Starting Simply

Almond Butter

Ingredients:

16 oz whole, unsalted Almonds

1/4 c. oil

Directions:

In a food processor, add almonds. Process on low until it is a fine grind. Continue, sporadically stopping and scraping the sides of the bowl. Slowly add the oil (I used peanut oil because it was on hand and I don't mind the mixture). Continue to process until it is a smooth as you wish. Voile! 

Use whichever oil you want

Unsalted, ingredients on the
bag include only almonds

Bottled in a Mason Jar 

Here's to a great new year!

Hello readers!

First let me start by apologizing about my lack of posts lately. I know some of you are avid readers of my blog and I really have been slacking lately with my recipes! Work and grad school have been taking up a lot of my time and I resolve to blog more frequently in the new year!

Santa was good to me this year and you, readers, will benefit from it as well! I got a beautiful new toy (aka a food processor) and have already begun experimenting with it. I have also decided, along with my boyfriend and family, to give up all packaged goods starting January 1. (We've started weening off them a few weeks ago.) To be honest this change is not for weight loss but for a healthier lifestyle overall. There are so many added chemicals and unnecessary ingredients added to packaged food and it is my resolution to become more conscious of those things. Healthy eating can be delicious and I am determined to prove it to my family and myself!

My new toy!

I invested in Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide by the editors of Martha Stewart Living. I am by no means endorsed by them but I found the guide part informative and some of the recipes definitely look good.

Great info about nutritional
food.

I am also reading The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball which is a memoir of one woman's journey from city life to farm life and it is extremely eye opening! So readers, I am busy doing my research and it will hopefully inspire some great recipes for the new year. Keep an eye for my posts and subscribe so you never miss one! I promise great recipes but healthier, with no packaged ingredients and a lot more "wholesome".

A Portuguese Delight!

Paella

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Mussels

3/4 lb. Cod

3 links Chorizo

1 lb. Shrimp

1 cup dry white wine

2 packages Goya Spanish yellow rice

1 can Peas

1 handful of Basil

Directions:

Using directions from the box, cook the Goya rice. Boil water in a saucepan to cook shrimp. Add oil to a frying pan, cook Chorizo links. Remove and drain on a paper towel. In a saucepan, add mussels and 1 cup of wine and basil. Cook until mussels open, then drain. Add more oil and fry cod in the same frying pan. Slice Chorizo into bite sized pieces. Add can of peas to the finished rice. Add Chorizo and mussels. Drain shrimp and remove tails before adding them to the rice mixture. Gently toss together. Lastly add the cod to the top. Enjoy!

Slicing Chorizo in half helps it cook
more quickly

Cook shrimp thoroughly and remove
tails after

Cooking mussels in wine adds a nice flavor

Cod is done cooking when it starts to
flake into small pieces

What a lovely mixture of flavors!

A little Austrian nostalgia

Chicken & Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Chicken breast or tenders

2 cans chicken broth

3 cups rice

2 Shallots

1/2 lb. Chanterelle mushrooms

1/2 lb. Oyster mushrooms

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup flour

Directions:

In a saucepan add 3 cups of rice with 6 cups of water. Heat on medium. Coat chicken in flour. Heat oil in a fry pan. Add chicken in 1-2 batches. (You only need to brown the chicken, it doesn't have to be cooked through just yet.) Remove chicken and drain on a paper towel. Add sliced shallots to the frying pan. Slice the mushrooms into even sized pieces and add them to the frying pan. Once the mushrooms begin to lose water, add the chicken back into the pan along with the two cans of chicken broth and 1 cup of wine. Cook until chicken is cooked thoroughly and the alcohol has burned off. Serve atop a bed of rice. 

Chanterelle & Oyster Mushrooms

Coat chicken in flour before cooking

Finished product, delicious!

Southern Sunday

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

4 Chicken Leg quarters

2 cups buttermilk

Flour

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Rosemary

Canola Oil

Directions:

Prepping the chicken: cut the quarters in half. Place in a large bowl with buttermilk, cayenne pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Take chicken from refrigerator. Coat each piece with flour. Place chicken on a baking sheet and let sit for 30 minutes for the coating to settle. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a frying pan or cast iron skillet pour 1/4 inch of canola oil. Keep on high heat and fry each piece in several batches (do not crowd in pan). Flip it once until golden brown. Place on a baking sheet. Once all of your chicken is fried, place in over for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked threw.

Buttermilk Marinade

Coat with flour

Let it sit for 30 minutes before frying

Fry for 10 minutes then bake for 20
minutes at 400 degrees

A Veggie Sensation

Ratatouille 

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant 

2 Zucchinis

2 medium onions

2 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)

5 tomatoes

1/2 cup tomato purée 

2 tsp chopped garlic 

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped basil 

1 tsp thyme 

Salt

Pepper 

Directions:

Dice onions and bell peppers. Sauté in vegetable oil. Set aside. Cut eggplant into quarters lengthwise then cut each quarter into 1/4 inch pieces. Sauté with 1 tsp garlic until tender but not brown. Slice zucchini into thin pieces. Sauté until tender. Combine onions, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini together. Add the remaining garlic. Peel tomatoes (see instructions for this step below). Slice into bite size pieces and add them to the veggies along with any juice. Once combined, add parsley, basil, and tomato purée. Lid your pan and simmer for approximately 10 more minutes or until the juices look soup-like. Serve with rice or by itself. 

Onions sauteed in vegetable oil

Peeling tomatoes isn't as hard as it sounds!

Once the sauce is soupy you know it's ready!

Peeling tomatoes:

Core your tomatoes. Place in a large bowl. Boil water and pour over tomatoes. Use a lid to trap the steam inside and this will loosen the tomatoes' skin. You'll only need to leave them for a minute or two. Use a knife to peel the skin off completely. 

Slow Cooker Sunday

Crockpot Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 cans Tomato Puree

1 Zucchini

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 lg. Onion

1 cup Green Beans

3 Potatoes (red or brown)

2 cups Long Grain Rice

4 cups Water

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Parsley Flakes

Thyme

Basil

Chili Powder

Crockpot

Medium Pot with lid

Directions:

Wash and prep veggies. Cut zucchini, onion, potatoes, & green beans into bite sized pieces. Remove breast from bone, cutting the chicken into large chunks. Place everything into a crockpot. Pour 1.5 cans of tomato puree over mixture. (I add a can or so of water as well to thin the puree.) Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, thyme, basil and chili powder to taste. (Approx. 1-2 teaspoons of each) Set Crockpot on HIGH for 4 hours. Put 2 cups of long grain rice and 4 cups of water into a medium pot. Set aside (cook this about 1/2 hour before the stew is ready) Serve the stew over 1/2 cups of rice. Yum!

You can also use tomato sauce if you
prefer, its already seasoned.

Green Beans & Bell Pepper

Veggies and Chicken

Cooking in the Crockpot

Served up hot over white rice! 

Quick & Easy Side

Quick & Easy Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

1 loaf Italian bread

Butter

Garlic powder or fresh garlic

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. (You can also use your broiler) Cut loaf of Italian bread in half and then in half long ways. Spread butter generously on each quarter. Sprinkle garlic powder to taste on each quarter or spread 1/2 a teaspoon of fresh diced garlic. Place on a cookie sheet, in the oven for approximately 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven. Cut each quarter into thirds before serving. Delicious!

Fresh Italian Bread!

Use butter & garlic generously

Nice and crispy from the oven!

Comfort Food Tonight

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

2 green zucchinis 

1 medium onion

1/2 lb. bacon

1 lb. rotini pasta

1 pint light cream

1 egg

8 oz. finely shredded cheddar cheese

paprika (to taste)

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

cooking spray

Directions:

Boil water for pasta. Dice 2 zucchinis and medium onion. Spray a large fry pan with cooking spray, add diced vegetables, cook until tender. Add paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook bacon in a frying pan. When cooked to a crisp, add bacon to the vegetables, along with some of the drippings for added flavor. When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain water and return it to the pot. Crack 1 egg into the pasta, stir briskly, and replace lid. (This will cook the egg) Add 1 pint of light cream to the pasta, then stir in vegetables and bacon. Lastly, add 8 ounces of cheese and stir thoroughly. Serve hot with my quick and easy garlic bread! Enjoy! 

Bacon frying, veggies sauteing with paprika

Rotini pasta is the best for this recipe

Great ingredients, even on a budget!

Finished product! Excellent comfort food
for a rainy night.

A Quick Monday Meal

Cod Filet

Ingredients:

Cod filet (1 lb= 2 servings)

Emeril's Original Essence

Cooking spray 

Directions:

Prepare a large fry pan with cooking spray. Heat on a medium flame. Place cod on a cutting board and cut each piece in half. Sprinkle Emeril's Original Essence on both sides of your filet. (There is a kick to it so if you are sensitive to spice, use sparingly.) Place fish in frying pan. Cook each side for a few minutes (until you can flip it without it sticking). Add a side dish of my delicious garlic and cheddar mashed potatos (coming soon!) and BAM! enjoy. 

Great seasoning for almost anything

Cod being prepared, cut in half, with seasoning

Ready to be enjoyed!

A new fall favorite!

Fall Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound Farfalle pasta

2 cans Cream of Celery soup

1 yellow or green squash

1 pepper (red, yellow, or orange)

1 qt mushrooms

1 medium onion

1 cup frozen peas

1 head of broccoli

8+ oz. milk

vegetable oil

salt

pepper

crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Chicken breast (tenders preferred)

Directions:

Dice pepper, squash, mushrooms, onion together. Trim broccoli florets. Boil water. Add pasta and broccoli. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Saute vegetables in pan using vegetable oil sparingly. Remove and place into a bowl. Add more oil and saute chicken pieces, sprinkling red pepper flakes for flavor. Remove broccoli and add to the bowl with vegetables. Remove pasta from water when al dente. Throw peas into water to defrost. Add to vegetables afterward. Once chicken is cooked thoroughly, add two cans of cream of celery and 8+ ounces of milk, stirring it until smooth. Add vegetables, stirring it thoroughly. Lastly, add pasta. Stir to ensure everything is coated by the sauce. Serve hot immediately after. 

Finished product!