times may vary; as will the need for adding additional liquid, like chicken broth or water). Serves 4.

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 273, Carbs 23g, Fat 6.8g, Protein 18.9g, Fiber 1.4g, Sugar 1.9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!

A Week in Review (April 26-May 2, 2013)

2013-05-03T05:30:00.000-04:00

Out and About..

~Thursday night I cut my hand on some broken glass. The top of a corning ware dish came crashing down on my granite countertop then shattered on the floor in a billion pieces. I tried to butterfly it myself; then wound up going to the ER Friday morning because it was too deep and they couldn't stitch it. Apparently there is only a 7 hour window to do this or the risk of infection is too high. After an ultrasound to make sure there was no glass inside, a Tetnus/DTP/Pertussis shot and antibiotics, they wrapped me up and sent me on my way. It closed up nicely, but it's still a little sore.

~The same night, we entertained 20 family members for apps, dinner and dessert and had a BLAST! I love hanging out with my family and don't get a chance to do so often. I made a fantastic new farro salad; which I'll share in the coming weeks, and a HUGE Thank You to Mom who helped me prepare the things I needed 2 hands for and did all of the dishes...Whoo Hoo! xo

~While scrolling through my phone's photo's I came across this picture of Gab, she likes to leave me little surprises for when I least expect them. :)

~We did a little shopping at the outlets in Tannersville this past weekend and got some Ginger Wasabi Sauce, a Korean BBQ Sauce, a new salad spinner and this purse...50% off, what a bargain! :)...

Then we dined at a local restaurant overlooking the lake for an early dinner ...

and tried this wine...

Then came home, opened the fire pit for the season and Gab roasted her first marshmallows making S'mores...

~My recipe for Pan Seared Pork with Pear and Pomegranate Salsa was featured in an online article called 7 New Twists on Salsa by Redbook Magazine.

~And the Indy Star reviewed and tested 5 recipes from my cookbook in their feature: Five in a Fix

~I found this cool Veggie Cooking Cheat Sheet by Womenist.com on Pinterest

~Rachael came home after being in Anaheim, CA for the National DECA Conference for a week. She LOVED Cali and is seriously considering attending college there. :(

~We had a nice visit with Mom and Dieter who left to return to FL Thursday morning. She came in for her 50th High School Reunion and got to see a lot of her old friends and had a blast! At first, I thought "Wow, 50 years is a really long time!"; which it is don't get me wrong, but then realized that my 30th isn't that far away myself. YIKES!

And then there were the recipes...

Vanilla Almond Onion Straws

Baby Carrots in Honey Lime Butter

Paprika, Rosemary and Cheese Cauliflower "Popcorn"

Guacamole Farro Salad and Other Ideas for Cinco de Mayo

Tell me what happened in your little corner
of the world this week.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Guacamole Farro Salad and Other Ideas for Cinco de Mayo

2013-05-02T05:30:00.000-04:00

We don't generally celebrate Cinco de Mayo which is this coming Sunday (May 5th); however, who could pass up a good guacamole? I know we can't. In fact, guacamole has become one of our favorite weekend snacks. So when I purchased too many avocados on my last shopping trip, I had to use them up before they went bad.

I combined all of the same ingredients I'd use to make my guacamole, but added in cooked farro to make this Guacamole Farro Salad. It was so good that Rachael and I ate it for lunch for several days. It was very filling, but refreshingly light.

Guacamole Farro Salad
1 c. Farro, rinsed
2 c. Water
2 Avocado, pitted and diced
1 Tomato, small dice
1 tbsp. Red Onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Lime, zest and juice
1/2 Jalepeno Pepper, small dice
3 Tbsp. Canola Oil
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Add water to a pot and bring to a boil; then add in the farro. Allow to simmer over low-medium heat until the water has been absorbed; approximately 15 minutes. Remove the farro and add to a bowl; let cool.
2. Add the avocado, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime zest and juice, pepper and oil to the farro. Season with salt and pepper; mix well. Makes 7 - 1/2 cup servings.

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 225, Carbs 25.7g, Fat 12.9g, Protein 5.2g, Fiber 6.4g, Sugar 1.1g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Looking for some other ideas for your Cinco de Mayo party?

How about these favorites!

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Guacamole

Mexican Beer Cheese Soup

Chorizo, Chicken and Black Beans with Rice

Red Apple Sangria

Enjoy!

Follow my blog on Bloglovin'!

Paprika, Rosemary & Cheese Cauliflower "Popcorn"

2013-05-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you recall, I attended an event in March hosted by Buick and Food & Wine Magazine called the Buick Discovery Tour. While one of the guest chefs was preparing their dish, they were randomly talking about food and asking questions from the audience. I wish I could remember who it was, but all I heard was "Cauliflower Popcorn".

Sometimes, that's all it takes and the wheels start spinning. My friend and I looked at each other and immediately thought that would make a PERFECT next recipe to try with cauliflower. So we started thinking up different concoctions and one of them had to have cheese! Well the weeks got away from me, the cauliflower at the market didn't look fresh, and I forgot. Well I didn't technically forget, I put it in the Notes section on my phone and then never looked at it. I do that ALL THE TIME! I have to go in there at least once a month to clean it out from the random things I think of and "jot" down and then forget to look at. Does this happen to anyone else?

Alright then, guess it's just me! Anyway, I finally bought a decent head of cauliflower recently and gave this paprika, rosemary and cheese version a try. They say it's popcorn, but technically, it's just cut up smaller than you normally would when roasting (or at least that's how I interpreted it) and I LOVED this recipe. I actually prefer my cauliflower in smaller pieces as it gives it a sweeter flavor as well.

Paprika, Rosemary & Cheese Cauliflower "Popcorn"
1 Large Cauliflower
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Spanish Paprika
2 tsp. Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
2 tbsp. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut down the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces by removing the stems and stalks with a sharp knife. Rinse under cold water and add to a bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine the oil, salt, paprika, and rosemary; then add to the cauliflower. Mix well.
4. Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown; turn halfway.
5. Remove from the oven, then sprinkle the cheese on top of the hot cauliflower; toss to coat. Serves 4.

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 78, Carbs 7.8g, Fat 4.4g, Protein 3.4g, Fiber 3.7g, Sugar 3.5g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!

Don't forget to check your inbox today for the monthly edition of Carrie's Experimental Kitchen Newsletter! If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so by submitting your email address here:

Baby Carrots in Honey Lime Butter (Family Favorites)

2013-04-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, I shared one of our favorite recipes included in my cookbook for Grilled Pork Chops with Lime and Cilantro and today I have another Family Favorites recipe that I couldn't wait to try again. When making dinner, I like to keep the same flavors going with my sides and vegetables so I created these Baby Carrots in Honey Lime Butter to go with them. I love using fresh vegetables, they just taste so much better. I like how you can control the texture of them. For instance, have you ever eaten a frozen or canned carrot? They're like mush in your mouth! When you steam fresh carrots, I like to leave them a bit on the crispier side and my kids like them better that way as well. In fact, Gabrielle would only eat raw carrots if I was making the frozen variety for that very reason.

In any event, these carrots made the perfect accompaniment to our pork chops and the hint of lime and sweetness of the honey were perfect!

Baby Carrots in Honey Lime Butter

1 lb. Fresh Baby Carrots

1 tbsp. Butter

1 tbsp. Honey

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Juice from 1/2 Lime

Directions:

1. Steam carrots in a double boiler until they are fork tender but slightly firm, approximately 10 minutes.

2. Heat butter over medium heat in a sauté pan, and add the cooked carrots, butter, honey, salt, pepper, and lime juice.

3. Cook over medium heat until most of the liquid evaporates. Serves 4.

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 81, Carbs 13.6g, Fat 3g, Protein .8g, Fiber 3.3g, Sugar 9.4g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

You can find this recipe for Baby Carrots in Honey Lime Butter, along with many others in my cookbook; available at many online retailers like Amazon, BN.com and IndieBound. If you would like a signed copy or a hardcover version, please email me at carrieexpktchn (at) optonline (dot) net.

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of Mediterranean-Inspired Family Meals

A cookbook also makes the perfect gift!

Mother's Day
Father's Day
Your favorite Graduate (they will have to learn to cook for themselves eventually!)
Birthday's
Anniversaries
Wedding or Bridal Shower
Or anyone just looking for some new inspiration in the kitchen!

Vanilla Almond Onion Straws

2013-04-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

My family and I generally don't eat onion rings. In fact, I think the last time I even ordered one out was several years ago when the kids first wanted to try a Bloomin' Onion. I was making some steak on the grill recently and my usual topping would be sauteed mushrooms (like these Mushrooms Vittoria..YUM!), but when I reached for them, they were starting to go bad.

I decided to make these onion straws instead, using up the little bit of Vanilla Almond Milk I had left in the container as well. (I'm in Spring Cleaning mode and wanted to purge my refrigerator who am I kidding?!). I thought they would make a nice topping added to our steak and boy was I right...they were fantastic! It had a little bit of a sweet flavor from the milk and by cutting them thinner, they were super crunchy. I bet these would be awesome on some thick juicy burgers as well.

Vanilla Almond Onion Straws
1 Red Onion, sliced into 1/4" rings
1 c. Silk Vanilla Almond Milk
1 Egg
1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1/2 c. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
Canola Oil, for frying

Directions:
1. In a bowl, whisk together the almond milk and egg.
2. Add the onion rings to the milk mixture and allow to soak fully covered for 15-20 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt.
4. Dip the milk coated onion ring into the flour mixture and set aside until all rings have been coated. Discard the remaining mixture. (You can do this twice if you like your onion rings extra crunchy, but I just did mine once).
5. Heat the oil in a large saute pan. (I used approximately 1/3 cup and a nonstick pan. Just enough to coat the bottom).
6. When the oil is hot, add the onion rings and allow them to brown for approximately 4-5 minutes; flipping halfway through. They should be golden brown.
7. Remove the onions and drain on paper towels to absorb any excess grease. You may need to fry these in two batches depending on the size of your pan.

*Nutritional Information per Serving: This recipe was too difficult for me to calculate since most of the milk/egg mixture was discarded after soaking and the frying in oil aspect.

Enjoy!

*I was not compensated in any way by Silk to write this post. I personally use and enjoy this product. All opinions are my own.

My 2 Year Blogging Anniversary & Giveaway!

2013-04-26T05:30:00.000-04:00

I know I just started the Week in Review last week, but tomorrow marks my 2 year blogging anniversary here at Carrie's Experimental Kitchen so I had to do a little something different this week, but first I'll give you a quick snapshot of what went on here before we start the celebration:

Last Friday started with me getting a call from the EMS that my 94 year old grandmother was being rushed to the hospital. She had a cold and was having difficulty breathing and was dizzy. She stayed at the hospital for several days, but is now back home feeling much better.
Hubby came home, was exhausted and we wound up spending 4 hours in the ER Saturday afternoon for an allergic reaction to an insect bite (or so they think). Both of his arms were so swollen he looked like Popeye!
Rachael left for CA for a week on a school trip...I guess this is the start of empty nest syndrome. Though she's only been gone for 4 days I miss her smiling face each day.
Went out to dinner with a few friends to celebrate another friend's 40th birthday. We all chipped in to get her a gift certificate to make her own wine at a local shop. She LOVED it and is already contemplating what to name her own varietal!
I saw Fleetwood Mac, one of my all time favorite bands and had a blast! Here is a video of them doing Tusk
Mom arrived yesterday from FL for a week so I'm having about 25 family members here tonight to stop by for a get together. We don't get to see each other often and I love hanging out with my aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews; they're so much fun. AND my youngest cousin in Michigan, Jennifer Anderson is graduating tonight and receiving her Doctorate in Reading Education...CONGRATULATIONS JENNY We're all so proud of you! <3

I can't believe I've been doing this blog for 2 years already, time certainly does fly by when you're having fun! It was a busy year filled with a lot of fun and exciting things both here on the blog, as well as on the home front. THANK YOU for tuning into CEK each day (all 183 countries of you!). Your daily comments and support are truly appreciated more than you'll ever know. I look forward to inviting you into my kitchen for another year of my daily kitchen experiments!

I mentioned earlier this week that I have created over 650 new recipes since I first started this blog, so I thought I'd share the All-Time Top 10 Most Viewed Recipes in order of least to most viewed:

Top 10 All-Time Most Viewed Recipes

#10. Originally posted January 2012, these Corn and Cheddar Mashed Potato Fritters were a huge hit. And it's no wonder, no matter how much you make, there always seems to be leftover mashed potatoes and corn!

#9. Here is another recipe I posted back in January 2012 for Basil, Leek & Asiago Risotto. Absolutely creamy and delicious, but as you can see my photography skills weren't that stellar on this one.

#8. Now this recipe for Chicken in a Lemon Butter Sauce was recently created this past February and it's gained quick popularity. I originally made this for my Aunt Renee to try after she told me the restaurant where she used to order it from in MI no longer was making it. Her and my Uncle Rich LOVE this dish! In fact, she told me she makes it several times a month and is her new favorite go-to recipe! :) In fact, I'm making this tonight for the rest of my family to try as well.

#7. In April 2012, I created this Black Bean and Corn Salad and it was FANTASTIC! The month before, I also got that pitcher in the background to hold some Red Apple Sangria...love it!

#6. September 2012 I started using my new kitchen in full-force and created this Chicken Balsamico. Still one of our favorites and I have made it twice already (which says a lot since I generally don't make repeat dinners!)

#5. This oldie from December 2011 for Homemade Kahlua was very popular, especially around the holidays. What's nice about this recipe is that it can be made in less than an hour and it makes a great hostess gift too!

#4. These Balsamic Roasted Zucchini & Mushrooms were first posted back in May 2012 and I'm not surprised they are a reader favorite. Using fresh garden vegetables and only 5 ingredients, they are remarkable.

#3. These Twice Baked Lime Sweet Potatoes were one of my favorites as well when I created them after a trip to FL in March 2012. There really isn't much to them, but the lime mixed with the potatoes really adds a refreshing flavor.

#2. Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce was originally created at the end of last summer, using fresh garden tomato crops. The green tomatoes come from tomatoes that haven't fully ripened yet into that vibrant red color and were picked from the vine. I'm not sure if you can purchase them this way; however, if you check with your local farmers market, they may be able to provide you with them if there is a specific request.

And the #1 Most Viewed Recipe was...

Copycat "Panera" Chicken and Wild Rice Soup which was created back in November 2011. I don't think this is a shocker. Those that follow CEK regularly know I do share this recipe frequently throughout the year as this is the ONLY recipe that I've made numerous times. It's Gab's favorite and our go-to soup on those cold, wintery nights.

Were there any surprises? Did you have a favorite recipe that wasn't listed?

Well now's your chance to let everyone know!

And now for the Giveaway...
To celebrate my 2 year anniversary and thank you for reading, I will be giving away copies of my cookbook to 10 lucky readers! All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter entry form below. Please leave a mandatory comment stating which recipe you can't wait to try or list one that you have tried and loved most on my blog. That's it! You can also view a sample of what's inside under the Cookbook Tab at the top of this page. In order to be fair to the many loyal readers within and outside of the U.S., I will be giving away the following as:

Five signed copies of my soft cover cookbook, Carrie's Experimental Kitchen to U.S residents
Five eBook copies of my cookbook Carrie's Experimental Kitchen to non U.S residents

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

*Contest valid 4/26/13-5/2/13. Winners randomly selected by Rafflecopter.com and will be notified on 5/3/13 and will have 48 hours to respond with their contact information or another winner will be selected. Contest is open to all residents; however, prize awarded is based on your city of origin.

Bring Your Child to Work Day and How You Can Help Support Your Favorite Food Bloggers

2013-04-25T05:30:00.000-04:00

Today is Bring Your Child to Work Day. This is a wonderful opportunity for children ages 8-18 to see what it is we as adults do each day and find a possible career path for themselves. Whether it be working in an office, working in the great outdoors or even writing your own food blog; teaching our children by being a positive role model with a good work ethic is important for them to succeed in their future. My older daughter had the opportunity to work at my husband's office last summer and though she really loved the people, she realized that working in an office environment wasn't something she would like to do as a career path. She will be a senior in high school next year and is currently researching colleges that would allow her to follow her love of sports and continue on her academic path as an Athletic Trainer.

So today, I'm "bringing" my youngest daughter Gabrielle to work with me. Well, sort of! To start, I thought I'd share a little bit about what it takes to be a food blogger as I'm sure many of you do not realize how many hours go into writing just one post. Most bloggers are generally operated by one person doing the following tasks and still manage to run a household or work outside of the home.....multitasking at it's best!

Researcher
Recipe creator
Shopper
Cook
Recipe Tester
Dishwasher
Photographer
Food Styling
Prop Styling
Photo Editor
Managing Editor
Writer
Editor
Marketer
Publicist
Accountant
Information Technology

You know how I'm always saying how easy it is to create a restaurant quality meal at home? Well my daughter Gabrielle is proof! Not only did she come up with this recipe idea, she prepared it, wrote the post and helped photograph some of the pictures. AND, this was last summer when she was only 10...see I told you it was easy! I'll have to ask her create another recipe for the blog again soon as she really has some great ideas of her own. Click on the link under the picture to see Gabrielle's recipe for Homemade Gnocchi with Sausage Bolognese....

Homemade Gnocchi with Sausage Bolognese

On another note...

How you can help support your favorite food bloggers:

If you see a facebook group or website that posts my photos and writing onto his or her page instead of linking to Carrie's Experimental Kitchen directly, they are in violation of both the Federal DMCA Act and Copyright Law. The reason why this is bad is because it costs a great deal of money to operate Carrie's Experimental Kitchen and other websites where content is illegally taken from. When people take content that others have written and developed and put it on their sites, it makes it harder for those offering the content to pay for services that they provide free of charge to you. Hours, sometimes days, are put into creating one post, that all the offender’s do is copy and paste in order to drive traffic to and promote their site and/or facebook page. Once our content is stolen, we are also penalized for having duplicate content on the internet, and our recipes receive lower priority in search engines as well.

Often when this happens, it isn’t meant as a violation of a federal law and is just someone who wants to share a recipe that they really liked. But sometimes, this is done by people and even companies who repeatedly copy and paste content from those who have worked hard to develop it, willingly and knowingly.

Often, these people say “You can’t copyright recipes”. While you can’t copyright a random list of ingredients, our writing (descriptions, introductions, instructions, etc) and photographs are copyrighted – and each post represents hours of work that these folks steal in under a minute and use as a platform to build their sites on.

However, just about everyone reading this who shares recipes do so with no malicious intent, and bloggers realize that. This is intended for those who willingly violate federal law despite having received complaints, and having been reported, by knowingly and repeatedly stealing content from sites to place on their own.

If you see a site or facebook page with repeated complaints, a blogger who has to build new sites because their old ones are taken down, these are clues that such sites and pages are being run by repeat offenders who fully understand that what they are doing is illegal. A lot of people don’t realize that the websites we enjoy free of charge cost a great deal of money to operate. These sites and pages that run primarily off of stealing content from other sites take all food bloggers one step closer to not being able to afford to continue.

It’s easy for us to share a recipe. While photos are copyrighted, all of the bloggers I know welcome sharing photos as long as a link to the recipe is given to the recipe rather than the entire recipe reposted. See my example below where I use a photo from another blog:

I love Stacey Little’s Sweet Cornbread Muffins! Here is a link if you want to check out the recipe! http://southernbite.com/2013/01/09/sweet-cornbread-muffins/

Thank you so much for helping all of the bloggers who provide free sites around the web for all of us to enjoy and a special thanks to all of the Carrie's Experimental Kitchen friends who have made me aware of this growing problem. Without all of you, there wouldn’t be a Carrie's Experimental Kitchen!

*A special thank you to Southern Plate for creating this document for fellow food bloggers to share. If you are a food blogger who would like to repost the above statement, changing out your url for Carrie's Experimental Kitchen, please feel free to do so.

Mediterranean Tomato, Mozzarella and Celery Salad

2013-04-23T05:30:00.000-04:00

Today is National Picnic Day. I can't tell you the last time I went on a picnic. We used to go often earlier on in our marriage and when the kids were small, but as they got older, it became harder and harder to do impromptu things like that on the weekends. Now our picnics consist more of backyard/deck barbecues with family and friends, but no matter what the occasion, salads are always on the menu. They add such a nice variety to whatever it is your serving and many offer a healthier dining option to your guests as well.

This Mediterranean Tomato, Mozzarella and Celery Salad is a twist on one of my favorites and I just love the "crunch" the crisp celery adds; not to mention the gorgeous color!

Mediterranean Tomato, Mozzarella and Celery Salad
8oz. Ciliegine Mozzarella
1 c. Sunburst Golden Tomatoes, halved
1 c. Cherub Tomatoes, halved
3 Stalks celery, washed and sliced
1 Lemon, juice only
3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Makes 8-1/2 cup servings.

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 56, Carbs 2.7g, Fat 5.4g, Protein .4g, Fiber .7g, Sugar .4g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!

Grilled Pork Chops with Lime and Cilantro (Family Favorites)

2013-04-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Did you know that I have created and shared over 650 new recipes since I started this blog? In fact, this coming Saturday will be CEK's 2 year blogging anniversary! Many of the original recipes are no longer on the site, but you can find them in my cookbook available at many online retailers like Amazon, BN.com and IndieBound.

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of Mediterranean-Inspired Family Meals

The funny thing is that since I created all of these recipes, there are only a handful of them that I've made since. I know you might find that hard to believe that someone can have that much of a variety in their meal planning, but YES my family can attest to the fact that I've made something new almost every day for the last 2 years! They like my experiments and the first thing they do when they come home is look to see what I've made next; though sometimes they just crave a burger and fries or take-out pizza. It's all good. :)

So I decided that I would go back to the early days of CEK and pull out some of my family's favorite recipes from the cookbook, make them again and share the recipe with you each week in a new segment called 'Family Favorites'. I will also include the Nutritional Information since these were not included in the book.

For today's post, I decided to share the first recipe I ever published here on the blog for Grilled Pork Chops with Lime and Cilantro. I didn't even photograph it the first time and that's a good thing (my early photo skills were horrific!). I just love this recipe. The brining keeps this lean cut of meat moist and tender, and the lime and cilantro add an extra layer of freshness. Besides, it reminds me that summer is on its way!

Grilled Pork Chops with Lime and Cilantro

4-4oz Boneless Pork Chops

3/4 Cup Water

2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar

2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt

1 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp. Fresh Lime Rind, grated

Juice from 1/2 lime

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix water, sugar, and salt until it dissolves.

2. Add cilantro, lime zest and juice, garlic powder, and pepper, and whisk together until well blended.

3. Trim any visible fat from your pork chop; then tenderize the chop using a meat mallet or the bottom of a glass.

4. Add the pork chops and the marinade to a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate no more than 2 hours.

5. Remove the meat from the bag, discard the marinade; then grill the pork chops until the proper internal temperature is reached. (It all depends on the thickness of your chop and how you and your family prefer to eat it). Serves 4.

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 214, Carbs 9.1g, Fat 8g, Protein 24.5g, Fiber .8g, Sugar 7g
*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. This recipe factors in all of the above bringing ingredients. Actuals may be significantly less as all of the marinade gets discarded and is not consumed.

*Suggested Sides: Brown or White Rice with Baby Carrots in a Honey Lime Butter

*For all of the main entrees in the cookbook, I also suggest side dishes that I've created that go along well with each recipe to help with your family meal planning.

Enjoy!

A Week in Review (April 12-18, 2013)

2013-04-19T06:44:00.001-04:00

Since Friday is generally a "light" viewing day here on the blog, I thought I'd share some of the things that happen in my week that I post on Facebook and Instagram that you might not catch if you don't follow me there.

It was a very busy week here at the Farias house with the usual running around with the kids and keeping up with the house; however, for the last 13 days the hubby has been out of town on an international business trip to Australia, Singapore, China, and India. I don't mind it so much if it's during the week, but it certainly is more difficult when the trips take place over our weekends as well. The time change ranged anywhere from 9 1/2 to 14 hours ahead of NJ time; which certainly made it even more difficult to speak. Especially when he wound up sick and had to visit a hospital in China...we think it was bad dumplings in Singapore where he was the day before since he got ill the last time he was there too! He's feeling better now, but understandably tired, and is glad he's on his way back home.

On the homefront...

I found a hard lump on the top of my foot on Sunday morning, had an x-ray and saw a podiatrist. Now I have to go for an ultrasound and it looks like I have a fibroma cyst; which will need to be surgically removed...never a dull moment around here!

I surprised a CEK reader with a copy of my cookbook after she won a contest for another giveaway I hosted and the book didn't make it there the first time (it's since been redelivered!). She had no idea it was coming and was THRILLED! I love surprising people, makes you feel good when there is so much bad in the world.

My recipe for Garbanzo and Green Bean Salad was featured on Spry Living: Healthy in 30

Rachael has been driving more (still with her permit) and getting much better, though parking in a parking space still challenges her. Safety parking at it's best!

Seen On Instagram...

It was time to get my annual eye exam and after 4 years, my prescription for reading glasses hadn't changed; though I just have to wear them more frequently. I did decide to update my specs to these pink, black and white ones though since our insurance covers them and it was time for a change. WDYT?

We had our monthly Bunco and the theme was "Wiggin' Out.. or It"...I can't remember, but we all showed up donned in wigs. We're so silly! Here I am with some of the Bunco girls in the long black and red wig.

This review on Goodreads brought a tear to my eye. I'm so glad I get to share my love of food with all of you each day and reading comments like this make it all worth while! <3

I experimented with some watermelon that had no flavor so no one was eating it and created this Cilantro Watermelon Limeade. The kids loved it as a refreshing drink and I threw a splash of rum in mine (you know, just to taste!) and made it as a frozen drink. Outdoor grilling season is approaching! Oh and I use Lightroom to edit all of my photos (which I had to scour over 300 of them to get 6 usable images!) Recipe to follow in the coming weeks.

Then there was the mysterious "ALCOHOL" delivery. The funny thing was that I was home. I must not have heard them knock on the door. Turns out it was wine, which was delivered as a gift to my husband from his friends at work for his birthday (wine of the month) and I forgot about it.

And then there were the recipes...

Roasted Pink Grapefruit with Mint & Honey

Along with 10 foods that help slim you down when you're over 40...like me!

Avocado Quinoa Salad

Guest Post at Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Chicken Scampi over Fettuccine

Sun Dried Tomato & Asiago Cheese Pesto

And finally, the Giveaway Reminder...

If you haven't already, there are only 5 days left to enter to win this red KitchenAid Stand Mixer on the Spring Celebration Giveaway!

Leave a comment below to tell me what's been going

on in YOUR world this week and enjoy your weekend!

Sun Dried Tomato & Asiago Cheese Pesto

2013-04-18T05:30:00.000-04:00

Right after I made the Spinach Pesto my kids were craving panini's for dinner and it would have made a nice spread with the grilled chicken. So instead, I made a quick batch of this Sun Dried Tomato & Asiago Cheese Pesto to go on our sandwiches and they were AMAZING! The family liked them so much that I didn't even get a chance to photograph the sandwiches themselves. Pesto will last about a week in the refrigerator or if you're not going to use it by then, you can also freeze it.

Some other uses for this pesto might be to mix it with cooked pasta, mix it in with a risotto, or use as a filler in stuffed chicken or pork. Hmmm....I better go make some more because that sounds delicious!

Sun Dried Tomato & Asiago Cheese Pesto
1 c. Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 Garlic Cloves
1 c. Fresh Basil
2 tbsp. Asiago Cheese, shredded
3/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Add the tomatoes, garlic, basil and cheese to a food processor and pulse until all ingredients have blended together.
2. With the machine running, gradually add the oil until the mixture forms a paste-like consistency. Makes 1 1/2 cups (24 tablespoons)

*Nutritional Information per Tablespoon: Calories 65, Carbs 1.4g, Fat 6.8g, Protein .4g, Fiber .3g, Sugar .9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!

Chicken Scampi over Fettuccine

2013-04-17T05:30:00.000-04:00

Last week, I had taken chicken out to make a new dish, but as the day progressed I really wasn't in the mood to cook...GASP! So I decided to make this quick and easy Chicken Scampi over Fettuccine instead. You all know I don't eat shrimp, but the rest of my family loves it. I make it for them on occasion and when I do I generally make a chicken version for me; similar to this one. It was delicious and ready in under 30 minutes. Now that's my kind of meal!

Chicken Scampi over Fettuccine
5-3oz. Chicken Tenders, raw
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Butter
3 Garlic Cloves
1/3 c. Vermouth
1 tsp. Lemon Zest
1tbsp. Parsley
1/2 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
2 tbsp. Pecorino Romano Cheese
1 lb. Fettuccine

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat the oil in Dutch oven or large pot, then add in the chicken. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink; approximately 5-8 minutes.
3. Next, add the butter and garlic and saute for 1 minute; then add in the vermouth, lemon zest, parsley, chicken broth and cheese. Allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes. If the sauce is done before the pasta, turn off the heat.
4. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well. Serves 6.

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 351, Carbs 50.5g, Fat 4.7g, Protein 22.8g, Fiber 2.4g, Sugar 1.2g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!

Avocado Quinoa Salad-Guest Blogger at Cupcakes and Kale Chips

2013-04-16T05:30:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm a happy to be helping out my fellow foodie friend and Jersey Girl Brianne from Cupcakes and Kale Chips while she is on maternity leave with her new baby boy Peyton.

Please visit her page to see my recipe for this Avocado Quinoa Salad along with a quick tip I learned on how to cut grape (or cherry) tomatoes in half more efficiently.

Curious yet?

Head on over and be prepared to stay a while!

Brianne is a Chemical Engineer turned stay-at-home mom/wannabe pastry chef/wedding planner with a meticulous, perfectionist nature. Not only does she have a new baby, she also has a toddler, a wheat allergy, and high cholesterol. On her blog, Cupcakes and Kale Chips, you'll find recipes, thoughts, party ideas and mommy moments.

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram!

Are you over 40? Try these slimming foods!

2013-04-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

Why, YES I AM!

Actually I just turned 45 a couple of months ago and with each year it gets harder and harder to keep my weight in check. Not that I'm the role model for nutrition and yes, I can certainly stand to lose QUITE a few pounds, but I do what I can to at least be aware of the food I am consuming and try to follow the parts of a Mediterranean diet I can and avoid adding prepackaged foods. So when I saw this article on foods that help slim you down in the March issue of Prevention Magazine, I just had to share it with all of you; especially now that warmer weather is on it's way.

Here are the top 10 foods they suggest will help to slim you down. It is better for you to eat these foods 'as is' as they will provide more health benefits when consumed that way, but I also included some links to recipes that I've created using these ingredients:

1. Chili Powder

Chili Powder contains capsinoids, which burn belly fat. Apparently there is also a pill form (capsinoid oil) you can take and according to a study, volunteers who took the pill lost 5 times as much fat as those who didn't take it. I think I would prefer the capsule since I don't like overly spicy things, but I have heard that eating spicy foods does help speed up your metabolism.

Try my recipe for Roasted Fennel and Three Bean Chili

2. Grapefruit

When volunteers ate half a grapefruit before every meal, they lost an inch off of their waists. I really need to eat more grapefruit! I used to eat it for breakfast almost everyday when I was in college (uh hum over 25 years ago), but then I paired it with a plate of bacon drowned in maple syrup so I think it negated the healthy aspects of that meal! Now I can't eat grapefruit on it's own without it being sweetened, so I came up with this recipe for Roasted Pink Grapefruit with Mint and Honey and it was delicious!

Roasted Pink Grapefruit with Mint & Honey

2 Pink Grapefruit

1 tbsp. Fresh Mint

1 tbsp. Honey

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

Directions:

1. Peel the grapefruit, then cut the fruit into bite sized chunks.

2. Add the grapefruit sections to a bowl, then add the mint, honey and salt; mix well.

3. Place the fruit on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for approximately 8-10 minutes. (You don't want the fruit to turn completely to mush). Allow to cool then refrigerate for up to 4 days. Serves 4.

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 79, Carbs 20.7g, Fat 0g, Protein 1.2g, Fiber 6g, Sugar 14.3g *Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

3. Nonfat Ricotta

You lose muscle as you age, which can reduce your metabolism. Since ricotta is made from whey products, it can enhance muscle building as well as your metabolism.

Try my recipe for Low Fat Black Bean & Sun Dried Tomato Lasagna

4. Bell Peppers

Eating one bell pepper per day gives you twice your daily dose of much needed Vitamin C; which helps with weight loss.

5. Romaine Lettuce

By filling up on leafy greens, it can trim your overall number of calories by 10%. The article stated that eating 2 cups of romaine lettuce per day adds up to half of your daily fill of Vitamin A, plus 113% of bone building Vitamin K.

Try my recipe for Mixed Greens with Fresh Raspberries, Feta Cheese and Pecans

6. Nuts

Nuts contain protein, healthy fats and fiber and can help slim you down. But be careful, raw nuts are always much better for you than those honey roasted or salted kind!

Try my recipe for Whole Wheat Apple Walnut Muffin Tops

7. Melon

Melon will satisfy your sweet tooth so next time you get that sweet craving (and you know you will!), try a cup of watermelon instead, it's only 46 calories per cup!

8. Canned Salmon

Eating protein requires more calories to digest and helps to keep you feeling full. Now the article specifically said "canned salmon"; however, per 3-ounce serving, other fish like tuna, salmon and halibut contain 22g of protein and lean poultry, like a chicken breast, contains 17g of protein.

Try my recipe for Grilled Chicken with Summer Fruit Salsa

9. Edamame

Edamame are immature soy beans that are usually purchased in the shell. To prepare them, plunge them into boiling water for a few minutes until slightly tender or steam them over a double boiler. To eat edamame from the shell, squeeze the shell to pop it open and let the beans fall into your mouth. They are pretty easy to find in the grocery store and come in the shell or already out. Edamame contains protein, healthy fats and fiber and help you feel full and satisfied for hours.

10. Dark Chocolate Chips

The smaller pieces trick your body into thinking you're getting more, which helps you eat less, and satisfies that "must have" chocolate craving.

Which ones are you going to start to incorporate into your diet?

I'm fine with all of them except #3, #4 and #8 since I'm not that crazy about ricotta cheese to begin with and you all know how I feel about peppers and seafood! :)

Enjoy!