Ja cię kocham…

It’s a party up in here!  This time last year, I posted for the very first time and had no idea what was going to come of this blog.  Little did I know that I would have so many foodie friends (HUNDREDS of you!) and so much support!  Thank you!

And in celebration of Ja cie kocham’s birthday, I’m making chocolate covered pretzels – a boatload of them.   They are festive, easy to make, and I’m probably going to eat them all within a few days.

I’m also going to use this time to recap on some of my favorite recipes of the year:

Breakfast:

Peanut Butter and Banana French Toast – Heaven on a plate.  ‘Nuff said.

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Appetizer:

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms – What a crowd pleaser!  Make sure to double the recipe because these will be gone in minutes!

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Pizza:

Pear and Blue Cheese Pizza – Wish I would have thought of this one sooner!  Seriously melted in my mouth.  I could have eaten the whole pizza by myself.

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Sandwich:

Grilled Vegetable, Herb, and Goat Cheese Sandwich – Perfect for a picnic and requires no refrigeration!

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Chicken Dish:

North African Grilled Chicken Paillards – Add ethnic flare to your chicken with a few pantry staples!

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Lime Chile Steaks with Pico de Gallo and Homemade Guacamole – Home run dish.  Bursting with flavor and super healthy to boot!

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Vegetarian:

Lemon Chickpea Stir-fry – AMAZING.  Nothing is more gratifying than making a very healthy meal that is so full of flavor.  I had several people ask for the recipe because they loved it so much.

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Pasta:

Linguine with Bacon, Baby Spinach, and Sage – I found this recipe on the back of the pasta box.  Always check the back of boxes for recipes.  They tend to be real winners!

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Side Dish:

Grilled Pineapple with Agave Nectar (or Honey) and Coconut – Elegant, healthy, delicious!

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Cookie:

The best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER.  They were huge, fat, chewy, and absolutely sinful!

Thank you for spending time with me in my little corner of cyberworld this year.  Here’s to many more years together!

Image Courtesy of BettyCrocker.com

Wednesday was my adorable husband’s birthday, and we always like to cook for one another for our birthdays.  Anything the birthday boy or girl wants will be made.  I’m pretty easy because I ALWAYS want fettuccine alfredo on my birthday.  It is my all-time favorite food, and I only allow myself to have it on my birthday or very special occasions to keep it from getting old or boring.  This year Jay surprised me with Maggiano’s fettuccine alfredo the day I defended my thesis and official finished graduate school.  THAT was certainly a special occasion!

Since Jay’s birthday comes almost immediately after the holiday season, he wanted something light and healthy.  I accepted the challenge of making something healthy and keeping it special.

I googled “birthday dinners” and this recipe completely fell into my lap.  I was sold.  Jay is obsessed with chips and salsa so anything served with salsa is a winner in his book.  I added some extra ingredients to this recipe because it seemed to be a little bland on its own.  The dish was beautifully presented with lush fruit spilling over the chicken and bright green broccoli served on the side.  Broccoli is the birthday boy’s favorite vegetable.  (He’s easy to please.)

Happy Birthday, lovey!

Cornmeal Chicken with Peach Salsa

Source: Betty Crocker

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Salsa:

3 cups frozen peaches, chopped, then thawed
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste

Chicken:

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 Tbs. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs. olive oil or grapeseed oil (grapeseed oil can be found at Trader Joe’s for $3)

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix all of the salsa ingredients, cover, and put in refrigerator until serving time.

In a shallow dish, mix all of the dry ingredients.  Add oil to large skillet set to medium-high heat.  Coat chicken in cornmeal mixture and place in skillet for 15-20 minutes (or when juices run clear in thickest part of the chicken), flipping only once.  Serve with salsa on top.

Serve any leftover salsa with tortilla chips!

Today is my last day of Christmas Break.  After a glorious week and a half filled with family, friends, pajamas, Wii games, and of course FOOD, it’s time to look towards 2010 with determination, spirit, and excitement.

I tell myself that I will get up a little earlier in the morning so I can sit and enjoy my cup of coffee in my jammies.  It always sounds like such a great idea until that morning when the alarm goes off, and I know I have more time to sleep.  Apparently sleep is far higher on the priority list than my morning coffee in the kitchen.

Looks like I have to take my travel mug and sip it while going to work…

Santa was very good to me and brought me an embroidered travel mug, clipboard, and lunchbox. It may seem crazy… but I’m an elementary school teacher.  I’m allowed to get cutesy things like this!  Pink fuzzy pens and cute sparkly stickers and picture frames are also widely accepted in my world filled with five, six, and seven year olds…

Plus, you know you want my travel mug.

This New Year brings me much excitement.  My little sister Emily is getting married in April and Jay and I are taking a long overdue summer vacation to Cape Hatteras, NC with a wonderful group of friends.  This means that I need to get healthy – well, healthier.  I’ve always been really good at eating my fruits and vegetables, but now I need to put those cookies down.  Well not all of the cookies… I can still have a cookie, right?

Let’s start with a healthy and incredibly filling breakfast!   What better way to start your day than with bright, vibrant fruit, and oatmeal.  I always mention that oatmeal needs to be loved.  If you leave it unloved, it can be bland and just flat-out disappointing.  Love your oatmeal and it will love you back.

I really enjoyed this breakfast but my only concern was the time it took to make it.  This is a perfect weekend breakfast, but for those of you that are like me and sleep to the last possible second before getting ready for your day’s events, you won’t have time to make this.  Although you could make it the night before and warm it in the oven while your in the shower in the morning.   That’s a thought.  Maybe I’ll try that tomorrow!

Baked Apple with Oatmeal

Source: Oprah.com

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lemon, cut in half
4 large red apples
3/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter (optional, I omitted this)
1 3/4 cups milk or water for cooking oatmeal
1 cup oatmeal
fruit and nuts of choice to mix into oatmeal – dried fruit, fresh berries, almonds (optional)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar (I omitted this)
Whipped cream, optional

Reserve all cut-away pieces. Place carved apples in lemon water. Chop cut-away apple pieces into small chunks, removing any core or seeds. Toss with 3 tablespoons honey and cinnamon; set aside.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  Here is a quick peek at the gorgeous table scape courtesy of my beautiful mother, Patti.

Hi, Mom!

My pictures are a little fuzzy and dark because I was making sure to keep an eye on the food.  Post-picture taking, I realized that my lens was covered with steam.  So I apologize for the lack of crisp pictures.  (I am a bit of a perfectionist…)

I am so thrilled to report that dinner was a hit, and I didn’t serve cold macaroni and cheese!  My biggest fear was the timing of all of the food because I didn’t want to serve my loved ones cold ham and crusty macaroni and cheese.  With help from Ma and Papa Zigs, dinner went without a hitch!  Thank you, Ma and Paps!!

Prior to the main meal, I made some “snicky snacks” or as my Polish Poppy used to refer to them as “hordy doors”.  Ja cie kocham, Poppy!!  Miss you.

A cookie display filled with Nigella’s Chocolate Christmas Cookies, shortbread, gingerbread, homemade chocolate covered pretzels, and caramel bites.  I added a little Chocolate Soynut Butter (sadly, I couldn’t find Nutella, but this work just as well) for the shortbread.

Tzatziki made with my Homemade Greek Yogurt served with Crudites lovingly prepared by my sister and Cleanliness is Next to Godliness Food blogger, Emmy.

We also offered piping hot coffee and warmed mulled apple wine.

Here is my hubby, Jay, partaking in the warmed beverage.  Hi, honey!

And here I am just loving life and my 14 year old doggie, Cricket.

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And now for the main course all served on my Nana’s China:

Holiday Glazed Ham prepared by me and Smoked Turkey prepared by Papa Zigs

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Pineapple Filling

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Homemade Scalloped Potatoes made by Mama Zigs

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Simply Baked Macaroni and Cheese

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Cucumber Salad (one of Poppy’s specialties)

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Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Sage of which I totally forgot to take a picture!

Photo courtesy of www.jewcy.com

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Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Ginger

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And also – plain green beans for Mom Mom.  She loves her green beans!

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To avoid complete carb-overload, Mom made me a fresh fruit salad.

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And for dessert….

… a semi-homemade ice cream cake!

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Recipes of our Christmas bounty will come in the very near future.   For now, I am going to make a delicious breakfast with the leftovers…

Until we meet again, I again wish you health, wealth, and a big belly from good food!

I know, I know… I can’t get enough of fall flavors!  It’s too much fun.

Now that I’ve started a new job, I’m out the door in a hurry every blessed day.  Typically I have a banana, a granola bar, and coffee, but I’m in the mood for something a little different this week.  I actually had a free moment this afternoon and decided to whip up some bread.  This bread was far from high maintenance… I love recipes that are incredibly easy.   And it was just sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth but also just tart enough to keep things interesting.  It was perfect!!  Eat it warmed with a little butter and honey – it is delicious!

Whole Wheat Cranberry Bread

Source: Adapted from Blue Ridge Baker and Martha Stewart Every Day Food

Serves 8

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 bag (12 ounces) cranberries
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, for topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan (8-cup capacity), and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine butter, egg, and milk. Add wet mixture to dry mixture, and whisk to combine; fold in cranberries.

Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle top with turbinado sugar, if desired. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, about an hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let bread cool 30 minutes. Invert onto rack, then immediately turn right side up to cool completely.

Here is a little secret for you all.

I want a Canon Rebel XSi with a 100mm macro lens for Christmas.

I know what you’re thinking – “Keep dreaming…” – I know this, but a girl has to dream, right??  I’m getting pretty tired of mediocre pictures.  I made an amazing pre-Thanksgiving feast last night with pictures that do not do the meal justice whatsoever.  Boooo.  Boooo to you crappy pictures.

Even though the pictures of my meal are an absolute eye-sore, I am posting anyway.  The recipes are too good, too healthy, and too easy to ignore.  So I say just cringe at the crappy pictures and move on.  I will try my very best to do the same.

It’s November, and you know what that means, right?  Thanksgiving is just around the corner!  I cannot wait to gorge myself with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and more!!  Just the thought of Turkey Day makes my mouth water.  I decided to have a pre-Thanksgiving dinner for the hubby and I just to get into the spirit of the holiday season.  This meal consisted of recipes from the Clean Eating Magazine, which I absolutely adore.   CE Mag makes fresh food and wholesome food seem so simple and appetizing.  No bland recipes here.  They are so full of flavor that you’re family won’t know how healthy they really are.

For my first post of the pre-Thanksgiving Feast, I am sharing the cranberry sauce.  It was done in 12 minutes, and it tastes soooo much better than the canned stuff.  Oh how I love recipes that are super easy… they make my world go ’round.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Ginger

Source: Clean Eating Magazine Nov/Dec 2009

Serves: 8 (or 4-6 hungry folks)

A much prettier picture courtesy of The Food Network and Tyler Florence

Ingredients:

12 oz. cranberries, fresh or frozen and defrosted
1 apple, cored and chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup honey (CE calls for raw)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh ginger, finely minced
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until cranberries break down, apples soften, and mixture thickens.

Stir often.

Transfer to a serving dish or storage container and allow to chill in fridge.  Serve at room temperature.

I went to the grocery store today so sweaty (I work outside at a camp), so tired (I work outside at a camp), and so not in the mood to do much when I got home.  Did I mention that I work outside at a camp?

I could barely put one leg in front of the other let alone think about dinner.  In my zombie-like trance (which is my fault since I am turning into an insomniac), I managed to muster up the energy to walk alllll the way to the back of the store to the recipe kiosk thingy.  I clicked on “healthy on a budget” and “steak”, and here you go.   Something I should have thought of before!   I cannot begin to tell you how simple it was to throw together and cook.  Just an FYI – I served the salad on the side rather than under the steak.

It’s funny because after the long walk to the back of the store, I realized that there was a recipe kiosk thingy right as I walked in.   How did I miss that one?

Steak with Pineapple Salsa

Source: Giant Recipe Solutions
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled, cored and chopped fresh pineapple
1 cup fresh orange slices, chopped OR 1 can mandarin orange sections, drained
1/2 cup red or green pepper, chopped
1/3 cup green picante sauce or green taco sauce (in the Ethnic or Goya section)
12 oz boneless sirloin steak
1/2 tsp. mexican seasoning or chili powder
1 Tbs. olive oil
6 cups torn mixed salad greens

Directions:

For the salsa, in a medium bowl gently stir together pineapple, oranges, bell pepper, and picante sauce.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Trim fat from steak and slice it thinly across the grain.

Sprinkle steak pieces with seasoning, toss evenly to coat.

In a large skillet, cook and stir half of the seasoned steak in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or to desired “doneness”.   Remove from skillet.

Repeat with the remaining steak.

Arrange salad greens on plate, top with steak and pineapple salsa.

Most mornings during the week I wake up so early that I don’t want to have breakfast.  Sounds bad, I know, but the reason is because if I eat at 5-5:30am, I’ll be ready for a full-blown lunch by 9am.  I try to hold off breakfast until 7… at least by then it’s a suitable breakfast time that allows me to have a noonish lunch.  Mind you my breakfast is a last minute thought every morning as I’m heading out the door.  “Oh crap, I need breakfast!”  Breakfast bars are my typical breakfast during the week.  As much as I love the convenience, it gets old.  I want something more substantial to start my day.

Then I met Muesli.

This recipe is wonderful because you mix all of the ingredients with the exception of the fruit in a bowl and let it sit overnight in your fridge.  When you wake up, you have a superbly healthy breakfast.

You can also make this an oatmeal.  By cooking the oats and milk for a minute, then throwing in the rest of the ingredients once the oats are  cooked, you can have a quick, gourmet-looking, hearty breakfast.  Your choice.  Muesli or Oatmeal.  I’ve done both and they are both good.

Pick your favorite milk – soy, skim, almond, rice (or just water)…
Pick your favorite nuts and dried fruits – almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, craisins, golden raisins…
Pick your favorite fresh fruit – nectarines, peaches, cherries, apples, pears…
Mix in some coconut flakes and brown sugar (optional)

And you will have a delicious breakfast!

Coconut and White Nectarine Muesli

Ingredients:

Adapted from Daily Unadventures in Cooking

Serves 2-3

1 cup oats
1 cup soy milk or milk of your choosing
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons golden raisins and dried cranberries
2 tablespoons almonds
1 tablespoon flax (optional)
1 fresh nectarine
2 cherries for garnish

Directions:

Combine all of above up except nectarines and stir. Cover and put in the fridge overnight. In the morning chop up your fruit and serve on top.
**This will not be super sweet.  If you prefer it to be sweeter add some brown sugar on top.**

It’s pouring.  It’s dark and gloomy.  And I am lazy.  So lazy in fact that I didn’t take the normal 40-50 pictures of my food for you.  I took 3.  And they were all “eh”.  But it’s a lazy Sunday so I’m sure that you can forgive me.  Will you forgive me?

As lazy as I am on dark and rainy weekend mornings, I still want my big, cozy meal.  What is cozy and filling without all the fuss?  Pancakes, my friends.  The answer is pancakes.

You can do one of two things.  Create your pancakes from scratch like I did with my Homemade Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Frosting OR get out your pancake mix (mine happened to be the Fiber One Complete Pancake Mix) and add a little love to it.  My love of choice for this morning was fresh blueberries, lemon zest, vanilla and cinnamon.

My little fluffy pancakes tasted like a gourmet chef made them.  Mind you they TASTED gourmet-ish but the appearance was that of a lazy wife trying to squish all of her pancake batter into her large skillet at once.

Try it!  Give your pancake mix a little love next time.  You won’t regret it – even on your laziest of days.

Blueberry Pancakes with Lemon Zest

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 1/2-2 cups of pancake batter
handful fresh blueberries
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

Mix all ingredients into a medium bowl and cook pancakes as directed.  Top with confectioner’s sugar and extra lemon zest.

Trader Joe’s is by far my favorite grocery store.  Besides the local produce stands, which I LOVE, Trader Joe’s is the best!  They have the best selection of wild fish that I have ever seen.  I prefer wild fish because there aren’t color injections (C’mon, is the salmon in the grocery store naturally THAT pink??), the fish get to swim in wide open spaces preventing disgusting stuff from infiltrating the flesh, and there is less fat.   The more I think about it, the more grossed out I am with farm-raised fish.

I have never had red snapper before, and I have never cooked it before.  That being said, I am not sure how I feel about it.  It tasted wonderful, but the consistency was a little off to me.  The meat didn’t flake off of the skin like other fish usually does.  I cooked it for well over the time that the package called for, and it still was gummy.  Maybe that’s how the fish is.  I don’t know.

Regardless of the consistency of the fish, the sauce I made to go with it was awesome!!  It could easily be used on salmon, mahi mahi, catfish, flounder, crab, shrimp…etc. etc.  (All the fish that I have cooked and have enjoyed thoroughly.)

If you are familiar with red snapper and enjoy it, then by all means make this recipe verbatim.  If you’re a little unsure because of my testimony, then by all means substitute the snapper for another type of fish.  Just TRY to use wild fish if you can. 

Red Snapper with Orange Chipotle Butter Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 red snapper fillets
4-5 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. chipotle pepper seasoning, divided
1-2 Tbs. orange juice (I like mine freshly squeezed)
3 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Add flour and half of the chipotle pepper to a large plate.  Mix well.

Preheat medium-sized skillet to medium-high.  Add olive oil.

Pat fillets dry with paper towel.  Dunk both sides with flour mixture and place in skillet skin side up first.  Cook 4-6 minutes on each side.  Place on platter.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Mash butter, orange juice and remainder of chipotle pepper together.  Gently place a generous amount on each fillet.  Garnish with cilantro.