What's cooking good looking!!

Each week I am going to recap some of my favorite meals and recipe links! I am starting to get into more of a routine with cooking/grocery store shopping which has resulted in lots of new culinary delights and some frustration

This past week I have made...

First up was ... I saw this German Sausages with Quick Kraut and Curry Ketchup recipe on the October Martha Stewart issue. It was easy (I cheated by buying shredded cabbage, carrots and chopped onions!!). Super easy to make however I didn't realize the sausages were supposed to be cooked until after the cabbage/combo was ready. Whoops! Check out the recipe here...

Wednesday night I broke out the Crock Pot to try Carolina Charm's recipe for chicken enchilada soup. I should have put the crock pot away when I realized I forgot the first ingredient of chicken stock. Well I was able to make it back from the grocery store in time so that it would be ready around 7. This was super easy to prep especially since I bought the vegetable ingredients chopped. Towards the end I added the cojita cheese which I never used before. Anyway, since it was a late dinner we were starving by the time it was finished. And it was soooooo hot we couldn't really enjoy the flavors. But let me tell you that cojita cheese adhered to my bowls and serving spoons like you wouldn't believe. I had to go out and buy a new scraper sponge and I still feel like my ladle has the cheese still on it. Needless to say I am afraid to reheat the leftovers after I had such a hard time cleaning up after our first serving. My recommendation is definitely make this but leave out the cojita cheese!!

Next up we went back to Martha Stewart with a Pizza with Kielbasa, Apple and Cheddar Pretzel Tart recipe. So again this was a user error. I wanted my pizza stone to get hot for a crispy crust even though the recipe called for using a jelly pan/cookie sheet. Well... What I didn't think about was how to get the pizza from the peel to the stone. Anyway we ended up with this discrete...

Haha so it is not the prettiest but the tastes were still delicious!!

And for dessert...

Fresh Mint, Beet, and Grilled Chicken Salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing

Yesterday was a busy day! I had to drive my husband to the airport and then ran a few errands at the South Park Mall, and may have also done some shopping. By the time I got home I just wanted to make something simple for dinner.

I recently found a recipe for Fresh Mint and Beet salad with Lemon Dressing and decided that it would be perfect for dinner. I also had some grilled chicken and feta cheese that I thought would be a perfect addition.

For the grilled chicken I used a Meyer Lemon Peppercorn Rub I bought at William Sonoma last fall. Unfortunately they don't sell this rub anymore. I would maybe substitute with lemon pepper seasoning.

Also have you seen these prepackaged fresh beets? I know it is cheating not roasting them myself but they are so quick and easy when you want to be lazy!

You can find the recipe for the salad and dressing here.  But here are the basics just in case...

To make the salad just add arugula, fresh beet, sliced cherry tomatoes, slivered almonds, and fresh mint. Once I started eating the salad I was thinking maybe a few kalamata olives might be tasty too! The dressing is simply Meyer lemon juice, olive oil, shallots, salt & pepper.

The entire meal took less than 30 minutes to make! And with the warm weather we are having in Charlotte it was the perfect summer dinner!

Happy Pinning!
By Jennifer Shelton

Cinco de Mayo Recap

So yesterday I posted the recipes I found on Pinterest for Cinco de Mayo! I just wanted to show some pictures and tips I learned from making the recipes. Unfortunately I didn't get to make the sombrero cookies! I bought the ingredients but got sidetracked earlier in the day and didn't put them together! I am sure I will dig into them later today!

To start I made the Cilantro Jalapeño Limeade which was so refreshing and great with tequila! Maybe next time I would try vodka. The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of sugar to make the simple syrup, because you also add agave nectar I might cut this back by half. I am not a fan of sweet drinks, and would rather be able to taste the jalapeño!

And I would fill the glasses with ice and not the pitcher like the recipe calls for. It was way too hard to pour and since it is 85 degrees outside the drinks got warm fast. I had to go back inside and get an ice bucket to cool the drinks!

 Cilantro Jalapeño Limeade

 Here are a few snapshots of our dinner! I tried to be festive and brought out some of the bowls that were purchased in Cabo San Lucas! I used margarita glasses to serve salsa and sour cream!

The turkey enchilada lasagna was so quick and easy to make. I might rename this recipe lazy man's enchiladas! I might add some diced jalapeños next time to give the dish a lil more kick. However, I love spicy food so the recipe is perfect as is if you are not a fan of spicy. Also, when I was putting together the lasagna I was afraid that their wasn't enough meat at all. But after baking it all came together really well. I also used an entire packet of cheese in the dish (i love cheese!!). It was delicious and served 4 people with 2 slices left for leftovers.

Turkey Enchilada Lasagna

Next up were the jalapeño cheddar popovers! All you need is a blender and you are all set. Basically you just blend all the ingredients and let it sit for 30 minutes. I used a popover pan, but the recipe calls for a muffin tin. I am sure that would work well too! And side note I totally forgot to add the butter (left it in the microwave) and they came out perfect. You can also add more cheese and jalapeños if you want them cheesier or spicier!

Jalapeño Cheddar Popovers

Really what is a Mexican meal without guacamole? I quickly made up some guacamole with the leftover ingredients I had from making the meal above! I also made a fiesta salad and served with Mexican rice (totally cheated and bought the kind you heat up in the microwave for 90 seconds)!!

During dinner we also had a guest! This lil lizard was hanging out on a lantern! 

And last but not least, we had to dress up our cat. Can you tell he is excited it is Cinco de Mayo?

Happy Pinning!
By Jennifer Shelton

Cinco de Mayo Inspiration

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! How is it May already?

Here are a few of the things I am thinking about making. I will let you know how everything turns out tomorrow.

Cilantro Jalapeño Limeade

This sounds delicious! I am going to try and recreate one of my favorite drinks from The Gallows in Boston called the Brazen Bull. The Gallows makes this drink with vodka, however since it is Cinco de Mayo thinking we might have to add tequila! Decisions decisions!!

Turkey Enchilada Lasagna

Okay okay, I know this isn't really fun. But it looks like it has slightly less fat then traditional enchiladas. We have to save our calories for the guacamole and chips!

Jalapeño Cheddar Popovers

Since we saved some calories using ground turkey, fat free cream cheese, and using whole wheat tortillas with our enchilada lasagna, we need to make sure we make up for it somewhere else. These popovers look so simple to make!

Sombrero Cookies

I am sure I can make something more authentic, however I am planning on spending most of my day sitting outside on the dock tomorrow reading a book. It is supposed to be 87 degrees here in North Carolina (sorry New Englanders) so I am taking a short cut with the dessert. Not to mention who is going to have room after eating dinner! Thinking of buying store bought sugar cookies, frosting in a can, sprinkles and gum drops!!

I will also make sure to put out some nacho chips, guacamole and salsa for everyone to snack on as well.

For additional ideas on what to make for Cinco de Mayo make sure to check out my Pinterest board.

What are you planning to make? Anyone have a favorite guacamole recipe they would like to share? Every time I make guacamole it comes out a little different. I like to experiment with what I have lying around in the fridge.

Happy Pinning!
By Jennifer Shelton

Dinner Ideas - Pesto Baked Ziti

My mother-in-law is still recovering from her hand surgery so I wanted to make something for dinner that was easy to eat (no knives required) and also something that would provide them with leftovers. I remember seeing a recipe for Pesto Baked Ziti and decided that I would try it out.

This was SUPER simple to make! Boiling water and making sure the sausage was cooked through was the hardest task!

The only tweaks I would make would be ...

• Use penne instead of ziti. I think the cheese and sauce would cling to the penne better. 
• In the directions they tell you to layer the pasta, meat, and cheese. I think stirring it in together would make me it slightly easier to serve and make sure you get even distribution of ingredients!

This recipe is from The Neelys and you can find it on my Pinterest Page.

SHOW: Down Home with the Neelys
EPISODE: That’s Amore
Ingredients:

• Salt
• 1lb ziti - (I personally am a huge fan of DeCecco pasta!)
• 1lb hot Italian turkey sausage, casing removed - I used regular Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped - to make things simpler I bought chopped onions at the grocery store (they were on sale!!)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes - debating on if next time I would add a 1.5 cans
• 6 ounces of pesto (I really should have made this homemade but I was being lazy!)
• 1 (9-ounce) package of washed spinach
• Butter, for baking dish
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, plus more for topping
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, plus more for topping

Directions: 

• Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
• Make pasta (remember to salt your water!!) and drain in colander
• In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté sausage. Add onion and garlic and sauté until sausage is cooked through. Make sure to break up the sausage so it resembles ground beef. Add the can of tomatoes and pesto. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. 

• While the sauce is simmering, in a separate bowl mix the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan in a separate bowl. 

• Butter a 4-quart baking dish, add the pasta, then sausage mixture and cheese mixture. Top with a sprinkle of mozzarella and Parmesan. 

• Bake completely through and golden and crisp on top, about 20 minutes. 

Would love to hear if you liked this recipe and any ideas on how to make it better!

Happy Pinning!
By Jennifer Shelton

Cleaning Out The Fridge - Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

This morning I was making breakfast and noticed that I had some brussels sprouts that I bought and forgot to use. I also had some chicken in the freezer and decided to look on Pinterest for some recipe ideas. I found this great recipe that myrecipes.com posted for chicken with brussels sprouts!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/167196204890509198/

I had most of the ingredients on hand and only had to make a few substitutions!! I didn't have apple cider so I used apple juice, and then to the brussels sprouts I cut up two apples. I am sure you can make this side dish and also serve with pork.

Ingredients

• 
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider (I used apple juice since I didn't have apple cider)
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard 
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I didn't have this on hand so I omitted)
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 Apples cubed (not in the original recipe but I added)

First pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. I used my Le Creuset pan to sear the chicken for 3 minutes in olive oil. I also salted/peppered the chicken the on each side before putting it in the oven to cook for 10-12 minutes. Be VERY VERY VERY careful when removing this pan. I had a normal potholder on my hand and it was too hot for me to hold. I had to use a glove potholder and then a regular pot holder.

In a separate pan, eat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts and apples; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup broth to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup broth and cider (I used apple juice); bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 4 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in mustard, 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley (if you have it!). 

I also served rice pilaf with the meal! It was delish!!

I could also see making this recipe with pork chops or pork loin as well! Definitely check this recipe out and let me know how you make this as well!

Happy Pinning!

By Jennifer Shelton

My Husbands Instruction Manual

When my husband and I first started dating he was craving meatloaf one night, and pulled out a binder. I asked him what it was and it was a collection of all his favorite foods his Mom used to make. One year for Christmas she printed out all of his favorite recipes and put them in a binder as a Christmas present. Isn't this the cutest idea ever?

My mother-in-law had hand surgery today so I wanted to do something special for her and decided to go to my husband's instruction manual to find a home cooked meal for her. Not to mention something that she didn't have to use a knife for. This is a recipe that her mother used to make for her. The key ingredient according to my father-in-law is the 80% lean meat!! As he says you want a layer of grease at the bottom of the pan while cooking. Good thing I knew this! Otherwise I may have tried to pass ground turkey instead of ground beef.

 The ingredients are simple and most of which you should have around the house.

• 2lbs Ground Beef (80% lean)
• 1 sleeve of saltine crackers crushed (I crushed in a plastic bag)
• 1/2 Chopped Green Pepper 
• 1/2 Chopped Red Pepper
• 1 Chopped Medium Onion
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup of Milk
• Salt and Pepper
• Ketchup

(I cheated here and bought a pre-chopped fajita mixture for the peppers and onions!!)

Don't forget to take off your rings before you start making this recipe! You don't want ground meat stuck in between your jewels!!

In large bowl, mix ground beef, onion, green and red pepper, eggs and milk. In a plastic bag, crush crackers until fairly fine and uniform in size. Add crackers to the meat mixture, along with salt and pepper. The key here is to NOT over mix the meat. You want to make sure it is combined but you don't want to handle the meat too much. 

Grease a baking dish, put meat mixture in baking dish and form into a log shape. Pour ketchup on top. Add about a 1/2 inch of water to baking dish, so the meatloaf is like an island. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-60 minutes. Make sure to cut into the middle and check for doneness. You don't want any pink in the inside!

And Voila! You have Paul's instruction manual meatloaf! I served with some homemade mashed potatoes and corn. 

Since my mother-in-law can't use her hand I also prepared for her some chicken salad for lunch! This is also from my husband's instruction manual. I chopped 2 cooked chicken breasts, added some mayo, pecans, celery, Craisins, and pepper. Super simple to make and now she has lunch for the next few days!! I forgot to mention I also brought her some bread as well to make sandwiches.

Last but not least I also made her Lemon Poppy and Coconut Choclate scones to eat for breakfast. I included some lemon curd as well to eat along with the scones. However, I forgot to take pictures!!

I know these recipes didn't come from Pinterest but I thought I would share some family recipes!

Tomorrow I am going to make my in-laws baked ziti with pesto! Super excited to try out this new recipe and I will make sure to report back!

Happy Pinning!!

By Jennifer Shelton