Bourbon Chicken Stirfry - Without the Bourbon

Mmm... sweet and sour. I love how the flavors compliment each other and when I came across this Bourbon Chicken Recipe I had to try it out. (FYI There is no Bourbon in Bourbon chicken)

Bourbon Chicken over Rice – without the Bourbon!
Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders (12 to 15)
2 Tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon garlic
1/4 Cup apple or pineapple juice (I used Apple)
1/3 Cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 Cup water
1/3 Cup soy sauce
pinch red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

1.Cut your chicken into small 1-2 inch pieces . TIP: Dry the chicken really well before you cut it up so it will brown up beautifully and you don't get a pan full of chicken juice.
2. Heat up a large skillet over medium high heat. Once it is hot, pour 2 Tbsp Olive Oil into it.
3. Add your chicken pieces to the pan and let them cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine 1 tsp garlic, 1/4 C apple or pineapple juice, 1/3 C brown sugar, 2 Tbsp ketchup, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/2 C water, 1/3 C soy sauce, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 1 T cornstarch. Whisk it all together until the cornstarch is dissolved and all ingredients are well combined.
6. When your chicken has a nice brown sear on some of the piece pour the sauce into the pan. Stir it around to cover all the chicken pieces.
7. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pan with the lid at an angle to allow some of the steam to escape. Let this baby simmer away for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times during the cooking period. If the sauce gets a bit too thick, simply add a tablespoon or two of Chicken broth to thin it.
8. Serve over white or brown rice.

Enjoy!

Grilled Ham, Cheese and Apple Sandwich

Last week my hubby was out of town so I took the opportunity to make a simple dinner for me and my boys.
We love, love, love grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. I thought I would kick it up a notch with a little something extra - Black forest ham and Gala Apples.

Enjoy!!

Ingredients

(make 3 Sandwiches)
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Gala apple, peeled and sliced.
6 slice of bread (I used grainy bread)
Enough cheddar cheese to cover each Sandwich
9 slices of black forest ham

Directions

 1. Melt butter in pan and add apples, cook until starting to brown and soften. Remove and set aside.

 

2. Place ham in pan and fry until it gets a little color. Remove and set aside.

3. Construct sandwich, slice of bread, Ham, Cheese, apple then top with second piece of bread.

4. Place back in frying pan and cook until cheese has melted and bread gets some color.

ENJOY!!

Really Simple Rice Pilaf

When my husband and I were first married I would make him Rice-a-Roni (The San Francisco treat) on a regular basis. I know, I know, it's not healthy, but we were young and broke, and it was easy, cheap and tasty.
Needless to say, I stopped that habit years ago, but I still love the combination of pasta and rice so when I came across this recipe on - you guessed it - Pinterest I was so excited.
I made a few changes and added a few extra ingredients and it turned out great. Even Angelo (who eats nothing that touches) didn't mind the onions and green peppers.

Ingredients

1 tbsp Butter
1 onion diced
1/2 green pepper diced (you can use more if you want)

1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Orzo Pasta (it looks like rice grains only a little fatter)
1 cup Long Grain Rice

2 1/4 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Water

Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Melt butter on medium in a sauce pan until hot and bubbly. Add the onions and green pepper and fry until the onions are starting to get a pretty golden brown

2. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.

3. Melt the second amount of butter and olive oil. Add the orzo pasta and “fry” until lightly golden in colour.

4. Add the cup of rice, stir until the rice is just getting a little colour to it. Add back in the vegetables and stir.

5. Pour in the chicken broth and water, stir and bring back to a boil.

6. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a heavy lid and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

7. Remove from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve!


We had it with a roasted chicken and salad and it was TASTY! As an added bonus I have leftovers for lunch and it tastes good hot or cold.

Russian Chicken with a Twist!

Growing up I remember many dinners at my mom's house,my little siblings (Who I lovingly referred to as the butt-nabs) running around and the smell of Russian chicken, rice and veggies making the house smell incredible!

So now that I have my own little butt-nabs I am carrying on the tradition of the Russian Chicken - but with a twist. (AKA I didn't have all of the ingredients called for so I MacGyvered)

Sweet and tangy  this chicken is SOOO easy.

Ingredients

13 chicken thighs (it's a weird number - but it was the number in the package)  (I used bone in, skin on last time, but skinless would be just as good)
1 package dry french onion soup mix
2 cups Russian dressing (I like Kraft Russiandressing)
1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
2 TBSP Honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Season each thigh with salt and pepper and place in cooking pan
3. Mix the onion soup mix, russian dressing, balsamic vinegar and honey together and pour over the chicken evenly.

4. Bake for 1 hour. (don't over do it - I accidentally cooked it a little long - Which is why it's a little dark)

Beef Stew - YES PLEASE!

Growing up I loved beef stew - the big chunks of creamy potato, sweet carrots, and tender fall apart beef, all in a tasty gravy.  YUMMO! As an added bonus the house smells delish all day.

You can cook it in a slow cooker or in the oven. so if you prep the night before you can just throw it into the slow cooker and turn in on the morning, when you get back from work - voila - dinner is ready!

 Usually I use mushroom soup in the recipe but today - Despite having 15 cans of cream of tomato soup I had zero cans of mushroom.

Never fear - I googled it and came up with a replacement. I will use this "MacGyvered" version today. (For those that don't know what MacGyvered is - basically anytime you don't have what you need you make it out of things on hand.)

Ingredients

2 lbs stewing beef
6 potato, peeled, cut in half lengthwise then each half cut in 4 equal pieces
4 carrots, peeled and cut in chunks about the same size

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup beef broth
1 cup milk

2 cans tomato soup
1 envelope onion soup mix

1/2 cup frozen peas - Thawed out (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F
2. Place beef, potato, carrots in roasting pan. (or slow cooker)
3. Melt butter in small sauce pan and add the flour, simmer on med until the mixture turns golden. Add broth and bring to a boil until it thickens then reduce heat to med - low. Add milk and stir continually until it thickens again. (this is a basic Roux/Rue - Fancy I know!!)

After adding the broth to the flour and butter

After it thickens and looks like a gravy

After adding milk

After it thickens with the milk

4. Mix tomato soup and onion soup mix in a medium size mixing bowl. Add the Roux to the soup mixture and pour over the meat and veggie mixture.

After mixing the soups and roux together

Pour the sauce mix over the meat and veggies

5. Cover and bake at 300F for 1 hour, then reduce to 200F for 6 hours. (LOW and SLOW makes it the TASTY!)  If you're making it in a slow cooker cook it on low for at least 6 hours.

6. For the last 20 mins add in the frozen peas and let warm through.



Serve with some buns - SO TASTY!

VARIATION:

If you do have 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup go ahead and skip the fancy Roux step and just mix it with the onion soup mix and tomato soup.

Warm Chili on a Cold day

Today I can feel Fall in the air. It's grey, raining and cold, what a perfect day to curl up with a warm bowl of Chilli topped with some yummy Cheddar Cheese!

 

Here is my recipe for some stick to your ribs Chili. It's a HUGE batch, but you can add it onto your nachos, rice, fries, hotdogs, etc. 

I use lots of different kinds of beans because I love the different textures and bite of each of them.

Ingredients:

2 onions chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 cup chopped bell peppers (I used a mixture of red, yellow and green)

2lb Lean Ground Beef
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Ground Cumin

2 cans (540ml each) Dark Red Kidney Beans. (Drained)
2 cans (540ml each) Pinto Beans (Not Drained)
1 can (540ml each) Navy Beans (Drained)
1 can (540ml each) Chick Peas (Drained)
1 can Aylmer Accents Diced Tomato's (for Chili)
1 can (796ml) Diced Tomato
1 can (796ml) Stewed Tomato
1 can (680ml) Tomato Sauce (I use Hunts)
2 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp White Sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F & Spray a large fry pan lightly with Pam.  Heat pan over medium high, until warm, add onions, celery, garlic and peppers and fry until onions start to brown.

Before

After

2. Remove Veggies from pan and set aside.
3. Add ground beef to pan and scramble fry until cooked through.

4. Add the veggies back to the meat, 2 tsp Chili Powder, 1 tsp Ground Cumin  and let hang out over low for 5 minutes.

5. In a roasting pan mix all of the beans, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce until well combined.

6. Add the meat and veggies mixture to the beans and add the 2 tbsp Chili Powder,1 tbsp Ground Cumin, 2 tsp White Sugar, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

7. Cover tightly with tinfoil and bake in oven for at least 2 hours. (the longer the better)

8. Top with Cheddar Cheese and Enjoy!!

Spinach Dip

My go to appetizer for any event is Spinach Dip. I love it, my family loves it, my friends love it!
So here's my recipe for the tastiest Spinach Dip ever!!

Ingredients

See all that lovely Spinach, Cheese and Bacon!

1 brick cream cheese, (softened at room temperature)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 package (16oz) frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained really well)



 1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup bacon
2 tbsp green onion chopped

1 sour dough bread loaf
extra bread for dipping.

Directions

1. Cream the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise together until smooth. Add the spinach, cheddar cheese, bacon and green onions and mix until blended. I taste the dip at this point to adjust the flavor. Sometimes I add an extra bit of mayo, other times I add a bit more sour cream. Basically when I taste it, if I want to keep eating it, I know it's good!

2. Slice off the top of the sourdough loaf. Hollow out the bread so it becomes a bread bowl.

3. Fill the bread bowl with the spinach dip and put the top slice back in place.

 

4. Wrap the bread load with tin foil tightly.

5. Bake the loaf at 375F for about 40 minutes (or until the dip is warmed through and the cheese has melted)

6. Serve with the extra bread. *NOTE: you can also bake the dip in a small casserole dish too.

Chicken enchiladas with creamy avocado sauce

I love avocados, they are so rich and creamy I love adding them to everything from smoothies to hotdogs (yes I said hotdogs!)
That's why I came across this recipe I couldn't resist. I have made a few changes to the original recipe to suit my family's taste. (you can find the original here)

Creamy Avocado Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

Creamy Avocado Sauce Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can diced green chilies
2 California avocados, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of one lime

Enchilada Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
8-10 flour tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (I usually boil the chicken and then shred it)
2-3 cups Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (Sometimes I combine shredded Mozzarella and Cheddar)
optional garnish: fresh cilantro, sour cream, and/or shredded cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F.
Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish.

Start by making the Creamy Avocado Sauce:

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the flour, whisking until golden and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Slowly whisk the broth into the flour mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the sour cream, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper, whisking if necessary to remove any lumps.
4. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a blender. Add chilies, avocados, cilantro and lime juice, and pulse until smooth and well-blended. (Be very careful blending hot liquids — the heat will expand! So be sure to remove the lid occasionally so that the heat can escape.) Season with additional salt or pepper if needed.

Assemble the Enchilada's

1. To assemble the enchiladas, place a tortilla in the baking dish.
2. layer on some shredded chicken and cheese.
3. Spread a tablespoon or two of the avocado sauce down the middle of the tortilla.Carefully roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish.

4. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
5. Drizzle the top with about half of the remaining avocado cream sauce  and cheese then bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until tortillas are heated through and begin to harden.

5. Remove from the oven, then serve individual enchiladas drizzled with the remainder of the avocado cream sauce. You can also garnish with additional cilantro, cheese, and/or sour cream.

Happy International Bacon Day!

Today is International Bacon Day and I thought I would do my part by writing a post about my favorite breakfast side dish.

I always hated it when I would make breakfast but not be able to join my family because I was standing at the stove frying bacon. (and getting burned for my effort) Then one day, years ago, my friend showed me the light! Why not bake the BACON!? CRAZY I know - but the result was tasty, crispy bacon, and as an added bonus you can cook an entire package of bacon at once.

So today, in my ode to International Bacon Day here is the easiest, tastiest way to cook bacon.

Do you see how beautiful that bacon is!?

Ingredients

Bacon
Parchment paper (or Tin foil)
Cookie sheet

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Cover the cookie sheet with parchment paper (or tin foil)
3. Place bacon on the paper, leaving a little space in between the pieces.

make sure to leave a little space or the bacon pieces will stick together

4. Bake for 20 minutes,  (I like my bacon crispy, if you don't, cook it for a shorter time)

That's it! 4 steps to the yummiest bacon ever!

Do you have a great bacon recipe? Submit it in the comments for your chance to win a great BACON prize!!

Happy International Bacon Day!!

It's been too long

Wow, so I have seriously dropped the ball and I'm very sorry. It has been far too long since I wrote a post, but there was a very good reason for this.
We had our baby Alessio Baptized this past Sunday. It took me a few weeks to get everything made and ready for the big day. (I made a lot of the decorations, so while it added stress, it saved money.)

Here's a little post about the day.

The theme was a "Country meets Circus with a little Blue and Green sprinkled on top".

The Decor

Triangle banners
Pinwheel Center piece
The wish tree
Large outdoor event tent. (we rented it)

The Food

Hotdogs and burgers
Easy Peasy Baked Beans
Coleslaw
Fruit
Veggies
Spinach Dip
Raspberry Vanilla cupcakes with Fresh Lemon Butter cream
Chocolate Cupcakes with Turtle Caramel cream

Candy buffet

It was a perfect day, we had about 25 people over after a beautiful Baptism service.

Easy Garlic Chicken

This is quite possibly one of the tastiest, easiest, quickest chicken recipe's I've ever had. Make lots because you will definitely want leftovers!

Ingredients
1Tbsp cooking oil (I used canola)
6 garlic cloves garlic (minced)
6 Tbsp Brown Sugar
6 Chicken Breast

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 500F. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and place chicken breast in dish.
2. Heat oil in small sauce pan on medium, add garlic and cook until just fragrant and just getting brown, remove from heat. (Don't burn, burnt garlic tastes bitter)
3. Add brown sugar to oil/garlic and mix until combined.
4. Spread mix on each chicken breast evenly.
5. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, baste with juices from pan and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes.

That's it! It's so good, we had it with salad and it was so good!