Grilled Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Zucchini and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

- 1 pound zucchini
- Salt
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (**Note from Sarah: I, of course, omitted icky onion from my recipe)
- 4 oz. goat cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp. minced flat-leaf parsley
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 chicken breasts
- Herbes de Provence for sprinking

Directions:

1. Prepare a charcoal grill for a medium-hot fire, preheat a gas grill to medium-high, or preheat the oven to 375 F.

2. Shred the zucchini, sprinkle with salt, wrap in paper towels, and let stand for 15 minutes.  Squeeze the zucchini dry.  In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. of the oil over medium heat.  Add the zucchini and sauté until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes; remove from the skillet and let cool.  In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil, add the onion, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes; remove from the heat and let cool.

3. In a small bowl, beat together the goat cheese and butter until blended.  Add the egg and beat until smooth.  Mix in the zucchini, onion, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

4.  Using your fingers, loosen the skin from the chicken breasts, leaving on side attached, and force the zucchini stuffing underneath the skin of each breast.  Brush each stuffed breast with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with the herbes de Provence.

5.  Grill the chicken breasts directly over the heat, turning once, until opaque throughout and the juices no longer run pink, 15 to 20 minutes.  If using the oven, place the chicken in a roasting pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Serve at once.


This recipe comes from my favorite new cookbook -- check it out!  I promise you'll love it like I do!  (Ooooh, and Amazon is selling it for half of what I paid for my copy -- now you DEFINITELY have to get it!!)  Enjoy! 

Keta Salmon with Spice Rub

Ingredients:

- 1 package Orca Bay Salmon Fillets (fish must be thawed)

For rub mixture:

- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. paprika
- 2 tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- ground coriander, pinch
- ground cumin, pinch
- cayenne pepper, dash

Directions:
- Heat olive oil and coat a non-stick pan over medium high heat.
- Season the fillets with rub mixture and place them in the pre-heated pan. Sear each side for 1-2 minutes.  Transfer fish to an oven-safe dish and place in a 350 F oven for an additional 3-4 minutes or until salmon just flakes with a fork.  Serve immediately.


NOTE: I got this recipe from the back of an Orca Bay Wild-Caught Keta Salmon Fillet package.

Parmesan Popcorn

Ingredients:

- Air-popped popcorn
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. parsley flakes

Directions:

- Pop popcorn according to package directions
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter.  When melted, add parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and parsley flakes.
- Pour butter mixture onto popcorn


Note from Sarah: Beware!  This popcorn is VERY addicting!  (I'm stealing another handful right now as I type!)


I got this recipe from this book:

Easy Chicken & Biscuits

Ingredients:

- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 package (10 oz) frozen peas and carrots
- 1 package (7 1/2 oz) refrigerated biscuits

Directions:

1. Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces.  Place in Crock Pot slow cooker.  Pour soup over chicken.  Cover; cook on LOW 4 hours or until chicken is tender and no longer pink in center.

2. Stir in frozen vegetables.  Cover and cook 30 minutes longer until vegetables are heated through.

3. Bake biscuits according to package directions.  Spoon chicken and vegetable mixture over biscuits and serve.


From one of my favorite cookbooks: 

Tomato-Apple-Curry Soup

This is one of my favorite recipes that I got while in France.  I'm translating here, so my recipe might be a little approximative.

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
- 1 can of peeled tomatoes
- 2 onions
- 2 apples (gala)
- 1 litre of water
- 2 cubes of chicken bouillon
- 20 g butter
- 1 can of coconut milk
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Core and cut the apples and onion

2. In a pot, melt the butter.  Add onions and apples. Cook five minutes or until soft.

3.  Add the tomatoes, curry powder, water, chicken bouillon, and coconut milk.  Bring to boil.

4.  When boiling, stir well.  Reduce heat and simmer (without covering) for 20 minutes.  In a food processor or blender, blend for 30 seconds.  Add salt and/or pepper to taste.


This item is on my Christmas list!!

Fettuccine Alfredo (sans cream cheese)

If you've ever wanted a cream cheese-free option for Fettuccine Alfredo, here it is!

Ingredients:

- 8 oz dried fettuccine
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Grated or finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan melt butter.  Add cream, salt, and pepper.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Boil gently, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Drain pasta.  Add pasta to hot sauce.  Toss to combine.  Transfer to warm serving dish.  Serve immediately.  If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.  [Note from Sarah: I added parsley to the top of my fettuccine. Yum!]


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This recipe is from my favorite go-to cookbook:

Mulligatawny Soup

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Total cooking time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

- 500g (1 lb) chicken thigh fillets, excess fat removed
- 2 tbsp. plain flour
- 1 tbsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 30 g (1 oz) butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
- 1 liter chicken stock
- 6 whole cloves, tied in muslin
- 1/3 cup basmati rice
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 cup half-and-half

Directions:

1. Coat the chicken in the combined plain flour, curry powder, and turmeric.  Heat half the butter in a large pan and cook the chicken over medium heat 3-4 minutes, or until lightly browned; turn frequently.  Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

2. Add the remaining butter to the pan, then add the onion, apple, and remaining flour mixture and cook for 3 minutes, or until soft.  Return the chicken to the pan along with the stock and cloves.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for one hour.  Add the rice during the last 15 minutes and cook until it is tender.  [Note from Sarah: At this point, I switched from a frying pan to a larger pot.]

3.  Remove the chicken; allow to cool slightly and chop finely.  Remove the cloves and skim any oil from the surface.  Return the chicken to the pan.  Reheat gently, stir in lemon juice and cream, but do not allow the soup to boil.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  [Note from Sarah: I added a dash of cinnamon just before serving.]

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I got this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, found here: SOUPS AND BREADS
It's an obscure cookbook from the sales rack, but one of my absolute favorites..

Pina Colada: Summer's Favorite Treat

Ingredients:

- 1 banana
- 1 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1 can of evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup of coconut rum
- a few ice cubes


Directions:

- Put all ingredients in a blender
- Blend until mixed very well


I found this recipe (and altered it) from a copy of one of my favorite cookbooks, found here: 

Dessert Experimentation

I experimented with a dessert possibility last night, and I was very happy with how it turned out. Here's what I did, and what I would change.

Ingredients:

- 3-4 bricks of melting chocolate bars

- 1 can sweetened condensed milk

- 3 or 4 graham crackers

- caramel sauce

Directions:

1. In a double-boiler, melt chocolate bars and condensed milk together until smooth

2. In a greased 8 x 8 glass pan, break graham crackers into smallish pieces (don't crush); sprinkle about half of the graham cracker pieces onto the bottom of the plate

3. Pour about half of the chocolate mixtures onto the graham crackers

4. Sprinkle the other half of the graham crackers onto the chocolate mixture

5. Dribble about 2-3 tbsp of caramel sauce over the mixture

6. Pour the rest of the chocolate mixture into the pan

7. Top with melted caramel sauce

8. Freeze for 2-3 hours.

To vary this recipe, substitute caramel sauce for crushed peppermint candies or marshmallows. You could pretty much throw in whatever you'd like, I'm sure. :)

Pineapple Soufflé

I made this recipe this past Tuesday for a BBQ. It was, admittedly, a bit out of place with all the chips, hamburger fixins, and pop, but it was still pretty good. It could have almost passed as a dessert, it was so sweet. The best part was how easy it was to make. I was almost scared off by the "soufflé" part, but it isn't your typical, puffed soufflé. I'm glad I tried it!

Ingredients:

- 2 cans pineapple chunks

- 5 tbsp. flour

- 1 /2 cup sugar

- 1 stick of butter

- 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

- 1 1/2 cup crushed buttery crackers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Drain pineapple and pour chunks into a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray

3. Heat pineapple juice, flour, and sugar in microwave until thickened (about one minute)

4. Pour over pineapple

5. Sprinkle cheese on top

6. Put crackers on top of cheese

7. Pour melted butter over crackers

8. Bake for 30 minutes

Serves 6-8

Taken from Cooking with Grace: A Cookbook from Point of Grace, with Julie Adkison

Quick and Easy Appetizer

Tonight I made something ridiculously easy (and, admittedly, not very good for me). It would be an excellent idea if you had people over and needed a quick appetizer.

- 1 frozen thin-crust pizza

- 1 bottle of home-style marinara sauce

- 2 tsp parsley

- 2 tsp oregano

Bake the pizza as directed on the box.

For the sauce, heat the marinara sauce until warm. Add parsley and oregano.

Crock Pot Desserts

I never thought of making dessert in a Crock Pot before tonight, but I saw this recipe in my Crock Pot Five Ingredients or Less cookbook, and thought I'd give it a try. I brought this to my small group tonight. The result: they loved it! And so I am passing it along to you. Enjoy!

Easy Chocolate Pudding Cake

Ingredients:

- 1 package (6-serving) instant chocolate pudding and pie filling mix

- 3 cups milk

- 1 package (18 1/4 oz) chocolate fudge cake mix plus ingredients to prepare mix

- Whipped cream topping or ice cream (optional)

- Crushed peppermint candies (optional)

Directions:

1. Spray 4-quart Crock Pot slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place pudding mix in Crock Pot slow cooker. Whisk in milk.

2. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Carefully pour cake mix into Crock Pot sow cooker. Do not stir. Cover; cook on High 1 1/2 hours or until cake is set [Note from Sarah: I set mine for 1 1/2 hrs, and wished that I had had another additional 20-30 minutes or so before serving]. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream and crushed peppermint candies, if desired.

OR, the Alternative recipe: Tonight I didn't have any of the ingredients for the chocolate cake. I'll admit, too, that I'm not a huge chocolate fan. This recipe sounds a bit too rich for my tastes. So tonight I made the same recipe, but I substituted the chocolate pudding for vanilla, substituted the chocolate cake mix for spiced cake mix, and substituted crushed peppermints for gingersnaps. The result: amazing. It was a big hit.

If you try this recipe using different ingredients like I did, will you post a comment about what you used and how it turned out? I'd be curious to know how everyone else has tried this recipe.

The Joys of Crock Pots: Pot Roast Alternatives

Let me be frank for a moment: if you don't have a Crock Pot yet, GO GET ONE!! Seriously, a Crock Pot dinner practically makes itself! You just put the ingredients in, and wait. It's really easy. So go buy one now (my recipes will still be here when you get back). Costco has a nice stainless steel one for a reasonable price (and, if you're a member, there is usually a coupon in their monthly coupon book):

Phew. I'm glad I got that out of the way. I have two alternative recipes if you'd like to try something different than your average pot roast.

Ranch Pork Roast

Thanks to my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook for this recipe!

Ingredients:

- 1 2 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast

- 1 pound new red-skinned potatoes, halved

- 1 10.75-oz can condensed cream of chicken soup

- 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened and cut up

- 1 0.4-oz envelope ranch dry salad dressing mix

Directions:

1. Trim fat from meat. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat skilled over medium heat. In hot skillet brown meat on all sides. Remove from heat.

2. Place potatoes in 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker. Place meat on potatoes. In a bowl, whisk together soup, cream cheese, and dressing mix. Spoon over meat and potatoes in cooker.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on a high setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours. [Note from Sarah: I cooked mine on low for 9 1/2 hours, and I thought it was almost too much. Next time, I'll lower it to 8 - 8 1/2 hours.]

Tip: I like to serve this with either steamed carrots or a side salad with vinaigrette, avoiding a creamy salad dressing that might make for too rich of a dinner.

Cranberry-Onion Pork Roast

This recipe comes from my Pillsbury Fast Slow Cooker Cookbook, found here on Amazon: 

Ingredients:

- 2 1/2 to 3-lb boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed of fat

- 1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce

- 1 package (1 oz) onion soup mix

Directions:

1. In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, place roast. In small bowl, mix cranberry sauce and soup mix; spread over roast.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting for 8-9 hours or until pork is tender.

3. Remove pork and cut into slices; serve with sauce.

Tip: Try serving this roast with a green vegetable and mashed potatoes.

Two Quick and Easy Chicken Recipes

Cranberry Chicken

This recipe is stolen from my former roommate, Berina.

Ingredients:

- 1 can of cranberry sauce (I like the jellied kind, but you can use the whole cranberry kind if you prefer)

- 1/2 bottle of Catalina dressing

- 1 package of dry onion soup mix

- 4 or 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

- In a pan, brown chicken (I've included directions for this after both recipes)

- In a medium bowl, mix the cranberry sauce, Catalina dressing, and onion soup mix (it looks and smells funny, but don't worry; it will taste amazing later

- Cover the browned chicken with the sauce mix

- Cover the chicken with aluminium foil

- Bake for an hour

Tips: I like to serve this with brown rice, a green vegetable, and a glass of chilled white wine.

Mango Salsa Chicken

This is my best friend's favorite! And it's one of my mom's recipes.

Ingredients:

- 4 or 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

- 2 cups (approximately) of mango-peach salsa from Costco

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

- In a pan, brown chicken on both sides

- Cover browned chicken with the salsa

- Cover and bake for an hour

Tips: I like to serve this with white rice and a side salad with vinaigrette.

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Directions for browning chicken

If you are new to cooking, you might not know what "browning" chicken is, so here are my directions:

- In a good-sized pan, heat about 1-2 tbsp of cooking oil over medium heat

- When the pan is hot, place thawed (not frozen) chicken in the pan (Be careful: the oil sometimes spits back at you)

- I like to have a small glass of water handy, and put about 2 tbsp in at a time. This keeps the chicken from burning on the bottom

- When one side of the chicken turns a whiteish-light brown, use utensils to flip it over and brown the other side

- The chicken doesn't have to be cooked all the way through; the oven will take care of that for you

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Hope you enjoy these two quick and easy chicken recipes! And stay tuned for new recipes to come!

And so it begins: The inaugural cooking blog entry!

Hi folks!

The crowd has spoken: I have made an "official" cooking blog to share the recipes I steal from other sources and claim as my own. (To be fair, I'll be citing each of my sources as I go. That way, you can search for the fabulous cookbooks that I use for other recipes I may not have listed here.)

I thought it would be appropriate to begin this blog by mentioning what has brought me here. To be honest, I never thought of myself as a cook. My mother is an exceptional cook that never needs a recipe for anything, so I let her do all the work. Add in a few years of college and grad school, and I had no time to learn about cooking. Frozen meal? Check. Chicken helper? Check. That was the extent of my cooking. Let me tell you, folks, that's no way to live -- and certainly no way to eat, especially if you are cooking for more than just yourself.

Hence the introduction of my blog.

On this site, I'll be posting dinner recipes that I like, basically. As my best friend/roommate can attest to, I don't often cook the same meal twice, or in the same way. Unlike my mother, I NEED a recipe in order to produce something. But I'm not afraid to embellish the recipe a bit. I am, as some of you know, still a picky eater in many ways. I despise onions, so if a recipe calls for onions, I'll definitely omit them. And guess what? It still tastes amazing.

I have already had requests for quick and easy recipes, so I'll definitely make that my focus here. The bottom line here: if I can do it, so can you. I've really only been cooking for the past two years or so, but I have learned in that time that I love it. I hope you do, too. And that is why I am sharing these recipes...