A Time of Change....

Jenn's Food Journey has finally come to that inevitable fork in the road.  It is time for this traveler to make a decision on whether to go down this road or that road.  The first road leads to continuing on as if nothing is about to change, which will bring on a ton of added stress.  The second road leads to the acknowledgement that things are changing rapidly and will be different from here on out. After months and months of trying to figure out which road to actually take, I have come to the conclusion that the second road is the one I must go down.   So, what does that mean for the journey?  Honestly, for now, it only means some time away.... a sort of hiatus if you please.  Times are definitely changing for me and blogging needs to take a backseat for the time being.  This has truly been a very hard decision to make.  Actually, I wasn't lying when I said it's taken me months and months.  I have been toying with the idea of putting my blog on hiatus since early October, but I have just had the hardest time truly letting go.  Blogging has not only been a great creative outlet for me, but it has helped me create some lasting friendships too.

It is time for me to be honest with myself though, and with a baby due in 10 weeks (or less for all I know), blogging must be put aside for now.  This is truly a sad day for me and I will probably regret the decision as soon as I hit the "publish" button...  but the great thing about the internet, I can always come back to it if I need/want to.  And, I hope to do just that sometime in the very near future.

To all of you who have stuck by me since the very beginning and to everyone who has come on more recently... Thank you so much!!!  You have been such wonderful support for me and I cannot tell you how much your comments and emails have brightened each and every one of my days.

To my close friends and family that have continued to read and support my blog... Thank you for your love and support.  You all know how much you mean to me and if not, email me or call me and I'll remind you :)

And of course, to Chris.... who's love and support and help with my blog has helped make this blog what it truly has become.  He is my rock and my love and I would have given up years ago without him.

I cannot truly say goodbye, as goodbye sounds too final... plus, for those of you that have blogs yourself, you know you'll see me out there because I can't wait to see what yummy new recipes you will share with the world!  So for now, with a heavy heart, I say so long and that I hope to be back soon, sharing my love for food with all of you!

Love and happy cooking to you all,
Jenn

Grilled Sriracha Honey Chicken

If there was ever a extremely simple, extremely flavorful grilled chicken recipe, it would be this one :)  I actually saw this recipe on Comfort of Cooking (thanks Georgia for the great idea) for baked chicken wings, but figured it would be made even easier, by grilling chicken breasts.  And, trust me when I say I was right.  Week night dinners don't get much easier than this!!!

Grilled Sriracha Honey Chicken
Adapted from Comfort of Cooking
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 Tablespoons Sriracha
2 1/2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.  Place in resealable plastic bag.  Mix together the Sriracha, honey and soy until well combined.  Pour over chicken, seal bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (the longer it marinates, the better it will be).

Clean and oil grill grates.  Place the chicken over direct heat and grill 8-10 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  Remove from grill and allow to rest 3-5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Favorite Recipe of the Day from Years Past:  Firecracker Chili

Saucy Creamer Potatoes

I'm actually shocked that I have never posted this recipe before.  I have been making these potatoes for years.  Okay, okay, so it's actually been a while since I've made them, so let me change what I just said to:  I FOUND this recipe a few years ago and can't believe I have never shared it with you. :)  It's a simple and delicious way to really jazz up your every day potato.

Saucy Creamer Potatoes
Adapted from Veg4health.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3/4 - 1 lbs red creamer potatoes, cut in half or quartered
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dried basil

Directions:
Place the cut potatoes in a microwave safe bowl and add 2 teaspoons of water.  Cover with plastic wrap and cook in microwave for 2 minutes.  Carefully remove the dish and shake so the potatoes get mixed around.  Place back in microwave and cook another 2 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost fork tender.  Carefully drain out any excess water and toss the potatoes with salt, pepper and enough olive oil to cover them.  Tear out a large piece of aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour the potatoes into the center of the foil and create a packet over them by pulling in opposite sides and folding.  Place potatoes on preheated grill and cook 8 minutes.  Carefully flip packet over and cook another 8-10 minutes.  Remove from grill and allow to rest.

Meanwhile, mix together the butter, sour cream, lemon juice and dried basil.  Pour the potatoes into a bowl and toss with mixture.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Favorite Recipe of the Day from Years Past:  Chicken Noodle Soup

Chinese Jalapeno Chicken

What can I say about this chicken dish?  It's so very simple.  It's got a little bite to it.  It's absolutely delicious!!  What more do you need to know?  Now, if you aren't into spicy, this might not be the dish for you, but if you love a little kick in your dinner... well, I highly recommend trying this recipe out.  I wanted to make it again the follow night.... okay, that could be the pregnancy speaking, but no matter.. It was good enough I wanted to eat it again, and that my friends, is always a good sign!!

Chinese Jalapeno Chicken
Adapted from Blogchef.com
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (or smaller)
2 Tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 teaspoon mirin
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon teriyaki sauce
2 jalapeno peppers, sliced
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
pinch of granulated sugar

Directions:
In a resealable plastic bag, combine the chicken and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch.  Shake well until the chicken is evenly coated.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the remaining cornstarch, mirin, rice vinegar, soy and teriyaki sauce until well combined.  Set aside.

In a deep non-stick skillet, heat the oil over high heat.  As soon as the oil starts to shimmer, turn the temp down to medium.  Add the chicken and quickly fry, stirring constantly, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Add the jalapenos and red pepper and stir fry 3 more minutes.  Add the garlic and stir fry 1 more minute.  Lower the heat to medium low and add the sauce mixture, stirring to coat everything.  Keep on heat until the sauce has thickened (about a minute or two).  Remove from heat.  Serve over rice and enjoy!

 

Favorite Recipe of the Day from Past Years:  The Witch's Marinated Chicken with White Wine and Parsley Aioli

Pasta Soup with Little Meatballs

One day, when I was thumbing through recipes I had ripped out of magazines, I stumbled across this delicious little soup.  The picture just made it look so warm and comforting, I couldn't get it out of my mind.  That same day, I noticed our weather was supposed to get a little cooler, so I put it on my menu plan to make on a Sunday afternoon.  It ended up being the perfect day for soup!  That doesn't happen as often around here as it does in other places of the country, so I love to take advantage of it when I can.

This soup was wonderful!  Okay, so I adore meatballs, so I might be a bit bias, but still.  If you love pasta and you love pasta with meatballs, you will not want to pass this soup up.  It's like a little bowl of soupy heaven!!

Pasta Soup with Little Meatballs
Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
For the meatballs -
1 slice white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 lbs 90% lean ground beef
For the soup -
8 oz dry elbow macaroni (2 cups)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
fresh chopped basil

Directions:
For the meatballs:  mash the bread and milk together in a large bowl.  Stir in the cheese, garlic, thyme, egg, salt and pepper.  add the meat and mix until combined.  With wet hands, form the mixture into 1-inch (or smaller if desired) meatballs.

For the soup: In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the meatballs and cook about 5 minutes, turning halfway through.  The meatballs will not be cooked through.  Drain and set aside.

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven.  Add the macaroni and cook, stirring often, until al dente.  Drain the macaroni, rinse under cold water, and set aside.  Wipe the pot dry.

Heat the oil in the now empty pot over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the the tomatoes and broth.  Add the meatballs (do not stir), bring to a simmer, and cook until the meatballs are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Stir the pasta into the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle individual portions with Parmesan and basil.  Enjoy!

Favorite Recipe of the Day from Past Years:  The Great Spam Experiment

Parmesan Baked Salmon

With my pregnancy, I have not been able to really eat any fish other than Salmon.  Don't get me wrong, I love salmon, so this is not a bad thing.  BUT, isn't it funny when you are told to stay away from certain things that those are the things you crave more than before?  Ask me what I would rather be eating and I couldn't really tell you, but still, I know I would love to make a nice piece of Halibut or even my beloved tilapia right now.  Okay, so there are a ton of people that would tell you I could still eat those things, but with this being my first child, I might be being a tiny bit over cautious... so judge me, it's okay :)

ANYWAY... I digress....   This simple way to prepare salmon was excellent.  I mean it was so good, I didn't even have to have a sauce with it.  That's right folks, you heard it straight from the self proclaimed sauce queen's mouth... no sauce is required with this recipe.  It is perfect as is!!  So good that while I'm writing this, I wish I had a piece baking in the oven right now!!! YUM!!!

Parmesan Baked Salmon
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
3 Tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 Salmon filets

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix together the mayo, mustard, parmesan, cayenne and lemon juice until well combined.  Mix the panko with just enough olive oil to moisten them a bit (about 1/2-1 teaspoon) and season with salt and pepper.  Place the salmon on a wire rack that has been set in a sheet pan and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Top each filet with the mayo/mustard mixture and then top with panko.  Place in oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

Favorite Recipe of the Day from Past Years:  Sriracha Honey Cashew Chicken

Happy New Year!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR From Jenn's Food Journey!!!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that you're all ready for a brand new year!!  I'll be back on Monday with a new recipe, but couldn't resist the chance to wish you all a happy start to 2014!!