Birthday Season

It's officially "Birthday Season" in my home.  I have 5 family birthdays to celebrate (including the Husband) in a 6 week time span. That makes for a lot of birthday shopping in a very short amount of time. It also forces me to get a little creative; four out of the five people celebrating birthdays will be at each others birthday celebration and, I want to make sure that each has their own unique gift.

Thus, I squealed with delight when while reading the most recent edition of Everyday with Rachael Ray, I came across a feature about Serenade Chocolatier. Their chocolate creations are literally works of art and one of my favorites is this beauty:

 The cakes are from their Piñata Cakes  collection and they are absolutely divine. The recipient gets a "chocolate cake" along with a mallet. They then get to use the mallet to break through the decadent chocolate shell to find that the cake is filled with a plethora of goodies. It's the perfect (and delicious) gift for the person who has everything!

Images via Seranade Chocolatier

Black Bean Quesadillas

I'm always on the quest to find vegetarian recipes that will satisfy both myself and my meat-and-potato-loving husband (neither of us are vegetarian). I believe that eating meatless several times a week for non-vegetarians has a multitude of health benefits, and when planned correctly, can save money, too! This recipe satisfies both criteria- it's a tasty recipe that is easy on the wallet.

So, is there anything that can make this recipe even better? Why yes, there is. It takes about five minutes to prep and about 10 minutes in the oven- woo hoo!

I originally found the idea recipe on Real Simple Magazine's website, but made some adjustments to it. Also, I've used both store bought salsa as well as this homemade recipe that I found via Pinterest- it's delicious both ways!

This recipe also gets better the longer the bean and corn mixture sits. I often make it the night before we're having it which lets the flavors come together overnight.

fresh avocado and salsa are my favorite ways to finish this dish

Black Bean Quesadillas

Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

1 15.5 oz can black beans, drained

1 11 oz, drained

3/4 c salsa, drained
3 tbsp. adobo sauce

1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese (Mexican Cheese blends work well, too)

8 flour tortillas    

Cooking spray (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray tortillas with cooking spray (this helps make them get slightly crunchy and crusty while cooking). 

Drain and rinse black beans. Transfer to a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Repeat with corn. Combine black beans, corn, salsa, lime juice, and cumin in a bowl. Stir gently to combine.

Place four tortillas on baking sheet and divide the cheese among them. Using a slotted spoon, top each tortilla with the bean and corn mixture; top with the remaining tortillas. 

Bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Flip halfway through cooking time to allow the tortillas to crisp up. 

Garnish with additional salsa, sour cream, chopped cilantro, or red onion. 

Note: If you'd prefer to not have a vegetarian dish, you can add in chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp- any of the above leftovers work beautifully in this dish. Also, when you buy a can of chipotles in adobo sauce it keeps in the refrigerator for a very long time. 

All I Want...

I'm a fan of Jenny Steffens Hobick. Ok, I'm a big fan. Her lifestyle trips, recipes, and home decor tips are to die for. In the past few months that I've been following her blog I've become infatuated with the idea of getting a pasta machine. She's constantly making the most amazing pasta dishes with the help of her handy dandy pasta machine. However, what really pushed me in more recent weeks to seriously consider purchasing one was this recipe from her blog. I mean, homemade pasta is always to die for, and she makes it look so easy.

Santa didn't bring me one this year, so I think I'm going to start saving my pennies.

(Image via Williams Sonoma)

What is your kitchen must have for 2012?

Bring On 2012!

I've been absent for a while. Ok, a long time. Between moving and starting a new job, things got a little crazy, ya know?

Anyways, winter is here, and so is my one of my favorite months- January! January is a month that brings new beginnings; hence my rededication to blogging (I may also be biased because it may or may not be my birthday month!).

Things have been unseasonably warm since the start of 2012, but are starting to take a turn for the cooler and I decided to cook up one of my favorite cold weather dishes (it's actually great anytime of year, though!). I like to serve it with rice and green beans, but you can serve pretty much anything with it. It's a great recipe to cook for a date night, and it also freezes well (and it's budget friendly!!).

It's adapted from one of my favorite blogs, This Week for Dinner. I've made a few changes to the recipe, so if you'd like to check out the original, click here.

Orange Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed and trimmed of any fat
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter (don't leave this out!)

Sauce:
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups orange juice
11 ounce can Mandarin Oranges, with juice
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation:
Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a zipper top plastic bag. Add cut up chicken to bag. Shake bag until chicken is thoroughly coated.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In small batches (about 8 pieces of chicken), brown chicken on each side. Remove from pan and add next batch.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for sauce. Whisk well. Add to pan with all of the chicken, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring ingredients to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Add in mandarin oranges with juices. Tip lid slightly, and cook for 15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.

Serve and enjoy.

Wild Mushroom and Pesto Pizza

Lately I've been trying to incorporate more vegetables into my diet. While I'm not a vegetarian, I've definitely felt better, slept better, and noticed my clothes fit better.
This is one of my new favorites- I'll definitely be incorporating it into my usual meal routine.

Wild Mushroom and Pesto Pizza
Adapted from this recipe
Serves: 4  Cook Time: 30 minutes

1 12" store bought pre-made pizza crust (I used Bobili thin crust)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 lb. sliced cremini mushrooms
2 ounces sliced portobello mushrooms
1 cup homemade or store bought pesto sauce
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Mince garlic. Heat olive oil in a skillet and add garlic. (Garlic burns really fast, so make sure to watch it and stir often!)

(I'm working on my kitchen photography.)

3. Add sliced cremini and portobello mushrooms to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. If you want to spice things up, you can also add 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes. Cook until mushrooms reduced down and brown lightly. 

(Your mushrooms will go from this...)

(To this...)

 4. Spread pesto on pizza. Make sure to leave a rim for the crust.

5. Using a slotted spoon, place mushrooms on top of the pesto mixture and spread evenly. 

6. Cook for 8 minutes. Then, remove pizza from oven and sprinkle on parmesan. Place in oven for 2-3 more minutes, or until cheese melts. 

7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with basil. Enjoy!

Lately...

I've been MIA from the blogging world for a few weeks now due to a cross country move. Don't worry though, I've still been cooking.

I made theses lovelies last Saturday morning, and they were a hit!

(They were easy to dress up for entertaining by using cute muffin cups)

(Delicious eggy, cheesy, goodness)

I call them Omelette Cups. Not only are they super yummy, but they're easy to make and they freeze well for a quick breakfast on the run during the week. I dubbed them Omelette Cups because not only can you more or less put any of your favorite omelette fillings in them, but you they're wrapped up in a biscuit.

Omelette Cups
Serves: 8  Cook Time: 30 minutes

1 can Pillsbury Grands Reduced Fat Biscuits
4 eggs, scrambled as you would normally scramble them
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced deli ham (or canadian bacon)
5 stalks asparagus, diced with tips removed (or you could use green onions)

1. Preheat oven according to temperature on biscuit container. Put muffin liners in a muffin tin and spray with cooking spray.

2. Scramble eggs (slightly undercook them so they're a little creamy- they will cook more in the oven). Remove them from a pan and allow them to cool slightly in a bowl while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

3. Using a rolling pin, roll out each biscuit.

4. Dice asparagus and ham. Add to the scrambled eggs. If you have not already seasoned the eggs, season with salt and pepper. Mix gently.

5. Using a spoon, place mixture into the center of each rolled out biscuits.

6. Fold up the biscuit around the egg mixture (like you would a pouch) and twist at the top. Place each biscuit into the muffin tin.

7. Bake according to biscuit package directions (My package said 17 minutes, but I cooked them for 25 so the tops of the biscuits would cook all the way through and brown up more).

Tuesday Kitchen Tip

Kitchen Tip #1

Many of my friends, especially those right out of college, get very intimidated at the thought of entertaining friends, yet alone cooking for a date. They get frazzled in the kitchen, pile up a mountain of dishes, and never end up actually getting to spend time with their loved ones.

It sounds so simple, but my number one kitchen tip is: clean up as you cook.

It's so easy to get caught up with preparing a recipe, but if you learn to change your habits, and clean up as you cook, you not only enjoy entertaining, but you'll enjoy cooking more!

So, next time you're in the kitchen, take mini breaks as you cook to rinse off dishes, pans, measuring cups, etc. that you're done with and throw them in the dishwasher.