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.

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 :)

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.

Bun-less Black Bean Burgers

On with the healthy eating!

We're less than TWO WEEKS out from this big she-bang, so I'm doing everything I can to make sure I'm eating as healthy as possible so I can thoroughly enjoy all of the fabulous East Coast food that awaits us on vacation.

WEEE OOOHH!!!!

---> By the way, where in the WORLD did the past 8 months go? Does ANYBODY remember Spring at all? Beginning of summer? Last Christmas? It's all a blur. Anybody? Anybody?

Onward!

On Friday I wanted something a little...different. I'd spent all week consuming many variations of delicious salads, as well as this fantastic veggie-filled lasagna, yet I was just ready for something a little more..."burger" -like.

Okay let's face it. I want a Mugshots burger. And I want it BAD.

However, giant chunks of delicious meat with thick, warm bread was not in the cards for me on that lovely Friday, but that's okay! Because THIS recipe was a surprisingly okay, VERY surprisingly great substitution!

But let me warn you, if you're seriously craving meat, you might want to go to Mugshots. But if you just want a burger, I'm confident that this will suit your fancy just fine:

Yummmm.

They're not that pretty -- but they taste GOOOOD. I want another one of these SO BAD.


They just might be on the rotation for this week! And might I mention that The Fiance' was thoroughly impressed by the tasty-ness of such a burger with no meat?

It's much, much lighter than ground beef -- and there's no worries of dripping grease! -- plus it's got a great flavor going on. It's a fast recipe, too :) Great for weeknight dinners alongside a nice sweet potato that has been cooking in the crock pot all day. Be still my rumbling stomach.

This recipe made about 6 burgers; 1.5 of which were leftover for lunch the next day...until I got hungry again right before bed. Then there was only half of a burger left. Whomp whomp whommmp.

And also? They taste GREAT (better, even?) WITHOUT the buns. Hellooooo carb cutting!

So these are basically guilt-free.

Actually, I believe they are. Yes, let's go with that. Allll sorts of good stuff in here! :)

Bun-less Black Bean Burgers with Corn

Makes 6 patties

What You'll Need:

1 can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp tomato sauce

1 egg

4-5 tbsp Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp hot sauce

dash of Tony's

1/4 - 1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen works best) - depending on taste

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

What You'll Do:
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, pour in your beans and mash with a fork until it has a smooth texture. Add in your garlic, tomato sauce, Tony's, cumin, and chili powder and stir until combined. Next, add in your egg and then the breadcrumbs, one tablespoon at a time, and stirring after each addition. Pour in your corn and hot sauce, then stir until it's evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

By now, your mixture should be thick enough to roll into burger patties (it will be messy!). If not, add in another tablespoon of breadcrumbs and stir. Pat mixture into 2- to 3-inch patties.

Bring 1 tablespoon of olive oil to medium-high heat in a skillet and place patties in the skillet. Pan fry patties for about 3 minutes on each side, then again for an extra minute.

Serve warm alongside veggies.

Turkey and White Bean Chili

I'm a hard core lover of veggies.

But sometimes, a girl needs meat. Warm, meaty goodness - minus the grease.

Solution? Skillet turkey chili, my friends! Turkey chili!

While I realize chili tends to be a cold weather food, I love making this dish at any given time of the year. It's that good - and to be so meaty, it's actually lighter than your average chili.

I use ground turkey instead of beef because it's much less grease, and with this dish it gives it more flavor. Pair it with a nice salad or some veggies and you've got yourself a nice meal that leaves you feeling REALLY good about yourself!




I had steamed corn and toasted bread alongside mine when I made this last week, and it was purely delish. I love this stuff. HINT: If your corn "accidentally" mixes with your chili, it tastes really, really good!!!!



What a great kickoff to fall :)

Turkey & White Bean Chili
Serves 2

What you'll need:

~ 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

small handful of chopped onion (or onion powder, if you're not into onion)

~ half a tsp of garlic powderHalf a pound of ground turkey (93/7 works great!)1 can of white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained1 can of diced tomatoes (italian seasoning)~ 1 tsp of italian seasoning1/2 cup of water

sprinkle of pepper

dash of salt

worcestershire steak sauce, to tasteoptional: hot sauce

Directions:

In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat, then add onions (or onion powder) and garlic powder and saute for about 2 minutes. Add turkey meat and cook until brown, crumbling with your spoon or spatula and adding worcestershire sauce as it cooks. Once meat is completely cooked through, add your beans (rinsed and drained) and diced tomatoes (with juice!). Add water and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

If you want, add your hot sauce, pepper and salt as everything starts to simmer and combine. Stir to ensure that everything is mixed and evenly combined and serve warm. Goes great with toasted bread and veggies.

Total time: About 15 minutes

Chopped Taco Salad

WOWZA! It's Thursday folks! Al...most...there....

BRING ON FRIDAY!

44 days. That's all I can say.

Well, that and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA{gasp}AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Deep breaths, deep breaths.


I'm at the SO-EXCITED-YET-SO-ANXIOUS phase. So excited about everything, yet scared to death it won't come together on time.

But it's okay! I hear this is normal?

Right?

Anyone?

I'll take it!

You know what calms me down? Food. Good food. Good food and good FOR you food.

I've been on a crazy Mexican food kick - which I might have mentioned in a previous post. A couple of weeks ago I was at work, pining away for tacos and quesadillas and burritos when BOOM. I get a text from a dear friend inviting me to eat Mexican a few days later. Joy. Pure joy.

I like to think things like that are God's way of just saying HEY -- but maybe that's just me.

Ever since then, that's all I've wanted to eat. Hence the two rounds of THESE TACOS and the abundance of chips, salsa and tortilla chips in my kitchen.

Monday night, however, I needed vegetables. I needed them BAD. And I didn't want them cooked, either. Cold, raw veggies that would cool us off inside and out during the humidity that hit The City this week.

I couldn't eat another plain salad though. I couldn't. I love salad, but after the gym that night -- I needed more.

MORE I TELL YOU! MORE!

As in Mexican.

Do you see where I'm going?

Boom. Yes - taco salad - with alllll the fixings.

I promise there are vegetables under there. LOTS of vegetables...Somewhere.

Proof! Here's a not-so-great picture -- without all of the toppings...if that's your thing (still delish):

Romaine lettuce, fresh corn, lean turkey meat, carrots, black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream and lime juice = party in my tummy.

It was a good night that night.

As were the next three days/nights that I continued to make this.

Because of all of the veggies in this dish, it was still actually pretty healthy despite the sour cream and chips on top. But all in moderation, folks :)

I didn't measure anything in this dish, mainly because it's a salad and I always eyeball it (I've never once measured lettuce or tomato --- why start now?) - so the recipe below is simply a guesstimate. Chop and add to your heart's desire -- whatever you love on your salad!

I like to think of this as summer comfort food. Those days where you've just come from the gym and really DON'T care to work in an oven or over a stove? This is great.

Plus, BECAUSE it's so healthy --- ALL THE MORE REASON FOR DESSERT!!!

Baby cupcakes YEAH!!!!!


Anyway...make this. Salsa + sour cream = mouth watering good. I don't even know anymore.

Plus it's a really good way to prep for the scandal that shall be posted tomorrow...MWAH HA HA!


Note: This recipe is similar to THIS POST featuring Chicken Fiesta Salad. If you're not crazy about lean turkey or beef, I'd suggest the chicken! :)

Chopped Taco Salad
Serves 1-2

4 leaves Romaine lettuce

1/2 Roma tomato, sliced

1/2 pack of lean ground turkey meat (So sorry! I didn't note the ounces!)

1 can of low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

1-2 ears of fresh corn (your preference - canned corn would work too, rinsed and drained)

1 tsp sour cream

1 lime, cut in half

Sprinkle of shredded carrots

Sprinkle of shredded fiesta cheese

Salsa, to taste

Chips, to taste

Steak sauce

Salt, Pepper, and Red pepper to taste

Chipolte Ranch dressing, to taste (I only used about a tsp - you don't need a lot of this)

Small pat of butter

Wash and dry your lettuce, then chop until it's in small pieces. Place in a bowl along with tomato slices, black beans and carrots (and corn, if using canned).

If using fresh corn, let it cook in skillet with a small pat of butter until done. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Once semi-cooled, add to salad bowl.

In another skillet, brown your lean turkey meat and season with a tad of salt, pepper and red pepper. Add a few dashes of steak sauce and crumble meat into small bits as it finishes cooking. Add half a squeeze of lime juice and let it cool.

Add your meat to the salad mixture, then top with shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream, then add one more squeeze of lime juice to top it off. Crumble chips on top, give it a nice stir, then enjoy.

Oh my, my, my....

My, oh my, people - we are getting close!

54 days if I'm not mistaken -- it's getting real. It's also feeling pretty surreal now that things are finally thankfully coming together! :D

I made a very short trip home on Thursday night so my mom and I could go to my last dress fitting before the wedding. Thankfully - after much fear, tears, and anxiety -  IT FIT and we brought that baby home! Afterward we celebrated at La Madeline (one of my favorites EVER!), talked about wedding music (which somehow made both of us cry), and picked up the INVITATIONS!!!!!! EEEK! :D

Saturday night was spent addressing invitations and sending out massive amounts of texts to gather addresses I forgot I DIDN'T already have.

This is what my dining room table looks like at the moment. Oops. Haha.

The cake topper came in -- and I can't wait to post a picture after the wedding --- and we have our engagement shots in just under two weeks -- which means I have a lot of running (literally) to do between now and then!

And on top of that - my awesome sister just got engaged last week! So the awesomeness is starting all over again - and it's going to be great. We're going dress shopping for HER wedding dress on Saturday, and I'm crazy excited.

But enough wedding talk! Let's talk about food - THAT'S a lot of fun.

Even more fun? Actually EATING the food I'm about to show you. Get ready. It basically rocks.

Ole'!

Because THAT seems wildly appropriate for tacos.

Summer = Tacos to me. Chicken tacos, beef tacos - I love it. I've been on a major Mexican food kick lately, and these fit the bill. So much that I made them twice in one week.

Yep, that happened. Only I didn't get pictures of the first round. They disappeared rather quickly.

That kind of happens when boys start eating with you.

NO COMPLAINTS HERE! :)

Originally I came across this recipe via on Pinterest, but I wanted to tweak it to make it my own. The meaty filling has a great flavor due to a mixture of lean beef, refried beans, tomato sauce, and steak sauce. We made 12 tacos and used only a pound of beef and half a can of beans, which came in handy when we decided to make them again!

Toppings are completely up to you - I would definitely recommend sour cream and guacamole!!! For some reason there's a shortage of "good" avocados in my area, so alas, we had to skimp on the guac. Surprisingly, though, the flavor was so great that we really didn't miss it!!!!

We topped ours with sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, lettuce and a nice blend of cheeses, then served it alongside fresh corn. Delish.

These really didn't take a long time at all to make - from start to finish it MIGHT have taken 15 minutes. I'd highly recommend for a busy weeknight supper.

Hope you enjoy these!

Pinterest Tacos
Serves 2-4

1 lb very lean beef (I used 93/7)

1/2 can of refried beans

1 -8oz can of tomato sauce

1 tbsp of steak sauce (more or less, to taste)

1 package of taco seasoning

1-2 squeezes of lime juice

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of Tony's

Dash of Mrs. Dash's chipotle seasoning

Shredded cheese of your choice, to taste

12 hard taco shells (flat bottom works great)

Toppings of your choice: sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, corn, hot sauce, etc.

Preheat oven to 400. Brown your beef until completely cooked, then add taco seasoning and steak sauce. Let the flavors soak in, then add beans and tomato sauce. Stir until completely combined, then add lime juice and other seasonings and stir.

Spoon beef into taco shells, then sprinkle cheese on top to taste. Place in a baking pan (I used a rectangle cake pan) and bake oven for about 5-8 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Remove from oven and let it cool slightly before adding toppings.

Jesse & The Rippers & A New Recipe

It's been an interesting week. Tres intéressant. And I'm slightly exhausted.

I mean, caring for a Royal Baby can be exhausting.

From the labor, to the waiting...to the waiting...to the press announcement at the hospital, then the OFFICIAL placement on the golden easel, then the Town Crier.

Oh the Town Crier.

And then there was that moment on the steps, when they waved and chatted and laughed and looked fabulous. Then hopped in the car and drove away.

Whew. What a week.

;)

Anyway, aside from All Things Royal (which I love. So much. So very, very much), in all actuality it's been a bit of a tiring month week.

Is this real life? I need sleep.

However, I'm about to show you something that I'm pretty sure is going to make your day. It definitely made mine - and it's only 10am!

I'm talking about Jesse and the Rippers, everybody. JESSE AND THE STINKIN RIPPERS. On that show with that guy that used to be on that show that airs LIVE from New York every Saturday night.

Whaaaaat?

JESSE AND THE RIPPERS. Full House anyone?

Shoo doo be doo DAH DAH DAH!

Jesse and the Rippers recently reunited on Jimmy Fallon. Please watch this. It gives me almost as much joy as the Royal Baby.



JESSE AND THE RIPPERS ON JIMMY FALLON



By the way. Holmes in the white polo? That would totally be me.

Dude in the suit? That would be The Fiance. We're completely awesome like that.

I find it fascinating how John Stamos has never aged. He even got the perfect 90's hair back for the show. Then again, when was Uncle Jesse's hair NOT perfect?

And Aunt Becky? Loved her. Aunt Becky, Uncle Joey, DJ, and Gibbler FO EVA.

Foreverrrrrrrr....ForEVERRRRRRRRR.....

And Comet. We can't forget Comet. And Steve. Steve was always cool. To this day I STILL squeal when he's waiting at the door in a tux for DJ's prom even though Michelle has amnesia and DJ has no dress but somehow looks GORGEOUS as always and OH EM GEE I LOVE DJ on that last episode.

Oh childhood.


HEY LET'S TALK ABOUT FOOD

Last night was a late supper night and I needed something FAST and HEALTHY. Enter in THIS:

I don't know what it's called, but I call it Delicious.

Kind of like a vegetable-filled seafood jambalaya.

I came upon this recipe via Chocolate Broccoli. Please check out her site, it's adorable.

I had a lot of this stuff on hand already, and if I didn't it was something I would normally buy at the store.

Frozen veggies, frozen shrimp, Uncle Ben's 90-second brown rice? Helloooooo healthy one-dish meal.

The great thing about this meal is that everything is already cooked when you put it into the skillet. Just heat and season and You. Are. Done. Boom.

I used the Broccoli Stir Fry frozen mix for veggies, frozen shrimp already cooked, and Uncle Ben's brown rice. This might have taken me 15 minutes, tops. Maybe.

Then I made biscuits from scratch and all was well with the world.

I hope you make this dish. And I hope you eat it while listening to Jesse and the Rippers.

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Adapted from the blog Chocolate Broccoli
Makes 4-6 servings

1 pouch of Uncle Ben's 90-second whole-grain brown rice

Zero fat cooking spray

1 pound peeled and deveined (and cooked, if you can find it) shrimp

1 tbsp of Tony's  (or other Cajun seasoning)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sprinkle of garlic powder

Sprinkle of onion powder

1 package of frozen broccoli stir fry veggies, thawed

1/2 tbsp of Italian seasoning (I use Chef Paul's, but a nice mix of oregano and basil would still work)

1/2 tsp of paprika

1 can no-salt added stewed tomatoes

sprinkle of red pepper flakes

dash of cayenne pepper

sprinkle of salt

dash of pepper

Spray a bit of cooking spray on a skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in your shrimp and sprinkle with Tony's, toss to coat evenly. Saute shrimp for roughly 4 minutes or until done. Remove from skillet, but keep warm.

In the same skillet, heat your olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic powder first, then throw in your veggies, paprika, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Let it simmer for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, heat your rice, then add to the skillet once it's done. Stir in shrimp, tomatoes, salt, and pepper and cook/stir until everything is evenly combined and thoroughly heated.

Serve warm with homemade biscuit or french bread.