Katie's Cucina

{Announcement} Pardon my "crumbs"...

2012-03-02T08:18:00.002-05:00

First off, happy Friday!

I wanted to inform my readers that over the next 5 days Katie's Cucina will be undergoing major changes. These are all extremely positive changes and are much overdue. The entire blog will be moving off of the blogger platform and on to our own server utilizing WordPress.org.

Here are a few exciting new features you can look forward too:

Printable recipe cards. Since blogging full time in November of 2009 this has been the number one request to come through. It will be super easy to now print out any recipe you desire via Katie's Cucina! *Be patient with me--converting 500+ recipes into this template is going to take some time. I hope to have every recipe converted to this new template by the end of March.
Better navigation/recipe index. Over the next few months I will be rebuilding my recipe index for quick and easy navigation. If your in the mood for a dessert you won't just be able to search "desserts" you will also be able to search by cake, cheesecake, cookie, cupcake, pie, etc... This, too will take me quite some time and I hope to be completed with this update by late spring.
New logo and design. Enjoy the bright green and black text now, because I am doing a complete 360 with logo and design. Words can not express how excited I am to share with you my new look and feel. I've shared it with a handful of family and friends and each person was smitten over the new logo!
Restaurant Reviews / Foodie Travels. I plan to keep up with my foodie travels segments and in addition hope to bring you more local restaurant reviews.

While my blog is being reconfigured this weekend I'll be attending the Southeast Produce Council Conference where I'll get to learn about new produce and products from local and national produce vendors. AND in just 15 short days I'll be attending Food Blog Forum Orlando! I will be doing live social media reporting during both events, and I'd love for you to follow me on Twitter and of course Facebook if you aren't doing so already.

I know I'll be a busy lady for the next few months, but I also know that it will be so incredibly worth it. I am truly bursting at the seams to share what great things are in store for Katie's Cucina.

Happy cooking!

^katie

{Restaurant Review} Timpanos Italian Chophouse

2012-03-01T23:42:00.001-05:00

(Pictured left to right: Mega Yummo, me, Tasty Chomps, Forkful.net, Droolius, and Alexia and Brielle)

In late January I was invited to dine at Timpanos Italian Chophouse with fellow bloggers. It had been at least 5+ years since the last time I had visited Timpanos, and I was excited to have the opportunity to dine their once again. There are four Timpano's location; three in Florida and one in Maryland. The best way to describe Timpanos is Pasta meets Steaks. You can have the best of both worlds at this restaurant. As stated on the website, "Timpano Italian Chophouse offers a menu that marries award winning cuisine with a combination of steaks, chops, and pastas."

We started our evenings off with two signature martini's.

Pear-Fect Martini, Grey Goose Pear, Lime Juice and pear Puree. Topped with Castello del Poggio Mascato di Asti and garnished with a pear slice. By far one of the most amazing martini's I've tried in a long time and I officially rank this in my top 3 martini's of all time list!

The Big City Cosmopolitan, Grey Goose Orange, Citrone, Cranberry Juice, and Fresh Lime.

After we received our martini's we were immediately brought fresh baked bread accompanied by a sun dried tomato oil. I could have easily made a meal out of just the bread alone!

We tried a wide variety of appetizers, of course prior to eating everyone had to photograph the food. Have you ever been to dinner with a food blogger? Try, five food bloggers, and the customers tend to think that their is a celebrity in the room--that would be the food! During our course we had the opportunity to meet Executive Chef, Patrick Quakenbush. He joined Timpanos in 2009. Growing up with an Air Force family he was exposed to exotic foods at a young age. "Chef Quak" studied Restaurant Management at Ohio State University, and soon after moved to Florida where he was a sous chef at Planet Hollywood preparing meals for over 6,000 customers daily. Chef Patrick was hospitable and eager to tell us about the food and answer all of our questions.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) Mussels, these mussels are smoked on a hot skillet with sea salt and olive oil. This is one of the most popular appetizers that Timpanos sells on a daily basis.

Deconstructed Bruchetta, Burrata Mozzarella, sliced cherry tomatoes, grilled onions, garlic, and ciabatta.

Tuscan Flat Bread, sweet Italian sausage, mozzarella, arugala, and mushrooms. My husband loved this flat bread and was so happy that the plate happened to be right infront of him. He could have had this as his meal.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, these mini cakes were served with basil and sriracha aioli.

Meatballs, a mix of veal, pork, beef and pancetta served with ciabatta croutons and marinara sauce.

After all the wonderful appetizers it was time for our main course. We had the option between, Braised Veal Rigatoni Pasta, Braised beef Short Ribs, Mixed Grill of the Day, and Crispy Chicken Breast.

Although I'm not a big meat eater, I was in the mood for meat that evening. I went with the Braised Beef Short Ribs. The beef short ribs are braised for 4 hours in cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel, and veal stock and are served with parmesan risotto and tomato fondu.

My husband went with the Mixed Grill of the Day, which consisted of a 6oz. Filet mignon served with whipped mashed potatoes and our catch of the day; corvina. The corvina was served with lemon, caper butter and green beans.

We also were brought out a wide variety of side dishes. Pictured above is the Mac & Cheese with truffles. We also had the sauteed fresh broccolini, sauteed asparagus, garlic whipped mashed potatoes, and herbed wedged potatoes.

Of course no meal is complete with out indulging on a dessert. We were brought out four massive desserts for all of us to try.

Crème brûlée, topped with fresh berries.

Homemade Tiramisu, this huge portion is definitely fit for 4 (or maybe 2 really hungry patrons just stopping by for wine and dessert). You'll find ;ayers of coffee and rum mousse in between lady fingers

and chocolate sauce.

Homemade Cheesecake, New York style served with a generous serving of black cherries.

The Homemade Chocolate Mousse Cake looks as decadent as it tastes! I can promise that. This cake is stacked with three layers of lite and dark chocolate mousse between between moist chocolate cake served with homemade oreo ice cream.

If you live in Central Florida or are visiting from out of town you must stop by Timpano's to enjoy their martini's, pastas, and steaks! Don't miss out on the daily happy hour specials located at the bar area every day from 5pm to 7pm. You can indulge on half off (select) martinis, cocktails, and wine by the glass.

Disclaimer: I was provided the meal for free; however, my words are my own.

Red Velvet Butter Cookies

2012-02-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

In honor of my husbands birthday today I'm posting a sweet treat fit for any birthday boy (or girl). My husband LOVES red velvet cake, which I think is ironic and funny at the same time because he hates just about all things chocolate. Red velvet cake is essentially chocolate cake with red food coloring. So the fact that this is his favorite negates all of his hate for chocolate.

In any event I found this amazing recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Taste and Tell. Her food photography is top notch; she really brings her food to life! When I saw these cookies I instantly wanted them and knew my husband would go bonkers for them. I'm all about from scratch baking, so the fact that I had to buy a cake mix through me off guard. I mean it has probably been 2 years since I've bought a boxed cake mix. I know I shouldn't feel guilt, but I do--I've prided myself over the past 2 years from baking from scratch. I marched to the store and purchased my first box of cake mix in years.

Unless you told someone they were eating a cookie that partly came from a boxed mix they would have no idea. This cookie is beyond easy to make and taste like little heavenly cake bite cookies. If you are a fan of red velvet I highly suggest you make these cookies. They are sure to be a hit but take note you need to have 2 hours for the cookie dough to chill before baking.

Source: Taste & Tell Blog
Prep Time: 10 minutes + 2 hours for chilling
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 24-30 cookies

Ingredients:
1 box red velvet cake mix
1 8-oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 egg
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
plastic food safety gloves

Directions:
1. Using an electric stand mixer cream together the butter and cream cheese. Once well incorporated add the egg and vanilla. Remember to scrape around the bowl removing the butter-cream cheese mixture from the sides. Slowly beat the cake mix into the butter-cream cheese mixture until well incorporated. Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Put food safety gloves on your hands and begin rolling the chilled red velvet dough into a ball (about the size of a half dollar. Take the rolled dough and place it into a bowl of confectioners' sugar--rolling until well coated. Place each cookie on an un-greased baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until no longer jiggly. Cool on a wire rack and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

2012-02-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you but when I'm sick all I want is a big bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. A few weeks ago I wasn't feeling all that great and craved just this. Luckily I had leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge and knew I could whip up a flavorful homemade chicken soup in less than a half hour!

This soup has the same flavors you achieve when simmering for hours on end--yet just for a fraction of the time. The key is slicing the carrots thin (to cook them quickly) and using all the leftover "gelatin-like" juices from the rotisserie pan in your soup for flavoring. Combining the leftover chicken juice with a box chicken stock will intensify the chicken flavor and trick your mind in thinking that the soup has been simmering for hours.

I love to whip up a quick chicken soup when I'm not feeling good. I hope you'll remember this recipe the next time you aren't feeling good and treat your self to a tasty bowl of homemade chicken soup.

Source: Katie Original
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 bowls

Ingredients:
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 box chicken stock
1/2 leftover rotisserie chicken + juices
1/2 cup thin egg noodles
1 tsp maggie seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large stock pot on high add 1/4 cup chicken stock, carrots, onions, and celery. Place a lid on top of the pot and let the vegetables sweat out for 5 minutes. Stir vegetables and add chicken juices (will most likely resemble gelatin). Stir and mix well. *You will instantly start smelling the slow cooked flavors. Reduce the heat down to medium and let the vegetables cook for 5 more minutes *add additional broth if needed. You do not want your vegetables to burn more or less boil.

2. Add chicken stock, and let the soup boil for 10 minutes. While soup is boiling begin pulling the chicken off the bone.

3. Add chicken and half of the parlsey. Mix well and then add thin egg noodles. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until noodles are done. Serve immediately and accompany with Roasted Garlic Butter and whole wheat bread.

Mexican Roast Chicken & Carrots

2012-02-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm always looking for a new way to jazz up chicken. When I saw this recipe I knew I wanted to give it a try. The garlic-chili rub for the chicken is what intrigued me. I knew this dish would be full of flavor. I served a side of couscous and pinenuts with this dish and it accompanied the meal extremely well.

This is not a spicy dish. Although there is chili powder in the dish it more or less flavors the chicken then actually makes it spicy. If you are looking for a bold week night meal and love garlic and chili powder then this chicken dish is for you.

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray, December 2011
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
4-1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
16 cloves of garlic
1 bag baby carrots, halved lengthwise
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breast

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and salt. Whisk well until incorporated.

2. In a 9 x13 inch baking pan, toss the carrots and 12 cloves garlic with 1/4 cup of lemon-chili mixture.Place the pan in a cold oven and heat to 400 degrees.

3. Meanwhile, peel and grate the remaining 4 cloves of garlic in a small bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the remaining 4 tsp of chili powder. Rub the garlic-chili paste evenly onto the chicken flush under the skin and over the skin. Let the chicken sit until the oven and pan are preheated.

4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken, skin side up, over the vegetables in the baking pan. Roast until cooked through but still juicy, about 40 minutes or until internal temperatures reaches 165 degrees. Serve immediately.

Roasted Garlic Butter

2012-02-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

I remember the first time I made homemade butter. I believe I was in pre-school and it was around Thanksgiving. My teacher, Mrs Maghinity, poured heavy cream into a well sealed Tupperware. All of my classmates and I sat in a circle in her classroom and we each took turns, one by one, "churning the butter". We shook the butter until we could not shake it any longer. I would imagine that this was a teachable moment about how the pilgrims made their feast for Thanksgiving, and at the same time a great way to waste the bountifulness of energy coming from 20+ four year olds.

Fast forward 22 years and I'm back to making butter. Thankfully, I'm not shaking the butter in a container until it's hard. Instead I roast garlic in the oven and pour heavy cream into my KitchenAid mixer. I let the mixer do the work--a labor of love for a good 15-20 minutes.

Sadly, it took us all but 4-5 days to use a cup of roasted garlic butter. I used it on bread (as pictured), I used it for eggs in the morning, in mashed potatoes, on top of chicken and steak, in a shrimp pasta dish, and on more bread. I am thankful that I can purchase one half gallon of heavy whipping cream at Costco for only $3.50 which makes making butter so much more economical for me. If you are a butter connoisseur like me and have yet to venture into butter making I highly suggest you get off the computer NOW and go make some homemade butter!

Source: Katie Original

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 tsp salt

2 bulbs garlic, roasted

Directions:

1. Before you start your butter making you'll want to roast your garlic for 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees. *Cut the top off the garlic so the garlic can breathe and so it will be easier to remove the roasted garlic. Once the garlic is finished roasting take it out to cool.

2. Using a KitchenAid mixer and a whisk attachement place 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and salt in your mixer. Start on medium speed and as it begins to thicken gradually increase the speed. *I like to place a tea towel over my mixer to reduce splashes outside of the bowl. You will want to mix on high until you have one large ball of "butter" and liquid on the bottom of the bowl. They will separate over time.

3. Once your butter has separated place the butter in a strainer and dump the water like mixture (aka buttermilk) from the bowl. Do not push the butter through the strainer. Gently move the butter ball around so that additional buttermilk releases from the butter ball.

4. Place the butterball back in the mixer and begin mixing again. You may notice over a minute or two time span that you have more buttermilk. Repeat the step from above if needed. Your butter should start "whipping" and becoming a softer consistancy. When this happens you'll want to add your two garlic bulbs of garlic. I simply squeeze the garlic out of the bulb. I know its wasteful and you won't yield as much garlic but this is what I find most easiest. Mix until well incorporated and then place your butter in a crock. Serve immediately and/or refrigerate covered for up to 5 days.

Check Your Choice - 8 Weekly Challenges

2012-02-16T10:01:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you but I love Wholly Guacamole! It's my go-to guac when I don't have time to whip up a batch of my own, and best of all everyone I always thinks that I made the guac (even when I didn't)! And I always feel good about serving it since it's better than traditional fattening dips.

Wholly Guacamole is having an 8-week challenge helping you make healthier food choices.

“Challenge,” doesn’t have to be an intimidating and ugly word. It can be empowering, inspirational and even fun! These challenges are small things you can do in your life to better your overall well-being AND you have a chance to win some really ‘guawesome!’ prizes. So put on your best booty-shakin’ playlist, do your best and have fun.

See what happens when you make a few small changes in your daily routings and see how these choices can make a big difference. Wholly Guacamole will give your one challenge per week for the next eight weeks. Weekly prizes will be given! Also find recipes, tips, fun facts and games.

Here are a few recipes to help you start out on the week 1 challenge:

(Photo & Recipe from Wholly Guacamole)

I always love substituting mayonnaise for guacamole on my turkey sandwiches.

(Photo & Recipe from Wholly Guacamole)

I want to try this soup ASAP! I had no idea I could make a chilled avocado soup using Wholly Guacamole!

(Photo & Recipe from Wholly Guacamole)

Of course who could go wrong with Grilled Chicken Fettuccine?

Make sure you head over to the Wholly Guacamole Facebook page and sign up for the challenge!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated to write this post. However, by posting this content I am in the running to win a guac prize pack for myself and one lucky blogger to be given away along with coupons.

Baked Red Velvet {Heart Shaped} Donuts

2012-02-14T08:34:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Today I'm sharing with my family and friends these amazing baked (cake) red velvet donuts that are in the shape of hearts! These are a perfect Valentine's morning breakfast treat. I mean who doesn't like cake for breakfast?

I'm well aware that all things red velvet are cliche for Valentine's Day, and the heart pan may have just brought these donuts over the top, but its all in the name of love and the holiday!

When I first spotted this recipe from Taste & Tell blog during her week of Red Velvet madness I knew I had to make these, and then as I browsed through the aisles of Target I spotted the heart shape donut pan and knew it was meant to be. I also knew my husband was not going to be happy with me bringing home another baking dish. Hence another reason why I knew I need to make red velvet flavored donuts. It's his favorite cake flavor.

I added a little red food coloring to the frosting to give it an additional Valentine's feel, but if you feel like you've already consumed enough food coloring in the cake you can omit the food coloring in the frosting. These look like donuts but taste like red velvet cake and the glaze suits for a perfect "frosting".

Source: Taste & Tell Blog
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes (each batch of donuts)
Servings: 18 Donuts

Ingredients for Cake Donuts:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp red food coloring

Directions for Cake Donuts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray. Melt the butter and chocolate in intervals in the microwave and in separate bowls.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In another bowl, mix together the sugar and egg. Add the melted butter and melted chocolate to the egg-sugar mixture. Add the vanilla, buttermilk, and red food coloring.

4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Fill the donut pan with the batter, filling each about 1/3 full if using heart pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.

Ingredients for Cake Donuts:

4 tbsp hot water

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tbsp half & half

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 drops red food coloring

Directions for Vanilla Glaze:

1. In small bowl, stir together all ingredients until sugar is completely dissolved. Use immediately to glaze the donuts; dipping the tops of each donut in the glaze. Then let the glaze harden on a wire rack. *If the glaze starts to harden you can add more hot water.

{Carrabba's} Pasta Rambo

2012-02-10T18:47:00.000-05:00

I love finding restaurant recipes, and then making them at home. This is one of my favorite pasta dishes at Carrabba's and when I spotted this recipe in the newspaper I could not be happier. Shrimp, linguine, and vegetables in a lemon butter sauce. What could be better? The lemon butter sauce is the star in this dish, and without it, well... it would be just any other pasta dish.

This is a quick entree to make your loved one and screams romance all over! Since Valentine's day is on a Tuesday this year this makes for a satisfying yet romantic dinner that will sure to wow your partner in crime. Top it with fresh parmesan and basil and you'll feel like you are dining at a restaurant!

Source: Orlando Sentinel, 1/18/2012
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Pasta Ingredients:
1lb linguine
2 tbsp olive oil
10 oz sliced white mushrooms
1lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 cup spinach leaves, stemmed, washed, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Lemon Butter Sauce Ingredients:
12 tbsp cold unsalted butter
2 tbsp yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. For lemon sauce, melt one tablespoon butter in nonreactive skillet on medium. Stir in onion and garlic and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Cook until liquid reduces to two tablespoons, 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in remaining butter one piece at a time. The butter should soften into an emulsified sauce in 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. *Sauce can be stored at room temperature for up to two hours.
2. Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.
3. Heat one tablespoon oil in skillet on medium-high. Stir in mushrooms, 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Heat remaining oil in skillet. Stir shrimp until barely opaque around edges, 1-1/2 minutes. Stir in chopped spinach, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, 1 minute. Return mushrooms to pan. Stir in lemon sauce and basil. Reduce heat to low. Stir sauce 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Drain pasta; return to pot. Stir in sauce. Serve with parmesan and fresh basil.

Oreo Truffles

2012-02-07T07:18:00.000-05:00

Skip the store bought candies this year for Valentine's day and make your own oreo truffles. Your loved one will definitely go head over heals for these truffles! These are simple to make and are probably the most decadent dessert I've had in a long while. I love that you can coat these in just about anything and place toppings on the chocolate before it hardens. My favorite is the white chocolate with a drizzle of milk chocolate on top. It gives a good balance of chocolate flavors. However, you could easily dip these in dark chocolate and top with a little additional oreo crumbs. Even if you aren't an oreo fan (like me) you will surely swoon over these little delights!

Source: My Fabulous Recipes
Prep Time: 30 minutes + 1.5 hours cooling
Cook Time: 1 minute (chocolate)
Servings: 24

Ingredients:
1 16oz package of oreo's
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 bag (each) of white chocolate and milk chocolate
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups white chocolate chips + 1 tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Place half the oreo cookies in a large food processor and puree until fine crumbs. Remove the crumbs and place in large mixing bowl. Repeat with the last half of oreos until the entire package of oreos have been made into fine crumbs.

2. In a stand mixer begin whipping cream cheese. Gradually add the oreo crumbs to the mixture. Mix well until both cream cheese all oreo crumbs are well combined. The filling will be dark in color.

3. Roll the oreo cream cheese mixture into small balls, placing on a parchment paper lined tray. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until chilled and firm.

4. In a microwave safe bowl, place 1 cup chocolate chips in bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals until liquified. *If you prefer to use white chocolate, microwave 2 cups white chocolate chips plus one tablespoon butter. Be careful do not over cook the white chocolate as it will harden quickly.

5. Once the chocolate is melted, pull out the oreo cream cheese balls and begin dipping them in the chocolate. I found the best method to be using a spoon and dunking the ball into the chocolate. Place chocolate covered oreo cream cheese mixture back on parchment paper. Repeat until all oreo cream cheese balls have been covered with chocolate. Refrigerate for one hour or until hardened.

*Store for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

2012-02-03T12:10:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I get in the mood for buffalo style chicken. The other night I was trying to think of what I could do with the remainder of my rotisserie chicken. I knew at this point it would taste best if it was shredded. That's when I remembered I had one sheet of puff pastry in the freezer. I instantly thought about making a Stromboli of sorts out of puff pastry, and then the light bulb turned on. Why not a buffalo chicken Stromboli? I knew my husband would approve of it and I could essentially take the same concept as my Buffalo Chicken Dip except make it in the form of a Stromboli. Oh, and make it heavier on the chicken and less on the dip.

Typically, I'd use a mixture of cream cheese and bleu cheese for the dip, but on this particular evening I didn't have either on hand. What I did have is my favorite soft spreading cheese around, Alouette® Soft Spreadable Cheese in Garlic and Herb.

In a large bowl I mixed all the ingredients together and placed it in the middle of the puff pastry. Wrapped it tightly, brushed it with butter and let the oven do its magic! This came out flaky and full of buffalo chicken goodness. I served carrot and celery sticks and ranch with our stromboli. You could easily make this as an appetizer or serve it as a main meal like I did!

Source: Katie Original

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 container Alouette® Soft Spreadable Cheese, Garlic & Herb

2 cups shredded chicken

2 tbsp diced celery

1/4 cup Franks Buffalo Hot Sauce

1 sheet puff pastry

1/4 stick of butter, melted

Directions:

1. Thaw 1 sheet of puff pastry according to package.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. In a large bowl mix shredded chicken, soft cheese, celery and buffalo sauce until well combined.

4. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet then lay the puff pastry on top of the parchment paper. Add filling to the middle of the of the puff pastry, then carefully fold until all edges are sealed. Seal each side; folding pastry together like a package. Using a silicone brush -- brush puff pastry top with melted butter. Take a knife and make a few 1 inch slits on the top of the puff pastry.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately with carrot and celery sticks and bleu cheese or ranch dressing.

Loaded Potato Skins

2012-01-31T09:24:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you, but I love this time of year when the Super Bowl is quickly approaching, party invites go out and menu planning begins. I love all the greasy fattening food. In my mind it's ok to indulge in these types of food for one day. Everything in moderation, right?

One of my favorite, bar style foods is the loaded potato skin. Words can not express how much I adore the potato, and then to broil it and make the skin crispy and load it with cheese, bacon, and green onions in my mind completes it! Potato skins can be a labor of love, but I've come up with a much quicker alternative. I microwave my potatoes and then throw them under the broiler. I know... gasp. This could be considered a crime in some people's book, but it's not in mine. I don't want to wait hours to indulge in a few potato skins! So in my book--you get the best of both worlds. It takes half the amount of time to cook these spuds and you still get the crispy flavors like it's been baked for an hour plus.

I also like using red potatoes which is steering away from the traditional large russet potato. Honestly, use what you have on hand. I always have red potatoes on hand, so that's what I use. If you always have russet potatoes on hand--use those. The same goes with cheese. If you have Mexican blend shredded cheese on hand and not sharp cheddar--don't go out to the store just to buy the shredded cheddar for the recipe. Adapt, adapt, adapt! Don't be scared to do so. Typically, if I have fresh bacon on hand, I will cook up some fresh bacon, and crumble it for this recipe; however, if you don't and all you have is bacon bits on hand don't be afraid to use them ( I use them). It's all about making cooking simple, and this is especially true if you are entertaining. And remember, don't be afraid to indulge in these spuds!

Source: Katie Original

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 (2 per person)

Ingredients:

4 red skin potatoes (medium-size)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar, divided

8 tsp bacon bits

4 green onions, diced

salt & pepper to taste

Sour Cream for dipping

Directions:

1. Scrub potatoes clean, pierce with a fork and ramp each individual potato in a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 5-8 minutes until tender but not soft. *Preheat oven at this time to 400.

2. Slice each potato in half. Using a spoon, carefully scrape the potato filling out of each skin. I like to keep about a half inch of potato in each skin.

3. Place your oven on broil mode. Then place each potato skin facing up on a baking sheet and broil on low for 5 minutes. Flip (potato side up), and broil on high for 1-2 minutes (do not allow them to burn and watch them very closely).

4. Remove potato skins from oven and top each skin with one tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon bacon bits, and sprinkle with green onions.

5. Broil on high for 1-2 minutes, until skins are browned and cheese has melted. Serve immediately, sprinkle salt and pepper on skins and top with sour cream.

{Giveaway Winner} OXO Good Grips Egg Beater

2012-01-29T14:59:00.002-05:00

Thank you to everyone who participated in the OXO Good Grips Egg Beater giveaway! We had 83 entries! A few facts about the OXO Good Grips Egg Beater:

Smoothly rotating gears are enclosed for protection and easy clean-up
Soft, comfortable, non-slip grips on turning knob and contoured handle
Sturdy stainless steel Beaters can be removed for cleaning or for tasting
Beaters are elevated and continue to work while device rests on bottom of bowl
Perfect for eggs, light batters, whipped cream and more
Base detaches from top and is dishwasher safe

And our winner is.... Melinda! She left a comment telling us how she loves to cook her eggs for herself and for her daughter!

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Don't worry--if you didn't win you can always go out to the store and buy an OXO Good Grips Egg Beater of your own (it retails for $19.99). Thanks again for entering and stay tuned for upcoming giveaways!

Homemade Chicken Chimichangas

2012-01-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

Are you ready to have a homemade take-out night in your home? I can guarantee if you make these you will feel like your sitting at a Mexican restaurant except the only difference is that your cooking, serving, and doing the dishes! I'm working on eating out less and making more home take-out favorites. I was in the mood for Mexican food the other weekend, and didn't want to spend $30+ for dinner. I browsed the internet and found a recipe for homemade chicken chimichangas. Chimichangas are my absolute favorite and I almost always order a one when we go out to eat.

I read the recipe--re-read the recipe and was ready to tackle this take-out favorite! I had almost all the ingredients on hand which made this dish even better. I sliced and diced the recipe to tailor my wants and needs in a chimichanga. The chimi's (that's what I call them for short) that I eat do not include rice or olives in them, so I omitted that part of the recipe. If I had olives on hand I would have most certainly topped mine with them. I can not rave enough about these chimichangas. My husband was concerned about me after the first few bites. I wouldn't stop making noises because I was so delighted on how amazing dinner turned out. Now I am even more intrigued to get a larger bigger and better deep fryer with a basket, so I can whole-heartedly fry these babies at once (instead of using multiple spatulas and panicking that the seams were going to open and the filling was going to come out). For the love of chimichangas--if you love them. Make them!

Adapted from: BlogChef
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 3

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup red enchilada sauce
1 ½ onion (diced, divided)
3 (12 inch) flour tortillas
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 can refried beans
¼ cup vegetable oilWholly Guacamole & Sour Cream for topping

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan place 2 boneless skinless chicken breast in the pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil (about 20 minutes). Once the chicken is cooked and soft remove from pan, and carefully shred.

2. In the same saucepan as you boiled the chicken, dump water and bring back to the stove top. Combine chicken broth, enchilada sauce, and diced onion. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Stir in shredded cooked chicken and mix well. Then add 1/4 cup of shredded mexican blend cheese.

3. Heat refried beans in a saucepan over low heat until they stir easily. Preheat oil in a large skillet on medium.

4. Right before you are about to assemble the chimichangas heat tortillas in a damp paper towel in the microwave for 30 seconds. Carefully remove one hot tortilla and begin spooning equal amounts of refried beans onto each tortillas followed by equal amounts of the chicken mixture, followed by shredded Mexican cheese (however much you desire). Roll up the tortillas, making sure no filling is exposed. *I found that these were super easy to roll when the tortilla was very hot--making the tortilla flexible and easy to work with!

5. Carefully place the the filled tortillas (one-by-one) in the frying pan seam side down *I used a large spatula to place them in the pan , turning once, until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately; top with guacamole and sour cream if desired.

Salt-and-Pepper Shrimp with Snow Peas

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

I was reading my digital version of Everyday Food when this recipe caught my eye. It was featured as a recipe for one, but I knew with doing a little math I could easily adapt it to make more than just one serving. The night I made this I happened to invite my neighbor over for an impromptu dinner. I was hoping that this was going to be a winning recipe. I hit it spot on. This recipe is awesome, healthy, and full of flavor. Best of all it super simple to make and only requires a few ingredients! I made the mistake of putting the snow peas and onions in at the same time as the shrimp *as suggested in the magazine. My snow-peas and onions were mush by the time my shrimp were opaque. For crisp vegetables put them in the skillet during the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of cooking! The pepper is what gives a big kick to this meal. If you don't want it as spicy don't add the full amount of black pepper.

Adapted from: Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2012
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5-8 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp five-spice powder
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp chicken broth
6 scallions (white and light-green parts only), trimmed and cut into 2-inch peices
1 lb snow peas, trimmed
1 cup basmati rice (uncooked)

Directions:
1. Cook basmati rice according to package.

2. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tsp five-spice powder. Mix well and let it sit for 5 minutes.

3. Heat a large skillet over high. Add peanut oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger, toss for 15 seconds. Add shrimp and chicken broth; toss for 2-3 minutes until opaque. Add snow peas and scallions, and toss until shrimp are pink and snow peas are still crisp. Serve immediately over white rice.

*To add more to this meal serve with a ginger salad and a spring roll!

Cavatappi and White Beans with Broccoli Pesto

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

By now, you know I love cooking vegetarian meals. I'm so lucky that my husband doesn't mind eating at least one vegetarian meal a week. Sometimes 2-3 if I catch him on a good week! I knew that this might be pushing it on the vegetarian meal level, so I set aside a chicken breast to grill. When I told my husband what we were having that evening he responded "I don't need any chicken tonight", and then I showed him the photo (because I think at times I know his eating habits better than he knows his eating habits)! Once I showed him the photo he replied... "ok I need chicken this looks too vegetarian for me!" So I cooked the main dish and he grilled his chicken breast. We both loved this dish, and of course my husband piped in and told me that this dish is best paired with a chicken breast. So, if you aren't quite ready to take as deep of a vegetarian recipe dive I suggest you serve it with a grilled chicken breast.

I have a few friends who have come to me recently for vegetarian recipes. They want to start cooking at least 1 vegetarian meal a week. One of my friends even wants to start having 3 vegetarian meals a week. My advice to her was to start off slow. Start by making one meal a week. After a few weeks then start cutting back on your meat portions. The suggested servings size of meat is a palm full. Most Americans eat 2-3 times the suggested serving amount. With a dish like this I would suggest to serve half a chicken breast; sliced so it looks like you're getting more. After all, we eat with our eyes, so illusions can help! Slowly ease yourself into eating a vegetarian meal a week if you aren't already doing so. Not only is it great for our environment, it helps your health, and your bank account!

Source: Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2012
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
4 cups, broccoli, chopped
1-1/2 cups of corkscrew pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup parsley
1 garlic clove
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook broccoli until tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to a food processor. Return water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

2. To food processor, add oil, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, parsley, and garlic. Puree until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down side as needed. Transfer pesto to pot with pasta. Stir to coat, adding enough reserved pasta water to make a creamy sauce. Stir in beans and heat over medium until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Cinnamon Raisin Stuffed French Toast

2012-01-22T10:42:00.003-05:00

In our home like many homes in the world breakfast is the most important meal to us. You can find me cooking up a storm on the weekends making a breakfast feast fit for a king! I don't make French Toast too often only because it's my husbands least favorite breakfast dish. I never make stuffed french toast and only order it when we are out at restaurants. So this was a major treat for us -- well me. I used my OXO Good Grips Egg Beater to not only whip of the cream cheese filling but also the egg mixture. Don't be scared to make such a luxurious breakfast treat! The key is to not over soak the cinnamon raisin bread, and to over stuff your french toast... which is ok, since that is what I did since I LOVE the filling so much!

Adapted From: Publix
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
8 slices of Cinnamon Raisin Bread
1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp powdered sugar + more for dusting
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp canola oil
*Maple syrup if desired

Directions:
1. In a bowl combine yogurt, honey, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Whisk until well combined and fluffy.

2. Whisk together milk, eggs, nutmeg, and vanilla; pour into large shallow dish.

3. Preheat large sauté pan on medium 2–3 minutes, then place butter and oil in pan. Quickly place 4 bread slices in egg mixture; turning quickly so that the bread is moist. Then carefully place bread in pan; cook 2–3 minutes on first side or until golden.

4. Flip bread over, and spoon 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over two (of the four) slices of cooked bread; cook 1–2 minutes or until golden. Assemble with one slice of each; remove from pan and cover to keep warm (or serve immediately). Repeat with remaining bread. Dust powder sugar on before serving. Serve with maple syrup if desired.

How to Cook Fluffy Scrambled Eggs + OXO Good Grips Egg Beater Giveaway!

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last month the wonderful people at OXO sent me an OXO Good Grips Egg Beater to try out. They also sent an extra egg beater for one lucky reader! I can not tell you how much I've fallen in love with this egg beater. We all know that my husband is addicted to eggs. He eats on average 2-3 per day! Which means I cook on average 2-3 eggs per day. Whisking day in and day out; its nice to get a little break. I've been using my OXO Good Grips Egg Beater since the day it arrived at my house last month. Watch my first ever cooking tutorial and demonstration on how easy-to-use the OXO Good Grips Egg Beater is and learn how to achieve fluffy scrambled eggs!

A few facts about the OXO Good Grips Egg Beater:

Smoothly rotating gears are enclosed for protection and easy clean-up
Soft, comfortable, non-slip grips on turning knob and contoured handle
Sturdy stainless steel Beaters can be removed for cleaning or for tasting
Beaters are elevated and continue to work while device rests on bottom of bowl
Perfect for eggs, light batters, whipped cream and more
Base detaches from top and is dishwasher safe

One lucky winner will have the chance to win an OXO Good Grips Egg Beater of their own. Please fill out the form below for a chance to enter. Giveaway ends Friday, January 27, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Sorry, giveaway open to United States residents only.
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Disclosure: I received (2) two OXO Good Grips Egg Beater from OXO in partnership with the Blogger Outreach Program. All opinions are my own and do not reflect OXO company.

{Food Photography} A Few of My Tips & Tricks

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ever since I attended Food Blog Forum last April my food photography has improved times 100! People think... what's so difficult about photographing food? Until you start taking the time to photograph your food that's when you realize how difficult food photography is. You essentially have to create a scene--a story of sorts. You have to make your photos look as good as they taste. What makes food magazines so enticing are the pictures that are found throughout.

The number one food photography tip I learned last year was...

"It's all about lighting"

After I learned more about lighting I began taking all my photo's of food outside. I played around with the times of day and found that the best time for me to photograph my food during the summer months were at 7pm and by 7:45 my lighting opportunities were quickly fading away. This time frame worked well. I would get home from work, quickly cook dinner, then photograph whatever I cooked that evening and if I had other food to photograph I would then photograph it at that time. I was eating warm meals again, and enjoying them at the dinner table with my husband. My food was no longer cold from picture taking (I know those of you who blog about recipes can relate to this)! I would make an extra serving for my photos, and if I didn't have time that night to photograph it I would pack it up in individual containers (a trick I learned from Jessica, The Novice Chef) and photograph it the next day. Then, daylight savings happened, and my lighting would vanish by 5:30pm at the latest. I struggled to get any decent photographs of my food. And then... I found this amazing photo studio kit. Well, to be honest, my good friend Christy told me about it. I added it to my Amazon Wish List, and asked for it for Christmas. I got it, and for some reason I didn't play with it right away. Maybe I was a bit intimidated by the large black bag that had all the tools I'd need to create an almost perfect photo. It wasn't until last week that I decided to pull it out and semi-set it up. *Semi - setup meant that only 1 light and one large pop-up tent was put together for my first photo shoot.

I placed my 30 x 30 pop-up light tent on my pool table top and set up one of the lights. I hauled my pieces of cut picnic table wood from the back yard into the pool room. I placed a towel in my pop-up light tent followed by my boards. I set up my scene and began snapping away. I was beyond amazed by my Christmas gift. My lighting was just as good if not better than what it is when I photograph outside! Very little photoshop work was needed, and needless to say I was so giddy at dinner about my Christmas gift that I hardly had an appetite to eat my Chickpea Curry!

Now, don't get me wrong. I still have a lot of photography skills to work on. I still have my days when I don't achieve a "picture perfect picture"; however, I feel so much more confident about my photography skills. For once I finally feel comfortable using my camera.

I like to see how other bloggers achieve photo's. As you can tell from the picture above you would never imagine it to be inside a tent with uneven boards!?!!? Thankfully, my handy husband has already trimmed, glued, and nailed the boards together, and is working on a few more table top finishes for me. Maybe I'll post about those in the coming weeks!

Here are a few other food photography tips and tricks...

Create a Scene. Tell a Story.

When you are setting up your photo try to imagine a scene you want to create. For inspiration I'll look at various food magazines to give myself better ideas of how to setup a photo. I also look to my fellow bloggers who have truly grasped the "create a scene -- tell a story" concept.

Source

If a cake has a fruit in it why not include pieces of the fruit in the photo. Without even looking at the title of the cake I know this cake has something to do with oranges.

Let's look at my Chickpea Curry photo. I propped my french oven up on a towel so that it was tilting toward the camera (I realize some of the liquid shifted because of this). Because the curry had just came off the stove top I moved it with oven mitts (hence the oven mitts near the lamp). Try to add a nice cloth napkin to the scene. We never use cloth napkins in my house, so I had to go out and buy a few cloth napkins for food photography. The one in this picture I sewed myself. It's also reversible so I can use it for various photos.

Think about what your reader's would want to see. Make the most undesirable food look desirable! Challenge yourself to that...

Here are a few of my favorite food bloggers that creating amazing stories for their readers and I want to share them with you in case you don't already look to them for inspiration:

Tartelette, The Novice Chef, Food Plus Words, Love and Olive Oil, The Little Kitchen, bell'alimento, Inspired Taste, and the list could go on for hours!

Don't be afraid to play with your food!

Make your food look pretty! If this means you need to use chopsticks or your bare hands to move around pieces of food so that they look more appealing to the eye--do so! No one will know except you and at the end of the day you are the one eating the food!

Wipe all excess liquid spots off your plate. Can you find the one tiny spot on my super white plate in the Chickpea Curry photo above? I can and it drives me crazy!

Tools you should always have on hand when food styling (via Helen Dujardin's food styling class):
-chopsticks
-Q-tips
-water spritzer
-tweezer
-paint brush
-straws

You don't need a fancy DSLR camera to achieve amazing photos.

Last year, while attending Food Blog Forum I had the opportunity to attend a private class with the amazing Helene Dujardin. I learned so much in those 3 short hours. I learned that I really needed to take the time to learn my fancy-pants camera. The camera doesn't make the picture... the person behind the lens does! Tkae time and play with your camera.

"It's self taught--you learn how to use your camera no matter what.

You can build the fundamentals with the point and shoot." -Helene Dujardin

I've been getting kind comments and emails complementing my food photography over the past few months, and I sincerely appreciate it! It helps motivate me to keep creating amazing food photos. I ultimately wanted to share about my new photography toy; Square Perfect SP500 Platinum Photo Studio, and a few tips and tricks that I've found useful over the past year. In no way am I a professional. I am constantly learning new tips and tricks daily! I hope this mini tutorial on food photography will help bring your photos to a new level like it has mine!

Lastly, Food Blog Forum is coming back to Orlando... March 17th. If your live near Central Florida or want a fun Disney/Foodie getaway I highly suggest you attend this conference. This conference is what motivated me to keep on blogging! Plus you get to meet some amazing food bloggers in real life! Oh, and TECHmunch is coming to Tampa, Florida... I plan to attend that conference as well in April!

Disclaimer: I did not receive the Square Perfect SP500 Platinum Photo Studio for free. I received it as a gift and am writing this post solely based on my own opinions.

Chickpea Curry

2012-01-16T11:30:00.000-05:00

In recent years I've become a lover of all things curry. It has taken my husband a while to warm up to this fragrant spice. I've been cooking up quite a few new vegetarian dishes to add to my recipe book, and this is one that will be a keeper! Loaded with protein and veggies--it's full of flavor and sure to warm the soul on a cold winters night.

This recipe calls for roasted cauliflower and tomatoes. You can roast them the night you make this dish or a few days prior cutting your cook and prep time in half! I had roasted the veggies a few days prior and whipped up this meal in no time during the work week. "Toasting" the curry powder for the minute the recipe calls for helps intensify the flavors. I am a salt-phene and found myself adding quite a bit of salt to my dish. This in my opinion is a low sodium dish.

*If your concerned about your carnivorous counterparts add a grilled breast of chicken to their plate. Season the chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of curry powder; cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. You could even grill shrimp on skewers and add it to this dish.

Adapted from: Everyday Food, Janu/Feb 2012
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice, cooked
2 tsp olive oil + 1 tbsp
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ginger, grated
4 tsp curry powder
2 cans Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups cauliflower, roasted
1 pint cherry tomatoes, roasted
4 cup spinach
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cauliflower and tomatoes in one tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. On a baking sheet roast cauliflower and cherry tomatoes until golden brown for about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat and add onion; stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder; stirring until fragrant about 1 minute. Add chickpeas, roasted tomatoes, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil over high. REduce heat to medium, cover, and gently simmer for 8 minutes.

3. Add cauliflower and cook until cauliflower is warmed through and chickpeas are tender about 8 minutes. Stir in spinach and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately on a bed of basmati rice and sprinkle with additional cilantro if desired.

Athenian Fish

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

We are lucky enough to eat fish at least once a week thank's to my brother in-laws addiction to spear fishing. Our freezer always has a few bags of freshly caught Florida fish, so naturally I'm always looking for new fish recipes. I tried this recipe at our local supermarket (they demo a new recipe each week), and knew that this was something we'd like. I grabbed the recipe card, and was happy to read that I had every single item on hand.

I paired this fish dish with a bed of fluffy basmati rice. It complimented the fish perfectly. The only thing I would do differently next time would be to use fresh tomatoes. I'm not sure about you, but I'm not a huge fan of eating canned tomatoes. I mean I use them almost all the time, but for the most part they are used in soups where they can break down and not taste as "preserved" as they do in this dish. I think a cup or two of fresh tomatoes would elevate this dish to a whole new level. This dish pairs perfect with the Greek Cucumber & Tomato Salad I recently blogged about!

Source: Publix Apron's
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
4 white fish fillets (snapper, mahi, tilapia)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp Greek seasoning (divided)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced Garlic
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 can quartered artichoke hearts (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
1/4 cup white wine

Directions:
1. Preheat large saute pan on medium-high. Season both sides of fish with pepper and 1/2 tsp of Greek seasoning.

2. Place olive oil in pan, then add garlic and onions, cook for one minute or until onions are slightly softened.

3. Using a spatula move the onion/garlic mixture to the sides of the pan. Add fish fillets and top with artichoke hearts, diced tomatoes, 1/2 tsp Greek seasoning, and wine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, then carefully turn fish over, cooking for another 5 minutes covered. Serve immediately.

Greek Cucumber & Tomato Salad

2012-01-09T08:03:00.001-05:00

It's a new year and a new year brings eating healthier. Everyone is always trying to eat healthier in the month of January, and then February comes and people get realistic, followed by and overwhelming amount of Valentine's day chocolates! I'm not here to pop anyone's bubble, but let's get realistic. Eating healthy around the clock is difficult. That's why I'm so excited to share this delicious and of course easy-to-make salad. Now, typically I would mince the onions in a salad like this, but since my husband is anti-raw onion I kept them on the larger side, so he could pick them out. I figured that's the least I could do for him. A few simple ingredients make up this tasty (non-lettuce style) salad. You can make a double batch at the beginning of the week and portion it out for school and work lunches. I personally could eat the whole bowl in one sitting.

Adapted From: Publix Apron's

Prep Time: 10 minutes + 15 minutes refrigeration time

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, partially peeled and quartered

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup Greek salad dressing

1/2 tsp Greek seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Partially peel cucumber, then cut in half lengthwise. Using a spoon scrape out seeds. Rinse the cucumber well and then cut each half again, making 4 cucumber sticks. Roughly chop and place in medium size bowl.

2. Rinse cherry tomatoes and then cut each tomato lengthwise, and then again, so that you have quarters. Add the tomatoes to the bowl with the cucumbers.

3. Dice a red onion and add a quarter cup to the cucumber--tomato bowl. Stir in Greek salad dressing, Greek seasoning, and salt. Mix well, and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until flavors have marinated. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Pork Roast with Tomatoes

2012-01-07T06:30:00.000-05:00

I don't cook pork often. In the past year I have tried cooking it more often for my husband... more often meaning once a month. Whether that be pork chops, a loin, or in this case a shoulder roast. I've never been a fan of pork (minus bacon) and to be a little too honest my body just can't digest it well! I saw this recipe in the December issue of Every Day Food and the picture lured me in... I was sold, and I knew my husband would love it! The aroma that filled the house was unexplainable. Even I couldn't wait to try this pork dish. Since this recipe made a lot of food and I was just cooking for my husband and I -- I invited my neighbor over for an impromptu dinner. We all loved this meal! I served it with mashed potatoes (and not pictured steamed asparagus). You could taste the smokiness from the paprika throughout the dish. I will definitely be making this again, sometime soon!

Source: Every Day Food, December 2011

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

3lbs boneless pork shoulder

salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 pints cherry tomatoes

2-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp red-wine vinegar

4 tsp smoked paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Season pork with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven (or in my case a French oven) or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add pork, fatty side down, and cook, turning each side until all sides are browned (about 10 minutes). Remove pork from the pot, drain excess fat if necessary, and add onion. Cook until fragrant about 5 minutes and then add garlic and cook until fragrant about30 seconds. Add tomatoes to the pot and season with more salt and pepper. Add broth and vinegar and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits. Return pork to pot (tomatoes and broth still in pot), sprinkle with paprika. Bring mixture to a boil over high on the stove top.

3. Once the pork has come to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven; cooking for one hour. Remove the pot from the oven, and turn the pork. Return back to the oven and cook uncovered for an additional hour (basting pork every 15 minutes). Using a meat thermometer make sure the internal temperature of the pork reaches at the very minimum 145 degrees. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. Slice pork and serve with sauce.

Chicken and Corn Soup

2012-01-04T19:47:00.000-05:00

I am a soup fanatic... I could live on soup. As a kid, I preferred to eat soup for breakfast instead of waffles! In the dog days of Florida summers you will still find me eating soup! I typically try to make at least one pot of homemade soup each week. Most of the times it's my go-to recipes that I've made for years now, and other times I'm working on a new recipe! I am always looking for new soup recipes, and even better crock pot recipes. This soup reminded me of a soup I had when I visited Austin, Texas last February. I went to a super authentic tex-mex restaurant and ordered the chicken soup. It just so happened to be sleeting in Texas while I was there and this Florida girl was freezing! I had never had an ear of corn in my soup before until that day. I must admit... it gave great flavoring to both the soup and the ear of corn, and from that point on I was hooked! This is a very basic chicken soup recipe, so if you are looking for bold flavors you may be disappointed and will definitely want to add more spices. You'll notice that this is a pretty simplistic pot of soup, but a delicious one none-the-less!

Adapted from: Rachael Ray Magazine, Oct 2011
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8 Hours
Servings: 6

Crock Pot Ingredients:
1 lb yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 whole chicken
4 cups chicken broth
4 scallions
1 medium white onion, diced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp maggie seasoning
3 ears corn, cut into 3-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Soup Topping Ingredients:
2 avocados, cubed
tbsp sour cream *for each bowl of soup
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. Place the yellow potatoes and sweet potatoes into a crock pot followed by chicken, broth, scallions, onion, and garlic. Add 4 cups water then season the pot with salt, pepper, and maggie seasoning. Tuck the corn around the chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours.

2. Transfer the chicken to a shallow bowl. Using a large slotted spoon run it through the soup pot a few times to make sure no bones have fallen into your soup! Using a fork carefully begin pulling the meat off the bone. Once you've picked all the meat off the bone discard the carcass and place the chicken back in the crock pot. Stir in a 1/4 cup of cilantro. Serve each bowl of soup with cubed avocados, dollop of sour cream, and more fresh cilantro.

Top 10 recipes of 2011!

2011-12-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

The last hours of 2011 are quickly approaching. The year would not be complete without a top 10 recipe round-up of my most viewed recipes from 2011. This year brought a mix of emotions for me. On a high note... I bought a domain name, attended 2 food blog conferences, improved my food photography, traveled quite a bit in search of some of the best food the cities had to offer, participated in my first fundraiser bake sale, and of course I did what I wanted to do in 2011 and I baked more from scratch. My food blog also turned 2! Which still shocks me that I've been able to keep up with this for 2 years now. I'm excited and welcome 2012 with open arms. Let's take a look back through 2011 at my most popular recipes!

10: {Crock Pot} Fresh Tomato Sauce with Italian Sausage

After receiving a 10 gallon bucket of tomatoes what was a girl supposed to do... make sauce! I scoured the internet for recipes and found nothing... everyone uses canned tomatoes any more... so I made this sauce the old fashion way and it was amazing!

9: Coconut-Lime Berry Cake

This cake was good for both dessert and breakfast. Full of flavors from the berries, coconut, and lime, this is sure to be a hit at your next brunch!

8: Peanut Butter Eyeball Truffles

I made a ghoulish treat for Halloween that was a "bloody" hit at our friends Halloween party!

7: A Pie For Mikey {Peanut Butter Pie}

2011 rocked the food blog world with sadness when a fellow bloggers husband suddenly passed away. Food bloggers near and far made a peanut butter pie in honor of Jennifer's husband. It just goes to show you how powerful and supportive the food blogging community really is!

6: Homemade Marshmallows

I first learned how to make marshmallows a few years back at a holiday cooking class. I decided to make these for the 4th of July and they were a huge hit!

5: Double {Chocolate Chip} Cookie Dough Ice Cream

We all know my constant love affair with cookie dough. There is simply no denying it! This ice cream was divine! Heavy on the chocolate chips *hence the name double chocolate chip! Every bite included a few of these bite size morsels!

4: Stir-Fried Chicken Paprikash

Yum... this savory dish is easy to make and taste as good as it looks! I love making this recipe on a busy week day night.

3: White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse

These mini phyllo cups are as delectable as they look! The recipe came straight from Athen's Foods and they even featured my blog during the month of April! The first time I made them my photo didn't come out the same way I pictured it, so I decided to remake the recipe the next day. I mean... who can resist this tasty sweet dessert? This was the first set of pictures that I took in 2011 that made me feel (for once) satisfied with my food photography! Oh and I made the Foodbuzz top 9 with this recipe... a big accomplishment in my book!

2: Shrimp Tacos with Peanut Asian Coleslaw

This is a Katie Original and a delicious one at that. Succulent shrimp sauteed with a homemade peanut slaw.

1: Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars

Thanks to Stumble Upon these babies have traveled around the world, and thus they should since they are AMAZING (and easy to make)! Since making them in October I've probably made them at least a half dozen times. Everyone loves them and no one can resist them!