Pizza, Guac, and Bears... Oh My!

9/29/13

There's nothing that says "Game Day" like a large cheesy, meaty pizza. Usually I am not the biggest fan of pizza (I know... am I human?), but when there is Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and chicken involved... I am all in. I had a lot of help from Justin with this recipe as he is the ultimate pizza connoisseur. He claims this is the "best BBQ chicken he has ever had" and it was pretty simple to make. The best part about making your own pizza is that you can fully customize it to your liking=). Since this recipe takes quite a bit of time because we slow-cook the chicken, you will probably be drooling at the smell of the chicken simmering in the BBQ sauce. Luckily, I added in an awesome guacamole recipe to indulge in while you wait!

Game Day Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 Ripe Avocados
1/2 Onion, Minced (Your Choice)
1/2 Small Jalepeno Pepper, Finely Chopped
1 Small Tomato, Chopped
2 Tbsp Cilantro, Finely Chopped
1 Tbsp Lemon or Lime Juice
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:
1. Cut the avocados in half, removing the seeds and add them to a mixing bowl.
2. Mash up the avocados using a fork into a smooth, yet chunky consistency.
3. Add in seasonings and combine throughout the avocado mixture.
4. Once chopped, add in the onion, pepper, tomato, cilantro, and lemon/lime juice. Combine until the ingredients are equally distributed.
5. If you desire an extra kick (like me), sprinkle in red pepper flakes and top off the guacamole with an extra dash of lemon juice.
6. Grab your favorite bag of tortilla chips and dig in!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

4 Frozen Chicken Breasts
1 Can Pillsbury Pizza Dough
1 Bottle Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
1 Bag Shredded Cheese- Any (2 Cups)
1 Medium Tomato, Chopped
1/2 Onion, Chopped
1/2 Small Jalepeno, Finely Chopped

Directions:
1. Place frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker and add in about 1-1/2 cups of BBQ sauce. Chop up onion into fairly large pieces and add them to the slow cooker as well.
2. Let the chicken cook on HIGH for 3 hours.
3. After the 3 hours, begin to shred the chicken apart. If it has absorbed most of the BBQ sauce, add a bit more to the pot and let it sit for another 30min-1hr until full cooked.
4. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
5. Spread out the pizza dough in a thin layer onto the baking sheet. Fold over the sides of the dough to create a crust. Place in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until dough begins to rise.
6. Take the dough out and distribute a layer of BBQ sauce evenly.
7. Add the pulled chicken from the slow cooker and spread the meat out evenly onto the dough as well. (Our pizza was pretty much completely covered, we like a lot of meat!)
8. Finish by topping with tomatoes, jalepeno peppers, and a hefty amount of shredded cheese.
9. Bake at 400ºF for 10-12 minutes, until the crust becomes golden brown.
10. Remove from oven, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and enjoy!
*If you do not own a slow cooker, you can still make this pizza by marinating the chicken in BBQ sauce and cooking it beforehand).

And here it goes...

After 2, no 3, ehh maybe 4 slices of this pizza there's nothing more you'd rather do than...

Happy Sunday!=)

An Apple a Day...

9/29/13

I wish I could say these apple recipes would keep the doctor away... but unfortunately it's the butter, sugar, and alcohol that make these recipes so delicious. After trying a few of the apples Justin recently bought from Costco, he decided they were too tart for snacking on. I hate wasting food, so it gave me the perfect opportunity to find some fall recipes using granny smith apples! Since Justin loves coffee cake, I did some Pinterest research and found an awesome apple caramel coffee cake recipe. I had also purchased an inexpensive bottle of pinot grigio wine and decided to liven it up by creating a white sangria recipe. The tart but sweet flavor of the granny smith apples worked perfectly in both of these recipes and has made me very eager to visit an apple orchard in the near future!

Green Apple Sangria

Ingredients:
1 Bottle Pinot Grigio (Or any other mildly sweet white wine)
3 Cups Fuji Apple Pear Sparkling Water (Or any flavor you like best that would compliment apple)
2-3 Cups Sliced Granny Smith Apples

Directions:
1. Slice up the apples into big semi-circular pieces so that they are able to expose the most flavor and absorb the most wine.
2. Pour the wine and sparkling water into a pitcher and add the sliced apples.
3. Let the sangria soak for at least one hour before serving.
*I would recommend adding any extra fruit (grapes, peaches, oranges, strawberries) to the sangria if you have them on hand for extra flavor!

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:

1 1/2 Cups Flour
2 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Butter, Melted
3 Medium Apples, Peeled and Chopped (2 Cups)
Topping:
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Flour
2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 Cup Butter, Slightly Softened

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Coat an 8-inch rectangle baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the egg, milk, and melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. (The batter may look very small because the flour makes it all really stick together. Don't worry! The apple double the size and provide added moisture.)
4. Stir in the diced apples and mix well. Spread batter into the greased baking dish.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugars, flour, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Add the butter, rubbing together quickly with either your fingers or a fork until the mixture is combined and crumbly. (If the topping seems to be too smooth and buttery, add a small handful of the sugars, flour, and spices to dry up the mixture).
6. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the pan. Make sure the topping completely coats the batter- the bottom of the topping mixture will create a caramel consistency in the cake. Bake for 25-30 min until golden and dry on top.
7. Once the cake is done, allow it to fully cool. Relax and enjoy it with your apple sangria! =)

After some wine, coffee cake, and an unfortunate bears loss you may feel like Nala...

But don't worry... I have some more tasty football Sunday recipes to follow!

A Mahi Monday

9/25/13

One of my favorite things to do is to take ingredients I have lying around the apartment and find a way to use them in a meal that will compliment all of the flavors involved. When Justin brought home some delicious looking mahi mahi filets last weekend, I was excited to get back from work on Monday and whip something up! When I think mahi mahi, I think "fresh". When cooking fish, I have come to find that less is more. I decided to try a recipe using fresh lemons and garlic, which really livens the flavor of the fish. I remembered our frozen broccoli that had been hanging out in our freezer for a while, as well as a box of cous cous sitting lonely in our cupboard. These ingredients worked out excellent together and created a quick and easy Monday night dish.

Lemon-Garlic Mahi Mahi

Ingredients:

2 Mahi Mahi Filets (Thawed)
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp Chopped Garlic
1 Lemon (Juiced)
1 Cup White Wine (Use 1/4 Cup, the rest is for you =))
1 Tbsp Capers
1 Tbsp Light Butter
1 Tsp Salt & Pepper To Taste
1 Bag Broccoli (Defrosted)
1 Box Parmesean Cous Cous

Directions:
1. Heat up the oil in a large saute pan (medium/high).
2. Begin to prepare the cous cous according to the package.
3. Sprinkle the filets with salt and pepper and place onto pan.
4. Cook mahi mahi until golden brown on one side. Once you flip the filets, add in the garlic, lemon, capers, and white wine. Once those ingredients cook a bit, add the butter.
4. Throw the broccoli into the pan and allow it to absorb the flavors. Cover the pan and let it sit for about a minute.
5. Once the cous cous is cooked, place it on the middle of the plate. Next, add a mahi mahi filet right over the cous cous and set broccoli on the side of the filet. Next, drizzle the dish with fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of pepper. Enjoy!

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Laid Back Mediterranean Sunday

9/23/13

Since Sundays are all about relaxing and enjoying your favorite things, Justin followed through by watching football and I decided it was a perfect night to cook a delicious dinner. I was inspired by my Mrs. Dash Mediterranean Seasoning to create an easy chicken dish accompanied with vegetables and cheesy potatoes. This meal was quick to make (I made it in 45 min between the Emmy Red Carpet and Bears game). It ended up turning out delicious and it surprisingly tasted even better for lunch the next day!

Ingredients:

Chicken:
4-6 Chicken Breasts (Thawed)
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Tbsp Mediterranean Herb Seasoning
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Large Onion
1 Large Red Pepper
1 Large Green Pepper
1 Tomato
Salt & Pepper For Seasoning

* If you are adding the cheesy potatoes as a side, you will need 1/2 cup of milk. We just used a box kit and it takes about 20 minutes to prepare, so you will need to start preparing the oven while you chop the vegetables.

Directions:

1. Chop up onions and peppers into thick pieces.
2. Dice up tomato and separate from other vegetables.
3. Mix 1 Tbsp of mediterranean seasoning with the flour.
4. Completely coat each chicken breast in the flour mixure.
5. Heat large saute pan with oil (on medium-high) and place chicken breasts onto pan. Add additional seasoning if desired.
6. Once chicken is cooked halfway through, add the peppers to the skillet.
7. Once peppers are cooked partially, add in the tomato and chicken broth.
8. Turn down heat to a simmer and cover the pan so that the chicken and vegetables are able to absorb all of the flavor.
9. Plate the chicken and vegetables and side it with the cheesy potatoes. Now you are ready for a perfect sunday night meal! =)

The "B&R"

9/23/13

Happy Fall Everybody!
Since everyone is starting to get a bit busier with either work or school, I think it is a perfect time to share a little recipe that my boyfriend, Justin, created. Being the busy bee that he is, Justin was looking for something to make for lunch and dinner that would be cheap to make, easy to prepare and take with him, but most of all very tasty! Justin first created the recipe using brown rice, beans, and turkey bacon. He then started to add more and more ingredients and it has now become a staple! This recipe is very similar to a burrito bowl, but much healthier. We started off calling it beans and rice and now we've just started calling it the "B&R". Check it out!

Ingredients:

4.5 Cups Dry Brown Rice (9 Cups Cooked)

8 Slices Turkey Bacon
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Yellow Corn
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Green Pepper, Chopped
1/4 Stick Butter (For Rice)
1/8 Stick Butter (For Veggies/Bacon)
Sprinkle Of Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:
1. Begin preparing the brown rice according to the directions on the packaging.
2. Chop up the turkey bacon, onion, and green pepper.
3. Heat up the skillet and add either butter or olive oil. Saute the bacon, onion, and green pepper until slightly golden and tender.
4. Once the rice is cooked, add the drained corn and black beans and stir. Add in the remaining ingredients from the skillet.
5. Sprinkle red pepper flakes over the mixture and stir together to give it an extra kick.
6. Enjoy! (I love adding hot sauce to this meal or a side of steamed vegetables for something extra)

Mystic Celt

9/10/13

One of my favorite places to eat in Lakeview is a cute Irish/American restaurant and bar, Mystic Celt. I have dined here many times and have loved most of their food and drinks. I recently received a gift card here so last night Justin and I decided to beat the Monday blues by filling up on some delicious food!

Monday is half off appetizers so we started off with the chips, salsa, and guacamole. The salsa was deliciously spicy, and although the guac wasn't the best we've had, we still managed to eat most of it =)
For our entrees, I ordered the Mediterranean Turkey salad which included iceberg and romaine lettuce, olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, turkey, banana peppers, and pretty much anything you would expect in a mediterranean salad. It also included some delicious pita bread which I kept to dip in my hummus the next day!

Justin ordered the barbeque chicken pizza which was also amazing and we loved the flavors of the bbq sauce. Would anyone expect Justin Scott Pennino to order anything else? Both plates were massive and we had lots to take home! =)

Has anyone else been to Mystic Celt? My favorite dishes so far are the Mediterranean Turkey Salad, their Chili (with meat), the Southwestern Chicken Salad, and their Quesadillas.

Romantic Date Night!

9/10/13

Last Friday, Justin and I decided that we wanted to stay in and cook a "fancy" meal together. Last time I was at the store, I decided to buy lobster tails. Surprisingly, they were fairly inexpensive at $5.58 for two tails, and I wanted to try and cook something out of my comfort zone. Justin took the lead of pan searing 2 sirloin steaks as well as our side of russet potatoes. Everything turned out absolutely delicious and we both agreed this was the best meal we have made yet! We finished our meal by making mini ice cream sandwiches using Nilla wafers...followed by some Captain and coke of course ;) It was a perfect ending to a perfect meal!

I'm sure most of you know how to prepare steak, so I thought I would just share my lobster and ice cream sandwich recipes:

Lobster Tails:

2 Lobster Tails (thawed)
1/2-1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Using a pair of kitchen shears and cut down the middle of each lobster tail towards the tail, but make sure not to cut into the tail part.
3. Carefully "butterfly" open the shells to expose the lobster meat and pull the meat away from the shell while trying not to puncture the shell.

4. Pull the meat out of the shell and place it on top of the semi-closed lobster shell.
5. Add about a half tsp of butter to each lobster tail and drizzle lemon juice on top as well. Finish by seasoning the meat with salt, pepper, and Old Bay.
6. Place lobster tails on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in the oven for 12-13 minutes.
7. Once the lobster is finished, feel free to add butter, lemon juice, or more seasoning to your liking!

Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches


1 Box Nilla Wafers
1 Carton Vanilla Ice cream
1 Cup Dark Chocolate Pieces

Directions:
1. Crush up a dark chocolate bar into fine pieces.
2. Allow carton of ice cream to thaw a bit so it is easy to scoop onto the wafers.
3. Scoop vanilla ice cream onto a vanilla wafer and place another wafer on top to make the sandwich. Place enough ice cream on the wafers so that it "oozes" out and the dark chocolate is able to stick to the sandwich.
4. Roll the sandwiches into a bowl of dark chocolate pieces.
5. Freeze sandwiches for at least 1 hour and then enjoy!