Muscles

Muscles...
The kind you eat... not the kind that I'm desperately lacking.


The first time I ever had muscles was shortly after I moved to Ireland. I had no idea where I was going to live, no idea how I was going to live, and was in slight panic mode- but by God- I was going to eat some freshly caught seafood since I was finally living by the water! And eat them I did- an entire buckets worth. New food adventure in a new restaurant, in a new town, in a new city. It was a night to remember, and something I vowed I would do as often as possible.

Fast forward 4 years and I'm living back on the coast- fresh and tasty seafood served everywhere- and I'm here with a husband who hates it (or at least anything seafood that calls a shell a home). I have to wait until he leaves for an evening so I can cook it- and on Friday he had a night-flight- so I took full advantage.

I decided to make muscles for the first time ever. Its one of the less-expensive seafood delights you can find at the market. I bought a 2lb bag, knowing full well I can take down a ton of those things in a short amount of time, and looked up recipes online. I took what I loved of a bunch of recipes (and what was available in my fridge and pantry) that I found and here is what I came up with...

Muscles in Tomato and White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

* 1 lb muscles, cleaned
* olive oil
* 1 small white onion, diced
* 1 glove garlic, minced
* 2 cans diced tomatoes (I used one regular, one italian)
* 1 small can tomato paste
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* seasoning of your choice- I used some italian seasoning and salt and pepper

To Make:

* Add olive oil to a pan and heat over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened. Add minced garlic.

* Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasoning to onion and garlic mixture, stir, and cook until bubbly. Slowly add white wine and simmer.

* Steam muscles until they pop open. Add opened muscles to tomato mixture and simmer for 10 minutes.

* Serve muscles in a bowl and pour tomato sauce over them. Eat muscles with a giant scoop of tomato sauce. Enjoy.

Creamy Herbed Chicken & Pasta

Slow cookers are my best friend. Granted, I am home all day, doing nothing, so its not like they help me out in the 'I have no time to cook' department. I'm just lazy. I spend all day just playing with the boys, waiting for the hubs to come home. It just mostly happens that around the time I would usually start cooking dinner, both boys need to be fed/bathed/paid attention to so its always difficult to prepare food with them crying and running between my legs in the kitchen. Again, slow cookers are my best friend.

This recipe is altered a bit. I found a recipe for creamy herbed chicken in my Taste of Home Slow Cooker magazine I picked up while waiting in the checkout line at Walmart. I couldn't find the specific packet of seasoning that was called for in the original recipe, so after about 20 minutes of looking and 30 curse words later, I gave up hope and went in search of the next item on my list. Turns out, in the dressing aisle, Kraft has pasta seasoning packages! Not exactly what the recipe called for, but I'm going to say it was a very successful substitute!

Ingredients:

* 1 lb chicken breast (I use the packages of 3)
* 1 can cream of chicken soup
* 1 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
* 1 package garlic and herb pasta seasoning (Knorr brand used in original recipe)
       My substitute: Kraft Parmesan Seasoning Packet in Rosemary and Garlic
* Salt and Pepper
* Pasta of your choice

To Make:

* Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray
* In a medium bowl, combine soup, milk, thyme, parsley, and herb seasoning packet. Whisk together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste
* Add chicken breasts to slow cooker. Pour soup mixture over chicken
* Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked
* Cook pasta according to package directions

I also added a little flour mixed with cold water to the liquid after pulling the chicken out of the slow cooker to thicken up the sauce so it could be poured over the noodles. I used fettucini noodles, but since it was a parmesan based seasoning package, it could very well have worked over some cheese tortelloni or something like that... delicious!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

When I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner tonight, his answer was the usual: I don't care. We had some burger thawing in the fridge, so I asked him if he wanted me to make meatballs.

His response was: Yes, but make them the normal way ok? Not the way you make them all the time.

Burn.

In my house, meatballs were made with brown gravy and mashed potatoes- and thats how I like 'em.

Apparently, everyone else eats them with spaghetti sauce and noodles (?)  how about that! Please note the sarcasm in that, I'm not an idiot who doesn't know what spaghetti and meatballs is... 

I sighed, never having made them in this fashion, and turned my attention to make some italian style meatballs to appease the husbandly Gods. (I mean, I do still need him to mow the backyard after its done raining.)

Ta-Da!

I didn't use a set recipe- I just shuffled through a bunch on foodnetwork.com until I found elements of some that I liked and threw them all together, which turned out pretty darn tasty. My husband even said 'they turned out good, babe'. Not that I need his praise to know a good job, but if he's happy, he may just mow the front yard as well!

Ingredients:
* 1 lb hamburger
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup italian breadcrumbs
* 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
* Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

To Make
* Combine all ingredients in a bowl (feel free to use your hands)
* Roll them into size of your choice- I made smaller ones to ensure they would cook through quickly
* Place them on a cookie sheet (grease with olive oil if you need to)
* Bake for 10 minutes (or more if they are larger)
* Once cooked through, add them to sauce of your choice, or make a homemade sauce like the sauce for Mama Sue's Lasagna

Place on top of al dente spaghetti noodles- serve with green salad and homemade garlic toast!

And I'm Back! With Gumbo!

Ladies-

   I pride myself on giving you simple, easy dishes to complete when you're in a bind or just don't feel like putting in a lot of effort into meals. My recipes never include a lot of ingredients, never take more than an hour, and the results are always tasty- plus you can probably pull most of them off with the ingredients you have in your pantry already!

  This recipe is not one of those recipes. This recipe is for the day when your significant other says "Don't worry babe, I'll make dinner one night this week!" Wait? Your man doesn't say that either? Hmmmm... ok well this recipe is for when you say "Honey, if you don't make me dinner this weekend, you are going to have to take me to the Opera (Ballet, Shoe Shopping, Decoration Shopping, Furniture Shopping, Chick Flick, etc)!" Use whatever venue or activity puts the Fear of God into your man- each one is a little different- and feel free to get creative!

   This recipe is my husbands. He hand-picked it out of a cookbook his father gave us and its his favorite thing to make (and might I say, he knocks it out of the park every single time!) This recipe comes from Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen cookbook. We were lucky enough to eat at his restaurant, K Paul's, when we were in NOLA in May- and I'd recommend it to anyone! Make sure you save your husband plenty of time- he will need it to prepare this gourmet masterpiece- it always takes Chris 1.5-2 hours of loving labor to complete it (leave time for the inevitable kitchen mishaps that are sure to happen by letting him loose in the kitchen all by himself!)

Here it is: Chicken and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo by

Chef Paul Prudhomme

as cooked by Chris Protos!

Photo by Kyle Byrd

Ingredients:
* 1 (2-3 lb) chicken, cut up (we use chicken breasts)
* Salt
* Garlic powder
* Ground red pepper (preferably Cayenne)

* 1 cup finely chopped onions
* 1 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
* 3/4 cup finely chopped celery
* 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (again, preferably Cayenne)
* Vegetable oil for deep frying
* 7 cups basic chicken stock
* 1/2 lb andouille sausage or any other good pur smoked pork sausage (kielbasa)
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* Enough rice to accommodate the number of people you are feeding - boxed stuff is fine. This gumbo recipe makes about 6 main-dish portions.

To Marinate Chicken:
* Remove excess fat
* Rub a generous amount of salt, garlic powder, and red better on both sides of each piece, covering evenly
* Let stand at room temperature for minutes

To Create Chicken Breading:
* Medium size bowl, combine onions, bell peppers, celery- set aside
* Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper in a plastic bag.
* Add the chicken pieces and shake until chicken is well coated
* Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour
* In a large heavy skillet, heat 1/ 1/2 inches of oil until very hot. Fry the chicken until crust is brown on both sides and meat is cooked (about 5-8 mins per side). Drain on paper towels
* Pour the hot oil into a measuring cup, leaving as many of the browned particles as possible in the pan
* Return 1/2 cup of hot oil into the pan

To Create the Roux
* Plan pan over high heat with oil. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup reserved flour.
* Cook, whisking constantly, until the roux is dark red-brown to black, no more than 5 minutes.
* Remove from heat and add veggies, stirring constantly
* Return pan to low heat and cook until veggies are soft, about 5 minutes

To Create the Gumbo
* Place the stock into a 5 1/2 quart saucepan or large dutch oven, bring to boil.
* Add the roux mixture to the boiling stock, stirring until it dissolves.
* Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in sausage and minced garlic.
* Simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, stirring often towards the end of cooking time. (Be sure to start your rice during this time as well!)
* While the gumbo is simmering, dice the chicken and stir the chicken in
* Adjust the seasoning with salt or pepper if needed and serve immediately over rice

This recipe does pack a little punch- add more cayenne if you want it super spicey! We like it to where we just break a small sweat! It is worth every minute of cooking time- I promise :)  So now that you are feeling adventurous- go! Go- tell your husband he's cooking this weekend :)

Stuffed Chicken Breast

The next three recipes are from a dinner party we threw at my house a week or so ago (maybe it was longer, who knows... time flies when you're doing nothing). We had a delicious stuffed chicken breast, a beautiful cream corned side dish, and topped it all off with a strawberry cupcake.

Here is the recipe for the chicken Mindy made:

Panko Crusted Chicken Stuffed with Ricotta, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Basil
Recipe from For The Love of Cooking.net  (amazing blog)

Ingredients:
* 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
* Small handful baby spinach, chopped
* Small handful grape tomatoes, diced (remove seeds if possible)
* 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
* 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
* Dash of oregano
* 2 Chicken breasts
* Italian seasoned panko crumbs
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

To Do:
* Preheat over to 400 degrees
* Combine ricotta, spinach, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined
* Rinse the chicken breasts, then cut along horizontal slit in the center of the chicken breast- butterflying them. Fill the cavity of the chicken with the ricotta mixture. Season each side of chicken with salt and pepper.
* Carefully dip the chicken in the panko crumbs until both sides are evenly covered. Close the slits with toothpicks.
* Heat the olive oil in an oven proof skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the chicken in the skillet and cook until chicken is golden brown. Flip the chicken over and repeat.
* Cook in the oven for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through- it took ours a little longer than expected.
* Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving

Alfredo Sauce

A few months ago, I went on a no sugar, no carb diet. I completely cut out all carbs except those from veggies. While it was the hardest few months of my life, I did lose weight- like crazy. I'm talking 15 lbs in two months. A-mazing. What's even more amazing is that now, I'm back to eating carbs. While my wasteline isn't as small, my belly and my soul are much more content! Hey, you only live once, right? Right!

I decided to make my own alfredo sauce to enjoy on my carb-packed-and-oh-so-good pasta I have been eating on a regular basis now. Now, I know for a fact that an anonymous source had given my husband the recipe for Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce. Could I find it? Of course not. Did I tear apart my recipe box looking for it, almost to the point of hysteria? Of course I did. Chris must be keeping it a deep dark secret from me. I did, however, find a good recipe from an old 2009 edition of Food Network Magazine. It worked out just fine. Plus, lets face it, Olive Garden alfredo sauce isn't as good unless you have Olive Garden breadsticks to dip it in...

Ingredients:

* 6 tablespoons butter- unsalted
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1/4 cup reserved water from boiling noodles

To Do:

* Cook pasta. Strain, leaving about 1/4 cup water in pot.
* Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat
* Add heavy cream, stir, and bring to boil
* Remove from heat once a boil is reached.
* Return noodles to pot with water reserve
* Add butter cream mixture to pot with noodles and 3/4 parmesan cheese
* Toss to combine
* Season with salt and pepper, top with extra parmesan cheese.

I did cut the recipe in half, as I am still cooking for one and half at home. Alex loves my cooking, and he can sure take down a lot of it for a 9 month old, but there was no need for me to make the whole batch of sauce!

I tossed my alfredo with some cheese filled tortellinis and some shrimp that I sauteed in butter and garlic salt.

Super Simple Chicken Enchiladas

Need something quick, fast, and in-a-hurry for dinner, but you don't have a lot of time and only the bare essentials? Welcome to my world, pretty much every night. As I may have mentioned before, we fly under the radar here in the Protos house when it comes to fancy-pants ingredients. If the Commissary on base doesn't have it, there's no way in firey hell you will catch me running all the way to town to get it- I'll make due with what I have, thank you! And let me tell you, the Commissary lacks in many departments here.

This tasty mexican dish comes from mi madre (ha, I speak spanish), and only has four ingredients- jackpot! They are quick, simple, and deliciousio (ha, I did it again). Tortillas. Chicken. Sauce. Cheese. Done. I guess if you are feeling really rebellious you can add a fifth ingredient: diced jalapenos! But be careful, don't get too ahead of yourself... five ingredients may just be too many for some to handle (aka me on a bad day)!

Ingredients:

* 8 Flour tortillas
* 1 lb Chicken
* 2 cans Enchilada Sauce- pick whatever heat level you'd like- I used medium
* 8 oz bag Mexican Blend shredded cheese
* Can of diced jalapeno, or chop up one of your own

To Do:

* Cook chicken. I boil mine to make it super tender and easy to shred. You can also throw it in the crockpot or bake it in the oven. Once cooked, shred chicken.

* Mix shredded chicken, one can enchilada sauce, jalapenos, and half the shredded cheese in a large bowl.
* Fill tortillas and roll them tightly. You may need to trim the ends in order to fit them into a casserole dish.
* In casserole dish, lightly coat the bottom of the dish with some enchilada sauce. Place the wrapped tortillas in casserole dish- snuggle them in there nice and tight so they don't come unrolled!
* Top tortillas with remaining enchilada sauce and more shredded cheese.
* Place in oven, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is nice and bubbly.

Guest Blogger: Jaren Rabe

When Kelsey asked me to be a guest blogger I was so excited because:
 1.) I have always wanted my 15 minutes of fame and
 2.) I love to cook!

Unfortunately, a lot of the recipes I try changing to be my own end up being mediocre so I never make them again. This recipe, my fans, is not one of those. Yes, I called you guys my fans because you will be once you make this dish. It is just a little spicy, uses fresh ingredients and tastes amazing.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro Rice

Roasted Pork Tenderloins

(This is based off of a recipe by Alton Brown. I changed some
ingredients/measurements and the method used to cook it.)

2 whole pork tenderloins, approximately 2 lbs)
2 limes, zest finely grated
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup honey (the bottle shaped like a bear is usually the best choice)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions (Exactly as I did.)
Trim the pork tenderloins of any excess fat and silver skin. I've
never worked with pork tenderloin that wasn't already prepped for me
so this was super nasty and hard for me to do. The "silver skin" is
the worst part. Wash your hands 4 times after doing this and sanitize
counter twice because raw meat is gross and could poison your family.

Zest the limes. Make sure you zest the top layer of your thumb off
while doing so. The tears, skin and blood add to the experience and
flavor.

Place the zest, lime juice, honey, salt, adobe peppers and minced
garlic in a bowl and stir until honey is not in big globs on the
bottom anymore. Pour the entire marinade mixture into a 1-gallon
resealable bag. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing
as much air as possible and place the bag into another resealable bag
and then place that bag into a bowl and place it in your fridge. The
double bagging + bowl means no raw meat contamination inside your
fridge which could also potentially poison your family. Marinate in
the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through
the time.

When it is about an hour away from being ready to cook, start the rice!

Cilantro Rice

(This recipe is based off of a recipe by Aida Mollenkamp. I also
changed some things, so I am giving you my version.)

Ingredients:
About 2 cups packed cilantro leaves (I used 2 "bunches" from the store.)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium serrano chile, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 1/3 cups free range chicken broth (free range because it makes you
feel better about killing chickens.)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 minced yellow onion (medium sized)
2 cups jasmine rice
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Combine cilantro (I cut off most of the stems but don't worry about
having them in there), garlic, chile, and 2 cups broth in a blender
and process until smooth; set aside.
Be careful not to get the serrano chile juice onto your zested thumb.
If you happen to get some in there anyways, do not put your hands over
your face in pain because then your eyes and thumb will be on fire.
But I digress.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it
shimmers, add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add rice
and salt stir to coat in oil and cook until rice becomes opaque, about
2 minutes.

After the rice is opaque, dump everything + the rest of the chicken
broth into a rice cooker and push "white rice" button. If you do not
have a rice cooker, this is what Aida tells you to do:
Carefully pour the cilantro mixture and the remaining 1 1/3 cups broth
into the rice and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce
heat to low so rice is at a simmer. Cover and cook until rice is
tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest covered for
5 minutes.

If you are awesome and have a rice cooker like me, just walk away and
get the pork out of the fridge while your rice cooks itself. Preheat
your oven to 350 degrees. Put both tenderloins and all the marinade
into a casserole dish and place in preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Check it after 35 minutes and if it does not register 140 on a meat
thermometer or look done when you cut into it, put it back in for 10
more minutes. After it is done, cut it into slices and let it sit in
the marinade and soak it up while you stir up the cilantro rice.
Garnish the pork with the fresh cilantro before serving and add a side
of black beans if you are feeling up to it.

My husband said it was his favorite meal of all time so I took a
picture of his plate to capture the moment. I didn't realize I would
writing the blog on this recipe so I apologize for the crappy phone
picture. Trust me, it tastes WAY better than this picture looks!

Editors Note: Jaren, it looks delicious! Shush your mouth!

Grandma Ann's Mac & Cheese

The biggest vacations we ever took when I was growing up were up to Glasgow, MT. About as far north as you can get in Montana, and almost as far west as you can go (full of beautiful... beautiful... er... uh... plains), was my Grandma Ann's house, the house my mother grew up in. We used to go for Thanksgiving/Hunting Season every year, and the occassional Christmas, Easter, and summer trip.

When I think of my Grandma Ann's house, I think of her stemless glasses, stealing gingerales out of the fridge, rolling down the hill in her backyard, playing G.I Joes, getting squirted by my first grapefruit, the collection of books I learned to read with, her old red car sitting in the driveway, how scary the downstairs storage room was, and playing restaurant downstairs. Yes, the cooker in me came out in the presence of both grandmothers, and we always played restaurant: complete with play-dishes and homemade play-doh. The play-doh was made by my Grandma Ann herself. It was the best. The second she was done making it we would rush to play with the warm, squishy, salty (yes I tried to eat it a few times) mounds of colored goo. It was my number 1 favorite thing that ever came out of her kitchen.

This was my second favorite thing

All Grandmas are known for their cooking. My Grandma made this dish everytime we came to visit. It is my all-time favorite comfort food, and I remember it was such a heavenly experience everytime I ate it. I wish I could say I had a knack for making it, but alas, my first time will live in infamy, as I forgot to boil the noodles first, and I doubt I will ever live it down. So, it turns out I'm giving you more than an amazing recipe for mac & cheese today, I'm handing out life lesson: always, always, always... boil your noodles.

Ingredients:

* 16 oz macaroni noodles (about 2/3 of a box) (cooked, a'hem)
* 16 oz of Kraft Deluxe American Cheese (now, it HAS to be THIS cheese. Walmart no longer sells it. You will find it at any other grocery story, sitting right next to the Velveeta- but do NOT use Velveeta- I swear its just not the same- at all. Find the blue box of Kraft, worship the blue box of Kraft, settle for nothing less than the blue box of Kraft! )
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk (more may be needed, keep the jug out)

To Do:

* Boil Noodles. Duh. Drain noodles. Do not used uncooked noodles. Don't be a moron like myself.
* Cube cheese into medium sized chunks
* Mix 2 eggs with 1 cup milk in bowl.
* In casserole dish, combine COOKED noodles, cheese cubes, and the egg/milk mixture. Stir together.
* Top off the casserole with milk until almost to the top of the dish - this will help make it extra creamy
* Bake covered for 35 minutes at 375F
* Take top off, stir, and bake for 10 more minutes

Delicious as a side dish or just sit down with the entire casserole dish and a fork. I'm not even a little ashamed to say I've done it before. Not even a little.

Save the Day Buffalo Chicken

This isn't really a recipe persay- just a survival guide in case you ever have a day like, well, most of my days.
One of those days may look like but is not limited to:

* Washing machine breaks in the middle of 6 loads
* Son learns to pull himself up and subsequently pulls things off bookshelf
* Cat claws up door frame and you have no touch-up paint
* Husband decides to go out and play instead of helping
* Feeling like you got hit by a train, bus, sportscar, T-38, whatever
* On 3 hours of sleep because son has two new teeth coming in
* Kicked washing machine; may have broken toes
* Hearing you may have to move entire house by youself while husband is being tortured in a POW camp
* Son pulls cats hair, gets scratched, now both are cat and son are fussing
* Xbox refuses to work so your only break to watch some 30 Rock is now non-existent
* Knowing friends are at waterpark and you are stuck here with all this
* Husband comes home, plays Xbox (how in the hell did he get that to work anyways?!)
* Son won't take nap
* You need a snack, but have no food and no energy to go to store
* Make popcorn, it burns. Whole house stinks.
* Slam possibly broken toes into homemade babygate consisting of chair and ottoman
* Husband asks whats for dinner. Crap.

Ladies, ladies, ladies (and the occassional gentleman) it is ok to use flavored boxed rice! It is ok to use store-bought marinades instead of making them from scratch! It is ok to throw it all together on a day you just don't feel like working hard. You deserve a good meal on days like these, on days when you can't fathom taking another step or dealing with another fiasco. You might not have the stresses I do (aka the thought of husband having to spend 3 hours in a tiny box 'buried underground'- have fun honey) but you work hard, so don't stress yourself by spending more time in the kitchen than you have to. Can I get an 'amen'?!?! That's right, sista. Amen.


Dinner tonight- done in 20 minutes
Notice the hot and steaminess of it.


Take thawed chicken breasts, place in large ziplock bag. Dump marinade into bag. I used some KC Masterpiece Hot Buffalo sauce we were given by Sara and Vince (thanks guys- it was delicious!). Save some sauce to brush onto chicken later. Let chicken marinade at least 30 minutes in fridge. During this time, kick your feet up, pour yourself a glass of wine, and make your lazy husband get up and start the grill.

Start rice. No directions here- just follow the box. We chose a Rice-a-Roni Creamy 4 Cheese. It took 15 minutes on the stovetop- same amount of time it took the chicken to cook on the grill and for me to slice up some fresh zucchini and summer squash and sautee them with butter, salt, and pepper. Be sure to brush the chicken with some more of the sauce to add some extra flavor at the end of grilling. Crumble some blue cheese over the top and melt it to offset the spice of the buffalo sauce if you need to.

Next step: Enjoy your dinner. And then make husband do the dishes.... its only fair :)

Guest Blogger: Mindy Bradley

Mindy (Julia) Bradley (Child)

My goal in life really is to be able to cook like Julia Child.  To attack the kitchen with the same joy and passion that she had.  To not turn away at the thought of simmering, searing, roasting, basting, stuffing, trussing, whatever it may be.  I love cooking, although, I'll be the first to admit that I often tend to shy away when there are more than 10 steps involved.  I will get a hankering for a dish then I will search for hours through cookbooks and the interwebs until I find what I'm looking for.  Often times I will take pieces from this recipe and from that recipe and combine them to satisfy my taste buds.  After I make it once, I will then add my own twist to it.  This makes Chase very nervous.  :)  A few times it has failed, but boy when it succeeds, I love that I can call that recipe my own!  My family cooked dinners, but other than my grandma's chicken and dumplings, we have no "signature" recipe.  I've made this my goal.  I love cooking for my family and have them rave over my dishes.  The place I am truly most comfortable is indeed the kitchen!

This recipe is one of those (sorta) make it my own.  It's based from Rachael Ray's Shephard's Pie.  My dad is probably the pickiest eater on the planet.  A true meat and potatoes kinda guy, as long as the meat is completely well done and the potatoes are mashed and have only salt and pepper on them.  So for your picky eater's pleasure, I introduce to you:

Dad Approved Shephard's Pie

2 sleeves Idahoan potatoes (I used buttery homestyle)
1-2 lb's hamburger (we used deer meat)
1 can corn
1 can peas & carrots
1 mini can peas & carrots
1 packet french onion soup
2 Tbs Butter
2 Tbs flour
1 cup beef broth
2 tsps Worcestershire sauce (4 or 5 splashes)

Cook hamburger meat, drain (if needed).  Add cans of corn and peas & carrots.  In small bowl (I used measuring cup), mix beef broth, worcestershire sauce and french onion soup (it won't be dissolved).  Melt butter in small saucepan, add flour and thicken.  Once thickened, add broth mixture and stir for a minute or two until it thickens.  Add mixture to meat and veggies.  Put in casserole dish (the size will depend on how much meat you make, use your best judgement), top with mashed potatoes and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  If you have cheese eaters you can cheese to the top of your potatoes before you bake it....my dad prevented this from happening.

My own notes*  You can use actual potatoes and make all that from scratch if you'd like, but I kid you not, these Idahoan potatoes and fantastic (and oh so easy)!  You can also change up the veggies that you put in it.  The recipe called for peas too....I didn't miss them.  :)  You can also use a fresh onion or onion powder. I feel as though the soup mix does it justice though. 

Cooper Chicken

The real name of this dish is Smoked Gouda Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Bacon. I call it Cooper Chicken. I've found that in the AF lifestyle, you make friends quickly. You just have to. You are only with these incredible people for a short amount of time, so the bond is strong and almost instantaneous. One such bond I formed is will Molly Cooper. I will admit, our bond could be considered 'forced', as Chris' best friend from the get-go was her husband Austin, but I now consider her a sister. For the last year we have gone on countless double dates (Molly and I on one date, the guys on the other). Austin has even opened the door for Chris once on our way to dinner! As with all military couples, their time to leave Columbus came, and their newest adventure to Florida was about to begin. They spent their last night on base, much to our honor, at our house. I knew I needed to pull out all the stops for their 'last meal', and make sure it was as memorable as our friendship. Ok, so a piece of chicken can't be as memorable as lifelong friends, but it was a step up from burgers on the grill and it tasted pretty good!

Smoked Gouda Chicken Wrapped in Bacon (freecookingrecipes.net)

Ingredients:

* 4 boneless chicken breasts
* 3 tablespoons butter
* Salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
* 1/2 cup smoked gouda (Shame on me, I used swiss cheese. My defense: commissary didn't have it, and I refuse to drive 15 minutes into town for cheese)
* 4 slices bacon
* Fresh spinach (not in the original recipe, but I love me some spinach)

To Do:

* Flatten each chicken breast to 1/4th in thick using meat mallet.
* Combine pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne.
* Rub both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoning. (do not skimp on this seasoning- it makes the dish) Sprinkle with salt
* Place small square of cheese and a few leaves of spinach (take stems off) on the narrow end of the chicken breast, and roll tightly. Wrap strip of bacon around chicken. * Melt butter in skillet
* Brown the chicken in the skillet, turning it, until bacon begins to crisp.
* Place chicken breasts on a foiled baking sheet, bake in oven 350F for 20 minutes.

Fantastic Father's Day Feast

I cannot sing my husband's praises enough. He's a loyal husband, an extremely talented pilot, and his relaxed demeanor brings a sense of calm to our home. Above all else, he is an incredible father. I'll admit I used to worry when I was pregnant: what would he be like with our son? The answer to that: perfect. He loves our son with a passion I've never seen anyone have, and both my boys light up when they see each other. As a wife and mother, it doesn't get any better than that. Because he is such a special man, he deserved a special dinner- one that required a little more time. Yes, my mission statement for this blog is based on not having to spend hours in the kitchen, but this meal will be worth every minute of it. The actual cooking doesn't take long, there is just prep work that needs to be done earlier in the day. If you can get the prep work done before noon, you can rest, relax, watch your husband play xbox (like I did), for the rest of the day!



Ranch Chicken Wings
drizzled with honey hotsauce
Homemade Hearty Coleslaw
Baked Sweet Potato Fries

*Helpful Hint: Get your chicken wings (thawed if you use the frozen ones) in the marinade, and get your coleslaw made earlier in the day! Each need 3 hours in the fridge!

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Ranch Chicken Wings (Food Network Magazine- June 2010)

Ingredients:

* 2 lbs chicken wings
* 3  1-oz packets ranch dressing mix (I used 4 since 4 come in a box)
* 1 1/2 cups flour
* Freshly ground pepper
* 3 large eggs
* Vegetable oil, for frying

To Do:

* Toss the wings in 1 packet of ranch dressing in bag. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. (I used two packets of the dressing to make sure they got a good cover.
* Mix flour, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 packet ranch dressing mix in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs, 2 tablespoons of water, and the last ranch dressing packet.
* Dredge the wings a few at a time in the seasoned flour, dip them in the egg, and then back in the flour. (I did most of my wings in this double dredge. The coating turned out super thick after frying. My last batch, I just went from marinade, straight to the egg, then to the flour, and in my opinion they turned out much better.)
* Heat oil in pan over medium heat until deep fryer thermometer registers 350F. Fry the wings until crisp and golden brown, 5-6 minutes per side. Place cooked wings on paper towel to drain excess oil.

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Honey Hot Sauce (Food Network Magazine-June 2010)

Easiest, tastiest wing sauce... ever!

* Combine equal parts honey and hot sauce. (I used 1/4 cup of each). Done.
* You can add more honey to make it sweeter (what I did), or more hot sauce to kick it up a notch (what Chris did).

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Sweet Potato Fries (Paula Deen)

*this recipe makes a gigantic batch of fries, but sure to cut it down based on how many potatoes you use*

Ingredients:

* 1 cup salt
* 1/4 cup black pepper
* 1/4 cup onion powder
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* Olive oil for tossing
* 5 sweet potatoes- peeled and cut

To Do:

* Pre-heat oven to 450F
* Combine salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika
* Toss cut potatoes in just enough oil to cover
* Sprinkle potatoes with the seasoning mixture
* Lay potatoes on a foiled baking sheet in a single layer
* Bake for 20 minutes, flipping occassionally.
 (my fries weren't quite a crispy as Chris and I like, so we threw them down into the fryer after making the wings for a minute)

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Hearty Coleslaw (Family Circle Magazine)

(Again, this recipe makes a large quantity. Feel free to cut it down. I only used 1/2 a head of cabbage and we have a ton of leftovers. Delicious, delicious leftovers!)

Ingredients:

* 2 1/2 lbs green cabbage, shredded (about 10 cups) (I only used 1/2 head)
* 2 large carrots, shredded (I used 3)
* 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat mayo
* 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
* 1/2 cup buttermilk
* 1/4 cup dijon mustard
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon celery seed (I omitted this because I didn't have any)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

To Do:

*  Shred cabbage and carrots. (I have absolutely no knife skills, or the patience to make the veggies super thin, so mine turned out big and chunky, and it was so good!) Mix the veggies in a large bowl.
* In medium bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, buttermilk, mustard, sugar, celery seed, salt, and pepper.
* Pour dressing over veggies and mix well.

* Cover and put in fridge for at least 3 hours

Chicken Fried Steak

There are some foods everyone grew up with. Almost everyone I know was raised eating chicken fried steak, one of the ultimate comfort foods. I was not one of those people. Oh parents, do not fret because I'm about to admit this, but the only time I think I ever ate chicken fried steak growing up was when it came in a red Banquet frozen dinner box. Last night, I made my first ever attempt at making chicken fried steak from scratch. While Chris considered it tasty, I fear I will never get the hang of making a perfect gravy, like my Grandma Nell always could. To this day, none of us can figure out how that woman did it!

Better Home and Garden's Chicken Fried Steak

Ingredients:

* 1 lb boneless beef top round steak, cut 1/2 in. thick
* 3/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
* 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh basil or oregano. (I used 1/2 teaspoon of the dried stuff)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2 tablespoon cooking oil
* 1 tablespoon milk
* 1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1 1/3 cups milk

To Do:

* Trim fat from meat and cut into four smaller steaks. Pound each piece out until 1/4 in. thick with a meat mallet.
* In shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, basil or oregano, salt, and pepper.
* In another dish, combine egg and milk
* Dip each steak into egg mixture, then coat heavily with bread crumbs
* In skillet, add oil and cook meat for about 6 minutes or until brown. Turn and repeat to brown other side. Add more oil if you need to, but don't go overboard! Reduce heat on skillet to medium low, cover steaks, and cook for 45-60 minutes. Cook until meat is tender.
* Transfer meat to platter, cover to keep warm. Keep drippings in pan to make gravy.

To make gravy:
* Cook onion in reserved drippings. (I also added some whole baby button mushrooms). Cook until tender.
* Stir in flour, and then gradually add the 1 1/3 cup milk.
* Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add salt and pepper to taste if you need to.

Spinach-Stuff Pasta Shells

Now, if you've been reading along, you'll remember that in my last post, I mentioned my husband doesn't like ricotta and spinach in his lasagna. That's fine enough. What's funny, is that he had no qualms about eating this dish the first time I made it. Is it really any different than having lasagna with ricotta and spinach? Nope. Men: can't live with em, but they sure are funny.

Adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook

Ingredients:

* 12 jumbo shell macaroni
* 1  10-oz package frozen chopped spinach (I used big handfuls of the fresh stuff- be sure to take the stems off and chop it nice and fine!)
* 2 eggs
* 1  8-oz package of shredded italian cheese blend
* 1 cup ricotta cheese
* 1  26-32 ounce jar of pasta sauce (or make some of Mama Sue's lasagna sauce mentioned below!)

To Do:

* Cook pasta according to box. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Set aside.
* If using frozen spinach, drain the thawed spinach, press out excess liquid
* For filling: beat eggs and stir in spinach, 1 1/2 cups italian cheese blend, and ricotta cheese
* Spoon mixture into each jumbo shell- stuff them nice and full! Place filled shells in a 2-qt baking dish. Pour pasta sauce over the shells.
* Bake, covered, in oven at 350F for about 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 italian cheese blend on top before serving!

Sidenote: These shells are so delicious looking you will be tempted to grab 6 or 7 on your plate. Don't forget, they are super filling and rich- Chris and I were only able to eat 2-3 a piece!

Mama Sue's Lasagna

Chris and I consider ourselves 'meat and potato' folks. There isn't a lot of exotic cooking in our household. This partially comes from our lack of exposure to these fancier foods, and the fact that Chris is quite particular in what he eats. Chris is not big on ricotta cheese and spinach in his lasagna, which is why I cannot express my love enough for my mother's recipe. Kristin Lynn will agree- it doesn't get much better than this. Its simple, easy, and will fill up even a finicky eater like my hubs! I always serve it with a fresh green salad and some garlic cheese bread hot out of the oven!

Thank you, Mama Sue!

Ingredients:

* 1 lb hamburger
* 3 cans diced italian tomatoes
* 1 small can tomato paste
* Italian seasoning
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 lasagna noodles, cooked
* Shredded mozzerella
* Shredded monterey jack
* Grated parmesan

To Do:

* Brown hamburger in skillet on stovetop. Drain excess juices.
* Combine diced tomatoes (including liquid), tomato paste, hamburger, italian seasoning (to taste- but don't be afraid to add a lot of spice!) and brown sugar in pot on stove for one hour. This sauce is supposed to be slightly sweet, so make sure you have a good balance between the spices and the sugars.
* Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package. Drain water. Set aside
* In sprayed casserole dish layer lasagna:
             * Noodles
             * Sauce
             * Shredded cheese (mozz and mont.jack)
             * Noodles
             * Sauce
             * Shredded cheese (mozz, mont.jack, parm)
* Bake in the oven at 350F for 45 minutes or until cheese is nice and bubbly

Snow Day Beef Stew

I am a Montana girl. For winters as far back as I can remember, there was a blanket of snow, a need for mittens and scarves, and you could see your breath outside from the months of September through May. When we moved to Mississippi, I can say it was the one thing I didn't think I would miss. Come Christmas time, as I set up my tree, and made Chris venture on our rickety ladder to hang the lights, I found myself missing the winter wonderland I had grown accustom to. I prayed for one day, just one day, so it could feel like I was home again.This past year, my prayers were answered and we were thrilled to have three whole snow days in our current-hometown of Columbus. It only seemed fitting I whip out my crockpot to make some hearty beef stew, throw some apple cider in a pot on the stove, and shove my newborn into a snowsuit so we could play outside. There's nothing like coming in from the cold to a house that smells like heaven, and to unthaw your hands around a bowl of toasty stew!

You can smell it from there, can't you?

Ingredients:

* Small bag of baby carrots
* 1 onion, chopped
* 4-6 celery stalks, chopped
* 1 lb stew meat
* 7-8 small red potatoes
* 1 large carton beef stock
* 1 small can tomato paste
* salt and pepper to taste

To Do:

* Brown stew meat in a skillet on the stovetop. Drain excess juices.
* Throw stew meat and veggies into crockpot
* Mix enough beef broth to cover veggies and mix with tomato paste
* Pour liquid over meat and veggies in crockpot
* Cook 5-6 hours on high, or 7-8 hours on low

.: Dinner at the Bradleys :.

Tonight, we had a last minute dinner party at Chase and Mindy's. I had this chicken dish by Food Network Magazine (June 2010), and this casserole featured in Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook planned for Chris and I, but it was easily duplicated to accommodate a larger group! The peppers between the two dishes tie it together, and the smells coming from the oven alone will make it worth your while! Enjoy :)



Honey-Lime Roast Chicken

 Ingredients:
* 1 small bunch fresh thyme (our store didn't have any so I used a few dashes of the dried stuff)
* Juice of 2 limes (I used 3 for extra flavor)
* 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
* 3 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons honey (add more if you want to dial down the heat of the jalapeno)
* Kosher salt (I used the regular stuff)
* 3 half chickens (I used a package of chicken legs)
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

To do:
* Strip thyme leaves off the stems, combine with the lime juice, garlic, jalapenos, olive oil, honey, and 1 teaspoon salt. I threw this into a large bag with the chicken breasts. It says to leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. I threw it into the fridge for 5 hours until it was time to cook.
* Throw into the oven at 425F, skin-side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Pour the marinade on top, and add the pieces of butter on top and sprinkle with salt (I added ground pepper too)
* Roast the chicken, until the skin is amber. I left mine in for about half an hour, but if you use the half chickens, you'll need to go for at least 45 minutes. Thigh meat should register 160F with a meat thermometer.
* Serve on platter with drizzled pan juices and perfectly cooked jalapeno strips (which are yummy on their own, according to Mindy, who ate most of them!)

Remember: Jalapeno soaked fingers do not feel good in your eye- wash your hands after handling- trust me!

Creamed Corn Casserole

Ingredients:
* Nonstick cooking spray
* 2 16-oz bags of frozen whole kernel corn. (I used one 8 oz bag yellow corn, and one 8 oz bag sweet white corn)
* 2 cups chopped red and/or green sweet peppers (I used both)
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 can condensed cream of celery soup
* 1 8-oz tub cream cheese spread with chive and onion flavoring or garden vegetable flavoring. (I used 4-oz of both- it was a great combo)
* 1/4 cup milk

To do:
* Coat 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Place corn in colander and run it through water to thaw.
* In saucepan, melt butter and add chopped onion and peppers. Cook until tender. Add corn and black pepper. (See picture above)
* In large bowl, combine the soup, cream cheese spread, and milk. Once combined well, add corn mixture. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
* Bake, covered, at 375F for 50-60 minutes until it is bubbly and heated through. (I let it sit and let the sauce thicken for about 5 minutes afterwards)