March 15, 2018
by Ashley
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Fried Zucchini & Mushrooms

We decided to fry some chicken the other night and since we were already frying….I thought this would make fantastic appetizers. They were great!

Fried Zucchini & Mushrooms

1 large zucchini
4 mushrooms
3 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt

Cut the zucchini into 3 inch pieces, like a french fry. Cut the mushrooms in half or quartered if large. You will need three bowls. In one bowl add the flour, one bowl for the eggs, and one for the breadcrumbs. Add the seasonings to the breadcrumbs – garlic, paprika and salt. Whip the eggs together with a whisk or blender. Prepare a baking sheet with a silpat and set aside. Bread the vegetables in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs. Set on the lined baking sheet and continue until everything has been breaded. Now this part is important…put the baking sheet into the refrigerator and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, fry until golden.

I love horseradish sauces with fried things, so made up this quick sauce to go along with this.

3 tbsp cream style horseradish
2 tbsp mayo
black pepper

March 13, 2018
by Ashley
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Salsa Chicken

I was at my brother and sister-in-laws house the other day and saw them throw a few ingredients into their crockpot. I didn’t get the recipe, so made something up when I got home. This is a great lunch for me so I can grab a jar and go.

Salsa Chicken

1 bag (40oz) Chicken Tenders, frozen (I like the Aldi brand)
24oz jar mild salsa
2 tsp adobo seasoning
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups chicken broth

2 cups beans (I used kidney beans, but black beans would have been great too)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 lime, juiced

Get out the crock pot! Put everything from chicken tenders to 2 cups chicken broth in the slow cooker. Cook for about 4 hours, or until the chicken shreds. Add in 2 cups beans, 2 more cups of chicken broth and lime juice. Serve!

This can be served in different ways…if you leave out the additional chicken broth, you can serve the chicken as tacos with corn tortillas, or with nachos, or over rice. I like the soup version so I add the broth.

March 11, 2018
by Ashley
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Breakfast Risotto

I woke up dreaming about rice pudding this morning…

Breakfast Risotto with Cherries

1 tablespoon butter
2 apples, peeled and chopped (I like pink lady apples)
1.5 cups arborio rice
6 oz apple juice
4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/3 cup craisins
2 tablespoons flax meal
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 pinch salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup walnuts

1 bag frozen cherries
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Melt the butter in a dutch oven. Add in the apples and saute for about 3 miutes.

Add in the rice and stir. Add in craisins, flax, chia seeds, salt, sugar, walnuts and apple juice and stir until jucie has been absorbed. Add in one cup of almond milk and stir until liquid has been absorbed. Add remaining milk, one cup at a time until thick and creamy. This usually takes about 25 – 30 minutes to complete.

In a separate sauce pan, add in the frozen cherries and water and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add in sugar (to your taste) and cornstarch. When you add the cornstarch, add only to the watery part of the mixture so it is easier to incorporate into the sauce. Stir until thickened.

Serve the risotto with the cherries poured over the top.

March 2, 2018
by Ashley
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Aviation Cocktail

One of our favorite drinks!

1 1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Luxardo Marashino Liquor
1/4 oz Creme de Violette

Build all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake for 10 seconds.

Strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass.

Serve garnished with a lemon twist.

February 28, 2018
by Ashley
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Chicken Gumbo

We loved this Gumbo. Add as much or as little spice as you want. I took out the basic stew and set it aside for the kids. THEN I added the hot stuff.

Chicken Gumbo

6-8 raw chicken tenderloins, chopped (or chicken breast)
1 onions, chopped
2 green onions, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp oregano, dried
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1 bay leaf
2 tsp worchestershire
1/2 tsp thyme
14oz bag frozen Okra

4 red hot chilis
1 tsp hot chipotle ground red
1 tsp cayanne

Use a dutch oven or heavy bottom pan. Saute chicken with a little oil. Remove once browned. Add in the chopped onion, green pepper and celery and let cook down for about 5 minutes. Add in the diced tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add in seasonings and broth. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in the Okra and simmer again for 15 minutes. This is when I removed a portion for me kids, and then added the heat in. Chopped chilis, cayanne, jalapenos, habaneros. Anything that you enjoy and to your spice level.

February 23, 2018
by Ashley
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Cornbread

This is my favorite cornbread recipe that I have used. I keep going back to it over and over again. We love it with a little honey butter on the top.

Cornbread

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400°F. I used a square silcone pan, but you can use a round pan as well. If you use metal, make sure to grease the pan first.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in
egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the
center of the loaf comes out clean.

January 28, 2018
by Ashley
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English Muffins Again

New year, new recipe. We have a lazy Sunday morning I woke up dreaming of English Muffins. It has been quite a while since I last made them, and I decided today was the day. As I was standing in the kitchen, I realized I did not have all of the ingredients that I need to do my fast english muffin recipe. So instead of giving up, I am trying something new!

New English Muffins

1 cup 2% milk
2 tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 cup water
4 tbsp butter
6 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt

Microwave the milk in a pyrex for about 2 minutes or until small bubbles start forming on the side of the pyrex. Stir in the sugar into the milk and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the yeast and water and let sit for 10 minutes.

Melt the butter. In a mixer, combine half of the flour with the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Add in the remaining flour and salt. Knead until smooth. Place into a greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled. About 1 1/2 hours.

Punch the dough down and roll out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut english muffins with a large biscuit cutter. Set muffins on silpat or wax paper lightly coated with cornmeal. I was able to make 20 english muffins from this recipe. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat an electric skillet to 350°F. Cook for 8 minutes per side. When you open, use a fork around the outside instead of a knife. This will help keep the nooks and crannies open.

I served with homemade jam and curd.

November 9, 2017
by Ashley
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Candy Cookies

This year we ended up with an incredible amount of halloween candy. The kids only walked two blocks away with each side street attached and came back with full buckets. Since we are headed to a party this weekend, I figure this is the perfect time to get ride of some of this candy. I found a recipe online, and changed it to accommodate what I had on hand. I decided to skip the butter since these things are full of candy, and replaced it with pumpkin instead.

Candy Cookies

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp pumpkin
1 tbsp canola oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup chopped leftover halloween candy

October 23, 2017
by Ashley
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Mini Sugar Pies

Portugal has great mini pies that Lisbon is known for. They reminded me of my grandma’s sugar pie that she would make for us for every family gathering. As I was looking through cookbooks recently, I found a recipe that I based this off of. They are really quick and very easy.

Mini Sugar Pies

Make a quick puff pastry.

Puff Pastry

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
6 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2+ cup water

Custard Filling

1 cup vanilla greek yogurt
3 eggs
zest of orange (1 tsp)
2 tbsp powdered sugar

Mix ingredients together in your stand mixer. Once dough comes together, turn out onto a silpat on the counter. Roll out with a floured rolling pin. Dot with another 4 tbsp softened butter and fold dough over like an envelope. Roll out, turn and roll again. Put in the fridge for 15 minutes while you create the custard for the inside of the pies. After 15 minutes, roll out dough three more times. If you have time, let it sit in the fridge for another 15 minutes. I did not give myself enough time, so I continued on. Roll out to a rectangle shape and sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll into a long tube (similar to cinnamon rolls) and cut into rolls. I got 9 from this recipe. Push down into buttered cupcake tins and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Once they start looking golden. Take them out and pour in the filling. Bake for 15 minutes until set. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon.

You can double the dough recipe if you would like to. I ended up with three custard dishes and 9 pies. The kids will more likely eat just the custard, so this works well for us.

October 20, 2017
by Ashley
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Incredibly Quick Bread

This bread can be made in moments. We saw Jamie Oliver do this in one of his cooking shows. So I recreated it with items that I had in my kitchen. It is super fast, and almost as good as the fussy naan that I have tried to make.

Incredibly Quick Bread

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cup greek yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil

I mixed everything together. If a little too dry, add a little more olive oil. Roll out on a floured surface and split into four. Heat a cast iron skillet, dry, and place two of the quick breads in to cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip and let finish cooking another 1 1/2 minutes. Take out and finish batch. I served with Chicken Tikka Masala, but you could use them for anything really.