Chicken Stuffed 'Bellas

A recipe! Hooray!

I love simple, easy-to-put-together meals. THIS recipe is one of those!

I love using portobella mushrooms as an entree, they're filling, but not overly heavy like bread or pasta - and they're just downright delicious.

If you thaw and/or cook your chicken ahead of time, this will literally come together in just a few minutes. The longest part is baking them, but even then they are done in about 10 minutes.

One shortcut I've found is this - and it may sound ridiculous, but it's what I do! When I need shredded chicken, I cook it throughly and then put it in the blender for a few rounds. By doing this, I usually have finely shredded chicken in about three seconds. Try it! It's worth it.

My super-key ingredient for this recipe is this:

I first used this when I made chicken marsala awhile back, and it ups the flavor like nobody's business when it comes to cooking with mushrooms. I had to try it in this dish and, even with just a third of a cup, it BLEW MY MIND.

((Note: I was a little afraid to cook with even cooking wine for a long time, then I learned the alcohol cooks out, much to my relief. If you're not comfortable with this, then chicken broth will work fine!))

My pictures of this are terrible quality, but don't let that deter you from trying your hand at this dish. I think you'll be pleased!

Chicken Stuffed 'Bellas
Serves 2

adapted from What'sCookingMexico

What you'll need:

2 medium-sized portobella mushrooms

1/4 cup of butter (1/2 stick butter)

4 oz cream cheese

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1/3 cup marsala cooking wine or low-sodium chicken broth

2-3 tbsp half & half

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

dash of crushed red pepper

dash of salt and pepper

Italian breadcrumbs

What you'll do:

In a large skillet, melt butter and cream cheese. Stir frequently to mix. When each are about halfway melted, add marsala wine (or chicken broth), garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed red peppers. Stir and continue to cook.

Meanwhile, rinse and clean your mushrooms by using a spoon to scoop out the insides. Remove the stems and chop into small pieces, then add to the sauce mixture as it cooks. If sauce mixture looks
"soupy," add half & half. This will make the sauce very creamy, so add a little at a time until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

Place mushrooms in a baking dish or sheet, then fill with sauce mixture. Top with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and bake for 10 minutes at 350. After 10 minutes, turn on the broiler for about 2 minutes, just enough to let the breadcrumbs start to darken and crisp.

Remove the mushrooms from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!

Coconut Chicken Tacos

As I type this, the skies are about to open up for a downpour that will supposedly last most of the night, bringing with it the inevitable cold snap that the weatherpeople have been expecting all week.

However, for the past week or so, we've been blessed with some INCREDIBLE springtime weather -- our temps have been in the 70s all week with sunshine every day. It's been a much-needed change in atmosphere.

All of this Springy weather has me craving summertime and beach food, and I've got the perfect recipe to kick off the season.

I made this as kind of a quick, thrown-together meal before church earlier this week, and I'm ridiculously pumped because it TASTES LIKE SUMMER.

This recipe originally came from Creme de la Crumb - but we ended up putting our strips on tacos...because TACOS mean SUMMER and did I mention WE ARE READY FOR IT?

So ready. Sooo so ready.

Also, we kind of (literally) shoved these in our mouths as we were walking out of the door for church, so I have zero pictures. Blogger fail #647.

Fix these with some warm tortillas and topped with sweet and sour sauce and you will be SET. We didn't even need cheese! Seriously, the flavor in these babies are LEGIT.

Summer, come on.

Coconut Chicken Tacos
Serves 2

What you'll need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp Tony's

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Dash of pepper

2 eggs

1 tbsp water

2 cups (1 small bag) coconut flakes

Corn or flour tortillas

What you'll do:

In a small bowl, combine the flour and seasonings. Set aside.

In separate bowl, combine eggs and water, then whisk until just mixed. Set aside.

In another bowl or plate, pour out coconut flakes. Having these "stations" will make prepping so much easier.

Slice chicken breasts into 1/2-inch strips. One at a time, dip in flour mixture, then egg mixture, then roll in coconut. Lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or foil, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray).

Bake chicken strips 10-15 or until done in the center. Warm some tortillas and build your taco, topping with sweet and sour sauce.

You Be Johnny & I'll Be June

I can't stop listening to Miranda Lambert's new album, "Platinum." I've basically had the whole thing on "Repeat" since Thursday.

It's just...so...good.

It's keeping me upbeat throughout this crazy weather and lack of sunshine.

You what else is good though?

A pasta dish that doesn't make you feel like you weigh 6,000 pounds WHILE it's busy being pretty delicious.

I made this weeks and weeks AND WEEKS ago, but just didn't get around to posting it. I found it in my phone today and thought HEY WHY NOT because wintery, rainy days just call for pasta sometimes AMIRIGHT?

I've only recently discovered egg noodles. WHY I've never cooked them, I'm not sure, but it probably has something to do with the fact that "egg" and "noodles" just don't sound appetizing AT ALL to me.

BUT --- one (very cold) night I just bit the bullet and tried them anyway because they are CHEAP and I didn't feel like eating frozen vegetables.

YES they are enriched and YES they are probably not the best for you --- but I figure a little enrichment can't be too terrible every now and then, right? Everything in moderation, I'd like to believe.

Have you ever had beef stroganoff? It's never really appealed to me, but I think I had it once in college and it wasn't too bad. This version is made with turkey though, as well as a few other seasonings, and it is SO MUCH BETTER. Just be sure to season it because you do NOT want this dish to be bland. And those mushrooms? They add SO MUCH. Please add mushrooms and you won't regret it :)

The SAUCE is the treat in this dish. It's easy and fast to throw together and really the need for those aforementioned enriched noodles is just a minimum. And THAT means we can feel a LEETLE better about eating said noodles and just enjoy the dish all around.

This all came together in about 30 minutes or less. Which COMPLETELY made up for the hour-long wait in traffic trip to the grocery store it took to make it happen.

Definitely something to consider for a rainy, chilly Monday. Happy Day, friends!

Turkey Stroganoff

((serves 2))

What you'll need:

1/2 lb of lean, ground turkey (I use 93/7)

1 small can of cream of mushroom soup

6-8 small mushrooms, rinsed and chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

dash of basil and oregano (or Italian seasoning)

salt and pepper, to taste

Tony's (or other cajun seasoning), to taste

1-1.5 cups of cooked egg noodles

What you'll do:

Saute' mushrooms in olive oil with garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning. Once mushrooms are fully cooked, remove and add turkey. Turn heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and cook until completely done, about 10-15 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and stir in sour cream and cream of mushroom soup. If sauce is too thick, add a little water or chicken broth until it reaches your preferred consistency (I like mine slightly soupy). Season with Tony's or other seasoning to taste, then serve hot over warm egg noodles.

Sunday Shrimp & Grits

Is anybody else completely obsessed with "Uptown Funk"?

I can't help it. I'm hooked. It's basically been the thing that's getting me through this manic Monday!

But it's all good. Because you know what ELSE I'm currently hooked on?

Shrimp and grits.

Thaaaaaaat's right.

I'm cooking again!

Actually, I cook A LOT. I've just been really boring as of late.

So whether it's the 60+ -degree weather and sunshine we had this weekend, or just that I got tired of eating chicken, SOMETHING reallllly motivated me to get a little creative in the kitchen.

Okay let's face it - it was Pinterest.

I LOVE shrimp and grits. It's one of my favorite dishes to order when we go to legit seafood restaurants down on the Coast. Nobody does shrimp and grits like the South, people.

But I've never really attempted to make it myself. I've made a version or two with a few other fun ingredients added, but guess maybe I was just afraid it wouldn't be the same? Plus, when I want shrimp and grits, I REALLY WANT SHRIMP AND GRITS -- so to get all pumped about making it and eating it -- and then have it NOT turn out? Well, that's just heartbreaking.

But yesterday was different. Oh, so different. I'd found the recipe via Pinterest on Saturday night and it was all I could think about come Sunday morning. My tastebuds couldn't take it anymore, folks.

So, after church we threw some thinks in a skillet, cooked some grits, and hoped to goodness it would taste all right. And you know what?

It was a pretty fantastic recipe.

...although I'll spare you the horror of my photography skills, because it's really hard to make shrimp and grits look pretty with an iPhone camera and bad lighting ;)

You can find the original recipe here, courtesy of Southern Living Magazine (speak to my heart!), but I put my own spin on it below. It actually calls for very practical ingredients - I had basically everything on hand already except the shrimp.

Careful, though -- this dish is super filling! It's nice and cheesy and starchy and seafood-y all at once. And it's wonderful :)

Happy Monday, friends!

Sunday Shrimp & Grits

((adapted from Southern Living Magazine))

((source))

Serves 4

What you'll need:

2 slices of turkey bacon
1 lb of medium-size shrimp (I used frozen, fully cooked, de-veined, tail-on shrimp)
1/4 cup flour (I used self-rising, and it worked fine)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (plus a little more, just in case)
garlic powder
pepper
salt
Tony's

Grits:
1 cup Quick Grits
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup shredded, mixed blend cheese (I used the "Pizza Blend")
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 slices Provolone cheese.
dash of salt
dash of pepper
dash of Tony's

What you'll do:

In a large, non-stick skillet, heat about a half tablespoon of oil to medium heat. Cook the bacon until crisp, then set the strips aside (drain on a paper towel if needed, but turkey bacon typically isn't very greasy). Do not clean the skillet.

Saute the mushrooms in the bacon drippings (if any), adding about a teaspoon more oil if needed (you can also add just a small pat of butter here). Sprinkle with pepper and garlic powder to taste. Cook until tender.

If needed, clean/defrost/de-vein/de-tail shrimp, then season with salt, pepper, and Tony's to taste. Dredge in flour, then add to skillet to cook with mushrooms.

When shrimp begin to brown, add chicken broth and season to taste. Let this mixture cook for about 5 minutes, then turn heat to low. This should be very gravy-ish, but not too liquid-y. If it gets too dry, add a little more broth until it reaches the right consistency.

Serve piping hot on top of grits.

For the grits:
Combine broth, milk, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix in the grits a little at a time, stirring with a whisk. Once everything is combined, turn heat to low and let this cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thick.

When grits are fully cooked, add in the cheese and season slightly with Tony's as you stir.

Once everything is evenly combined, spoon grits into your bowl and top with mushroom and shrimp mixture. Crumble bacon on top and enjoy!

Crawfish & Corn Bisque

My friend Tony is HOT.

He's also tall.

And Southern.

And a HUGE help in the kitchen.

You totally saw that coming.

Don't mind me. It's the end of the day and I'm kind of struggling with productivity right now because THIS is how I feel:

I don't really hate everyone. Just pants right now, I think. But really. Can we all agree that this crazy-cloudy-cold weather calls for stretchy pants and oversized shirts only?

I just re-read that sentence and WOW I sound like a slob. But Christmas is over, a new year is here, and I'm MORE THAN READY for my 75-99 -degree weather. Bring on SUMMER and sunshine!

Anyway. Back to Tony the Kitchen Boyfriend.

Was that weird? Let's just go with it.

One of the best things about this cold weather is the requirement to stay in and eat soup at night. I've made more soup over the past two months than I have all year. LOVE.

I've only made this twice this year, because crawfish is out of season and therefore $$$$$$ --- but when I DO make it, it lasts us for at least 2 meals (with seconds).

This is actually my sister's recipe - she made this years ago for an event at our church and I VIVIDLY remember one of the older men of the church telling her: "Honey, if you make this for any man, he will be yours for LIFE."

She got married in April last year. I guess it worked.

The other key ingredient in this dish? Behoooooollld the Crab Boil:

You can get this in either liquid or powder form - either works fine. I prefer the liquid but bought the powder when my grocery store was out. But be careful -- just a little bit of this stuff goes a LONNNG way. You won't be sorry! :)

And BONUS: If your crawfish is already thawed, this comes together EASILY in under 15 minutes.

I don't have a pretty picture of this dish because we always INHALE it. But trust me on this, okay? 

This dish reminds me of home. AAAAAAND it's going to knock your socks off. JUST YOU WAIT.

Jenn's Crawfish & Corn Bisque

Serves 4-6

What you'll need:

1 lb of frozen crawfish tails, thawed (or fresh, if they are in season)

1 stick of butter (I use 3/4 stick)

2 cans of cream of potato soup

2 cans creamed corn

1 pint half and half

1 tbsp of chopped onion

1 tbsp of chopped green onions

1 capful of liquid Crab Boil (or 1 tsp of powder form)

Tony's, to taste

What you'll do:

Saute' onion and green onion in butter until clear. Add crawfish tails and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add cream corn, potato soup, half and half, and crab boil, stirring after each addition. Sprinkle with Tony's, then simmer for about 20 minutes.

OMG CHICKEN!

It's ONE WEEK until Christmas and I am so crazy giddy I almost can't stand it!!!!

We are THISCLOSE to finishing our shopping -- and this is QUITE POSSIBLY the earliest we've ever been close to finishing the week before Christmas. Usually I'm still fighting crowds, knocking over displays, and elbowing feisty old ladies (<- WHOA I'M KIDDING) a few days before Christmas.

But THIS YEAR -- ohhhhhh this year --- Hubs and I were PREPARED. On Saturday we woke up and basically said "Yo Christmas - BRING IT" and spent a huge chunk of the day knocking out all of our shopping.

Let me add here that I am no longer the type of person that can go shopping on a whim. Post-it notes are my best friends and I have to have a list for EVERYTHING. So in the week leading up to our Giant Christmas Shopping Extravaganza Saturday of 2014 (or GCSES, as it shall be known from here on out), we (read: me) worked and thought and decided on a gift for each person.

THEN! On the morning OF the GCSES --- we woke up, properly caffeinated ourselves, and made a plan. A plan of which stores to hit when, according to closing times and high traffic times.

I think we bought all but maybe three gifts? Regardless, I think it's safe to deem GCSES 2014 a success!!!

What does all of this have to do with chicken? It's okay, I can hear you asking.

Honestly? Nothing. I just thought I'd find a reason to highlight that this dish is a serious "fast weeknight supper" solution.

Late last week I was perusing on Pinterest for holiday appetizer recipes for a work party, when this little gem of a recipe popped up into the mix from The Enchanted Cook blog. It's a fast, easy dinner recipe with only four ingredients - all of which I typically always have on hand, thankfully.

Baked chicken breasts with a sour cream (or mayo) and parmesan mixture, topped with italian breadcrumbs. Maaaaaayyybe not the healthiest, but we ate it alongside a ton of veggies so I'm calling it a win.

BONUS -- Hubs straight up INHALED this thing. INHALED IT.

BONUS PLUS TWO -- Last night I was prepping to make it again and WHAT??!! I bought chicken TENDERLOINS instead of chicken breasts. Good news: it works just as well (and helps with portion control!) and cooks even faster! Whoop whoop!


Ok so --- go finish your Christmas shopping, love on your families and friends, and make this for supper because YOU NOW HAVE TIME TO DO ALL OF THAT STUFF!

Hollaaaaaaaaa!!!!

OMG CHICKEN

Originally from The Enchanted Cook blog
Serves 2-4

What you'll need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut thin, or 2 large ones sliced in half)

1/4 cup of sour cream

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

4 tsp Italian breadcrumbs

What you'll do:

Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (or cover the bottom with a thin layer of butter), then lay chicken breasts flat. In a small bowl, mix sour cream and parmesan until evenly combined. Spread evenly onto tops of chicken pieces. Sprinkle on Italian breadcrumbs, then bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked in center.

Serve alongside veggies and enjoy your free evening :)

Hot 'n' Spicy Outlaw Chili

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiit's NEW RECIPE TIME!

The evening (and early-morning) temps are dropping - making it the perfect weather for this Hot & Spicy Outlaw Chili. Hubs and I tried this over the weekend and we both agreed it was a success :)

Despite my smokey photography skillzzzzzz.

But first! A backstory.

About a month or so ago, my office had a day of friendly food competition. People divided up into teams, chose a food and theme, then had half of a workday to decorate an area of the office and prep their food (the aroma was incredible). Then, everyone in the office had the chance to walk around and sample each food and vote for our favorites.


It was a delicious day, indeed.

So delicious that I had to collect a few recipes here and there, as well. This chili being one of them.

Side note: When asked about the "Outlaw" part of the name, the sweet ladies on the team simply responded: "Because it's so hot, it should be illegal!"

Please also note that they were dressed in lady cowboy hats and vests as they said this, as well.

They were just too cute.

I usually use lean ground turkey meat when I make chili (see my recipe here!), but this time I opted for lean ground beef since the original was sooooo good when I tried it at work.

There is no doubt in my mind that this was the ultimate supper to warm us up on a cold weekend night. ESPECIALLY since we topped our chili with cheese, sour cream, and FRITOS!

PLEASE tell me this brings back everyone else's memories of Frito Chili Pie as a child! This dish DEFINITELY took me back to the days of junior high where we'd walk after school to the tiny little diner across the street to get $2 Frito Chili Pies after school.

And there we'd devour them with pink lemonade until our moms could come pick us up.

...around the corner.

Because that's what all the cool kids did. AND STILL DO!***

Now go make somebody (and your tummy) happy and MAKE THIS!

Loooooooove.

Hot 'n' Spicy Outlaw Chili
courtesy of the sweet ladies' team at work :)
Feeds 4-6 hungry folks

What you'll need:

2 lbs. ground beef (I used 80% lean)                                                   

1 tbsp garlic powder                                 

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can diced Ro-tel Tomatoes

1 or 2 cans Bush’s Chili Hot Beans

1 can of red kidney beans

3 heaping T. chili powder                                           

2 heaping T. ground cumin

½ - 1 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you’re brave)     

1 tsp oregano

1 can of low-sodium beef stock

1/2 cup of water (or more, depending on your preference of consistency)

1 large onion, diced

Salt and black pepper to taste

What you'll do:

Saute onions in a small amount of oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven until they are clear and tender.  Then add ground beef, and cook until browned.  Add garlic powder and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.  Drain well and dab excess grease with a paper towel.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for ~ 2 hours. Check occasionally, and if the consistency is too clumpy, add more water 1/4 cup at a time - until you reach your preferred consistency.*

*I prefer my chili a little soupy, but not watery. So add water (or not) until your heart's desire. It's up to you!

***That tiny little diner is STILL there! Still in business and infested with tons of junior high kids every day. Memoriessssssss.....

Quick & Easy Weeknight Meal: Steak Tacos

Hola peoples!

Something WONDERFUL happened down South this weekend.

We had a nice little cool snap and it FINALLY felt like fall!

Actually, it felt like Christmas to me, but maybe that's just me.

I was pumped. A chilly start to the morning meant a FANTASTIC run on Saturday.

We originally only planned on a four-mile run, but the weather gave me so much energy that I couldn't stop and cranked out another mile. It felt FANTASTIC and I could have stayed outside all day. So serious.

All the Fall fans say HEYYYYYYYY!!!!!

We're a little more than 15 weeks out from our St. Jude race, so we're moving slowly but surely forward with our training. It really helps that we've found a nice running group for Saturday mornings - we keep each other accountable AND entertained :p

Despite some way, way, waaaaayyy too early mornings during the week, it feels like we are finally settling into a nice routine lately - and I, for one, couldn't be more thankful! I actually really look forward to getting up early on Saturdays to head out for a run, and BONUS because we're usually done with most of our errands by noon. Free day = SCORE.

Most of the week's dinners end up being quick "go-to" recipes (in hopes of being asleep before/by 9pm!), but I have been able to experiment a little here and there. One such experiment happened last week:

...and it was DELIGHTFUL.

I originally bought these Simple Truth Fajita Strips to use in a batch of stir-fry, but changed my mind one evening when I couldn't stop thinking about guacamole.

Sooooooo steak tacos it was!

I don't know if I've ever tried these fajita strips before last week, but for the next 10 or so weeks they JUST MIGHT be a staple in my fridge! Everything came together in LITERALLY about 10 minutes. If that. Our bellies were fed, our tastebuds satisfied, and we were relaxing on the couch before 7:30 that night.

We had no idea what to do with ourselves. I mean, free time? Really? Is that even a thing anymore on a weeknight?

I sprinkled only a little seasoning* with some fresh cilantro on top (A MUST), then wrapped everything in corn tortillas since they are a bit lighter, but these tacos would be just as great with whole wheat or full-fledged flour torts. And I DEFINITELY recommend making the guac alongside of this - there's just something about fresh guacamole that makes tacos taste even more incredible.

TACOS FOR LIFE.

Quick & Easy Steak Tacos

Serves 2

What you'll need:

1 package of Simple Truth Sliced Fajita Strips (fully cooked)

4 corn tortillas

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

juice of one lime

chopped cilantro, to taste

dash of cayenne pepper*

dash of onion powder*

dash of chili powder*

dash of cumin*

salt/pepper to taste

suggested toppings: mozzerella cheese, chopped tomatoes, fresh guacamole, hot sauce

What you'll do:

Heat oil on medium heat until hot, then stir in fajita strips and season with powders, peppers, and lime juice. Stir to coat, then turn heat down. Serve hot on warm tortillas with preferred toppings.

*I use these ingredients together frequently, so I keep them mixed in a small jar for easy access :)

Note: As part of our team's participation in the upcoming St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis, we're aiming to raise a few dollars for the organization as well. Every dollar that we raise will go toward helping families whose children are being treated at St. Jude Children's Hospital, so that their focus can be on getting their child well again - and not on expense. If you're interested in contributing to our little pot, check out my page and read more about it!

Amazing Coconut Shrimp

Folks - it's the WEEKEND (finally) and this party is about to get started!!!!!!

I'm ridiculously pumped to share this recipe with you - it's pretty much the perfect food to close out the summer.

 



A couple of weeks ago, I was trying to plan out our Sunday lunch and I was coming up with NOTHING. This was smack dab in the middle of my cooking rut (remember the Jello incident?), and there was not one thing that came to mind that sounded even remotely appetizing. I pretty much spent that entire Saturday night immersed in our favorite cookbooks, magazines, blogs and even Pinterest to get some sort of idea but NOPE - nothing.

I can't exactly let go of these sorts of things. When it comes to food, I MUST have a PLAN. ICANTLETGO.

Which explains why I was up until 1 a.m. reading cookbooks from cover to cover.

All I kept thinking about was how bad I wanted to go back to the beach. Because can we agree that the beach pretty much has some of the best food ever?

And the best views, obvi.



As thoughts of the beach kept creeping into my mind, my tastebuds started longing for something...seafood-y. Which led to shrimp. Which made me think of the time I ordered coconut shrimp at Margaritaville once in college.

Light bulb.

After much MUCH research (I had high standards, you see. Merher), I stumbled on the Crème de la Crumb blog ---- and her AMAZING recipe for coconut shrimp tacos.

Even better? It was an EASY 30-minute recipe from start to finish, practical ingredients, and...wait for it....BAKED.

Nope - not fried and unhealthy --- BAKED.

It's an explosion of all kinds of goodness that parties all night long on your tastebuds. Seriously -- the flavors are OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD.

And don't even get me STARTED on THE SAUCE. The sauce is just...indescribable.

It's JUST. SO. GOOD.

Probably my favorite thing that's come out of our kitchen since the beginning. And I'm not even exaggerating.

We ate it alongside some fresh homemade guacamole, lime and cilantro-seasoned black beans, and fresh corn. It was PERFECT.

In fact, we enjoyed the shrimp so much we kept forgetting we actually had tortillas to make tacos. I think we both just kind of dove in to the shrimp alone after only one taco.

But hey - whatever works AMIRIGHT?????

Just writing about this dish has me excited all over again. The results were even better than I anticipated, and I'm completely convinced it's what pulled me out of my crazy boring rut.

Your summer probably won't be complete until you make this. It takes a little bit of prep work (and only a few dishes ;) ) but it's totally worth it. Trust me on this, okay?

You'll love it. And then we can be completely obsessed with it together.

Happy obsessing!



Crispy Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Sauce

Serves 2-4

(adapted from Crème de la Crumb)

 

What you'll need:

 

Shrimp:

1 lb shrimp (fresh or frozen), peeled and de-veined with tails removed

4 eggs

4 tbsp water

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cups coconut flakes (I used a whole bag, which ended up being slightly more than 2 cups)

 

Sauce:

1 cup coconut milk

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (or more, if you prefer #iheartcilantro)

a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce

 

What you'll do:

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

 

Combine eggs and water in a small bowl and whisk until smooth and combined. In a separate bowl, mix flour, garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne. Pour coconut flakes into another bowl.

 

Line your bowls in this order: flour, eggs/water, coconut.

 

Toss shrimp in flour mixture, dredge in egg mixture, then coat with coconut flakes - in that order.

 

Line shrimp on baking sheet, then bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until shrimp are thoroughly cooked and coconut flakes start to turn a "golden brown" color.

 

While shrimp are baking, combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Place in refrigerator to chill until time to serve.

 

These shrimp taste excellent by themselves or on a taco with fresh salsa (I recommend either pineapple or mango salsa), guac, and fresh cilantro. Use the sauce as a dipping sauce, or drizzle on a taco. Either way, you can't go wrong with these babies. They're AMAZING.

 

Kudos to Tiffany from Crème de la Crumb for developing this recipe - go check out her GORGEOUS pictures, too!



Toasty Ham Sandwiches

Super Simple Supper Alert!

And it's delicious.

Trust me on this, okay?

WEDNESDAY IS ALMOST OVER GUYS!

Which means it's almost Thursday, so it's basically Friday right?

Definitely.

WEEKEND!!!!!!!!

Seriously CAN. NOT. WAIT.

....

But BACK TO THESE SANDWICHES!

And these incredible buns of glory!

NO that's not the name of my future workout video - it's what I call THESE BABIES:

The magic is in the bread -- I LOVE Kings Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. THEY are what really make the dish. Seriously - can we just take a moment to relish the mere SIGHT of these things?

If you've never tried these babies, please know that they will change your life and your expectations of bread forEVER. You just HAVE to.

One of my co-workers found the key to my heart a few weeks ago and handed me this recipe, declaring it was a huge hit with her family. I tweaked it slightly because I'm AWESOME like that and NO REGRETS. Hubs and I devoured them at suppertime and had to straight up put them in the fridge and OUT OF SIGHT before we ate them all.

Thankfully, we were able to devour them yet again at lunch the next day. If ever there was a sandwich you'd want to eat again and again, believe you me THIS IS IT.

Am I being slightly dramatic considering this is a SANDWICH? And a MINI SANDWICH at that?

Probably.

But just you wait 'enry 'iggins. Just. You. Wait.

You'll fall in love too.

Toasty Ham Sandwiches

Serves 2-4

(leftovers for 2)

Pack of 12 dinner rolls (King's Hawaiian if you're awesome)

1/2 to 3/4 stick of butter or margarine, melted

1 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (<- how DO you say that?)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1-2 tbsp poppy seeds (your preference)

1 pack of thinly sliced honey ham

1 pack of provolone cheese

Spray a baking pan or casserole dish with non-stick spray or lightly rub with a little butter/margarine. Separate rolls and line pan with the bottom portions - rolls should be close together. Layer with ham, cheese, then more ham. Top with the top layers of bread (it's okay if rolls are touching!). 

Mix remaining ingredients, then pour evenly over rolls. Back at 350 for roughly 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Dinner is done!

Fun option: Spread dijon mustard on the rolls before layering ham and cheese. YUM!

I want them IN MY BELLY.

Monday Mushroom Pizzas

I told you I started cooking again --- and here's the proof!

Invisible Internet Friends...I give you:


Portobella Mushroom Pizzas!

Although I've tweaked it a little, I can't exactly take complete credit for this one. It's actually a recipe from when I worked on THIS SHOW way back when. It was one of my favorites of that season and I make it at least once or twice a month. It's boy-approved, too, because the Hubs LOVES it.

It's so super simple to make, and what takes the longest is just cleaning out the 'bellas.

Which, let's be honest, cleaning two of them takes about two minutes, tops.

Fast supper? Coming right up.

I've used both chopped fresh tomatoes and canned diced tomatoes, depending on what I have on hand (sometimes a combination!) - and both will work fine. Occasionally I'll have leftover sauce and I'll put it over fish or chicken or whole wheat pasta the next day, and it still tastes just as good!

And BONUS POINTS because it's super healthy and tastes like delicious little drops of fungi.

Too far? Yeah, probably. But trust me on this. You'll love it.

At least I hope so.

You won't regret it!

And a little birdie once told me this is a gluten-free recipe. If you're into that sort of thing. So try it out! It'll be fun :)

Portobella Mushroom Pizzas

Serves 2

What you'll need:

2 medium-sized portobella mushrooms

2 whole tomatoes (or 1 can of low-sodium diced tomatoes)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (separate from previous)

1 tsp garlic powder (NOT salt!)

half tsp garlic powder (separate)

1 tsp onion powder (NOT salt!)

half tsp onion powder (separate)

2 tsp tomato paste (tomato sauce will work, too!)

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp part-skim mozzarella cheese

cracked red pepper, to taste

black pepper, to taste

dash of cayenne pepper

dash of oregano

dash of basil

What you'll do:

Clean the mushrooms by first twisting off the stems (set these aside), then using a spoon to gently scrape off the gills (you won't need these). Rinse thoroughly. Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a skillet on medium heat and sprinkle in garlic and onion powder. Sauté mushrooms in mixture for 2-3 minutes (longer if needed), flipping to give both sides flavor.

In a separate skillet, heat 1 tsp oil on medium heat with half a tsp of garlic and onion powder. Once heated, add diced tomatoes and stir until lightly coated in oil mixture. Let simmer, adding 1 tbsp water as tomatoes begin to cook down. NOTE: You may need an additional tbsp of water, depending on the consistency you prefer for your sauce. Add cracked red pepper, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste and stir. Turn heat to low once you've reached your preferred consistency and taste.

Meanwhile, remove mushrooms from skillet and place in a baking dish or cookie tray. Keep heat on skillet medium low. Chop the stems that you removed earlier and sauté in leftover oil in skillet. If you need to add a little more, add about half a tsp at this point.

While stems are cooking, assemble your "pizzas." Place 1-2 tbsp of sauce on the bowl side of mushrooms, then add a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. Add mushroom stems and top with a dash of oregano and basil. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Crock Pot Pulled Chicken

It's FRIDAY!!!

And I'm still only slightly in denial that it's not quite 5:00 yet ------ My brain prettttty much checked out at lunchtime.

But that's okay because GUESS WHAT YOU GUYS I'M FINALLY COOKING REAL FOOD AGAIN!!!!!!!!

...unless you don't count the Crock Pot as "cooking" - but since it DOES taking some planning and preparation, I definitely do.

This is the easiest recipe EVER. No joke. I just made this yesterday so it's perfect for the weekend when you'd rather be outside enjoying the beautiful weather rather than cooking!

It's also a HUGE HELP for the days that you know will be long and tiring - much like yesterday was for us! We didn't get home until after 8:30 last night - so the fact that supper was ready and waiting on us was a delicious RELIEF.

If you don't know me, then you must know this: I love BBQ. As in, ABSOLUTELY LOVE it.

I've never made pulled chicken or pork before now because it just seemed like a long, drawn-out process, but when Julie of PBfingers posted her easy Crock Pot method, I couldn't believe I'd never tried it before.

I used two legs and two thighs (dark meat YEAH), but you could easily sub chicken breasts if that's what you have on hand.

I let the chicken thaw out overnight, so all I had to do in the morning was put it in with two cans of chicken broth and some seasoning and turned it on Low. It only needs 8 hours to cook, but the longer it cooks, the juicer it gets, and the more it falls apart! Side note: We were gone for over 12 hours yesterday --- so that chicken was TENDER.

Once we got home, I just drained the chicken, separated it a little more, and mixed it with some fabulous BBQ sauce. Done.

Hubs and I are currently on a quest to find the best BBQ sauces around, so about once a month we'll grab a new brand to try. This month's challenger:

Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet! At this point, it's the one to beat. It's sweet, but it's got a nice kick to where it's just a little hot, but not so much so that you can't enjoy the flavor. My kind of sauce, exactly! :) You can guarantee there WILL be more in our future.

Side note: The runner up at this point is Cheerwine BBQ sauce that a friend of ours gave us a few months back. Hubs lived in North Carolina for awhile (where Cheerwine is made), so he's QUITE the fan. ((We even toasted with it at our wedding!))

((We toasted with Cheerwine, not with the BBQ sauce))

((Although that would have been delicious))

We grabbed a few slices of the Nature's Own Sandwich Rounds and made BBQ Pulled Chicken sandwiches (less calories = more room for MORE BBQ!) - and it pretty much blew my mind at how delicious it was. I even added some dijon mustard for an extra splash of flavor. YUM.


Bottom line: I HIGHLY recommend that you do this sometime in the near future. You shan't regret it - unless you're allergic to chicken or awesomeness or something.


Now let's celebrate because IT'S FRIDAY and the kitchen is my friend again!!!!!

Crock Pot Pulled Chicken

From the PBfingers blog

Serves 2-4 hungry folks

What you'll need:
Chicken - breast, thighs, legs, etc. (I used 2 thighs, 2 legs)
2 cans of low sodium chicken broth
2 cups (at least) of your favorite BBQ sauce
Seasonings of your choice (I used salt, pepper, and Tony's)


What you'll do:
Thaw chicken completely and place in a crock pot. Season to taste, then cover in chicken broth. Cook on LOW for 8-12 hours. Remove chicken (be sure to pick out the bones!) and place in serving dish. Pull apart with tongs or a fork, then cover with your favorite BBQ sauce. The more sauce, the better!

Tastes great on a warm bun with dijon mustard and a dash of hot sauce!




Question:

What are your recommendations for our BBQ sauce tasting????