I think I may actually say this about every mac and cheese recipe I post... and knowing that mac and cheese is my all time favorite meal, I'm sure it does not shock anyone that I will say it once again... This Mac & Cheese was utterly AMAZING!!! I don't know what else to say about it.. it's almost too good for words.
Put it this way.............
This weekend, we had a wonderful visit from a long time friend of Chris', Sam. I had only met Sam for about 5 minutes the last time he was in town, so it was nice to finally get to spend some time with this guy who I had heard so many ... well, let's just say, interesting.....stories about. I made dinner for him and Chris on Saturday night (not this meal, but I will post about the one I did make in a week or so) and he made a comment about my food that I will now make a little more PG rated - this meal was so good, you never want to let it go :)
Sourdough-Goat Cheese Topped Mac and Cheese
Adapted from The Food Network Magazine
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 lb chicken tenders, cooked and roughly chopped
8 oz elbow macaroni
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
For the topping -
1 cup sourdough breadcrumbs, toasted
1/4 stock unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1-2 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
3 oz crumbled goat cheese
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to pot and stir in the butter.
In a bowl or measuring cup, add the egg, evap milk, mustard and cayenne. Whisk until well combined. Place the pot with the pasta back on low heat. Slowly stir in the evap milk mixture; altering with hand fulls of shredded cheese until all cheese is melted. Stir in chicken and pour mixture into shallow dish.
In a small bowl, mix together the toasted breadcrumbs, butter, salt, pepper and parsley and goat cheese. Sprinkle evenly on top of macaroni and serve immediately. You can also put into a 350 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes or even under the broiler for 5 minutes - but it's not necessary... this is ready to go as is. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Easy Chorizo Mac
Two Years Ago: Chipotle Guacamole Rice
Three Years Ago: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie
Uhhhhmmm... Yea..... probably not the healthiest salad out there... but I'm gonna definitely rank it up as one of the tastiest! Whew doggie ... I could eat this daily... and I just might.... I mean, it's a salad... it's not like it's chili cheese fries drizzled with a ranch aioli....
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm ranch aioli..... :)
BLT Chicken Salad
Inspired by Sunny Anderson, The Food Network
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
For the salad:
3-4 cups romaine or green leaf lettuce, thinly sliced or torn
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
8 slices center cut bacon, roughly chopped
cucumber slices (optional)
sourdough bread croutons
For the dressing:
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt and white pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil grill grates. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place over direct heat and grill 8-10 minutes per side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove and allow to cool before cutting into bite sizes pieces.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.
To make the dressing - add the mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice to a small bowl or measuring cup. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
To build the salad - in a bowl or on a plate, add the lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Top with chicken and croutons. Sprinkle on bacon pieces and top with dressing. Serve and enjoy!
One Year Ago: Chorizo Empanadas
Two Years Ago: Queso Blanco Chicken Enchiladas
Three Years Ago: Pasta with Sausage, Basil and Mustard
I have to laugh a little here, I ended up grabbing thin sliced chicken breasts instead of regular ones and as I looked at the picture, I noticed how sad and thin that piece of chicken really is. Now what might shock you is this... I'm ok with it. Well, I mean I would have loved to have gotten a better shot, BUT.. the sad little piece of chicken is ok.. cause the sandwich was DA BOMB! Wow, maybe I'm understanding the point of my blog a little more today... it's actually about the recipe, not necessarily about my photo taking abilities :)
I had a killer weekend..... must have done something to mature me.. HA!!
Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Avocado Mayo
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened to an even thickness
olive oil
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence (or any spice you like, really)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
black pepper
For the avocado mayo -
1/2 avocado
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco (or Frank's)
salt and pepper
For the sandwich -
Steak or Hoagie rolls
Green leaf lettuce leaves
Cucumber slices
Directions:
Rinse chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of each piece of fish. Season evenly with herbs, garlic salt and pepper. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
Preheat grill to 375 degrees. Clean and oil grill grates. Place chicken over direct heat and grill 5-9 minutes per side, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and allow to rest. Place rolls on grill for 2-3 minutes per side to get them nice and toasted.
While the chicken is resting, make the mayo by adding the avocado to a small bowl and smashing it up with a spoon or fork. Stir in the mayo, lime juice and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To build the sandwich, slather on the avocado mayo, top with lettuce, cucumber and chicken. Serve immediately and enjoy!
One Year Ago: Sweet Pepper Beef Stir-Fry
Two Years Ago: Applesauce Bars
Three Years Ago: Italian Style Tilapia
The only disappointing thing about these cookies (if you could actually say there was anything disappointing about these cookies!!!) was the lack of Kahlua flavor. Although, had I really thought about it before hand, I would have realized that I shouldn't have expected more Kahlua flavor as the recipe only calls for one tablespoon of that yummy, deliciousness. (way to use your head for more than a coat rack, Jenn)
Anywho... I think most of you know by now, I don't do a lot of baking and when I do, it usually tends to be cookies. So, the other day, when I was actually in the mood to do some baking, I looked my pantry over and saw a small bottle of Kahlua just staring at me... BEGGING me to use it... Well, as you all know, when an ingredient begs, one must never deny that ingredient..... sooooo this delicious treat was born!
Kahlua and Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Recipe Girl
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 Tablespoon instant coffee (original recipe calls for espresso powder)
1 Tablespoon Kahlua
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 cups chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cocoa; set aside.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the instant coffee and Kahlua; stirring to combine. Allow to sit and let the coffee granules dissolve.
In a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat until just combined. With mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients until just combined. Remove from stand mixer and fold in chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoon or tablespoon full, two inches apart, onto a cookie sheet. Place in oven and bake 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned on the edges. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Finish cooling completely on a wire rack. Store in airtight container for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Smoked Balsamic Pork Ribs
Two Years Ago: Jalapeno Cheddar Grilled Chicken
Three Years Ago: Caramelized Chicken Breasts with Garlic Rice
A week or so ago, I was craving wings. I do not know what brought it on exactly, but it's a fact. Unfortunately, I did not have wings on hand and had no ambition to go to the store to get some. So, what's a girl to do at that point? Well, this girl, just decided to improvise. Now, I didn't want buffalo wings... I wanted just a good wing that had been sprinkled with a nice amount of pepper, garlic salt and cayenne. Simple. Which actually made improvising that much easier too :) Now, since I was having "wings", I had to make a sauce... and a goat cheese sauce just sounded like the thing to make. This meal accomplished exactly what I had hoped it would.... it fed my craving for wings and made sure I did not have to make another trip to the grocery store!!
Spicy Grilled Chicken with Goat Cheese Sauce
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
olive oil
garlic salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
For the sauce -
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons goat cheese crumbles
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Rinse chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle both sides of each piece of chicken with olive oil and season with garlic salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Cover and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
To make the sauce - mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Taste for seasoning. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil grill grates. Place chicken directly over the fire and grill for 8-10 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes before serving. Don't forget the sauce!! Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Tarragon Tartar Sauce
Two Years Ago: Homemade Mayonnaise
Three Years Ago: Devil's Food Cake Cookies
I think the title of this recipe speaks for itself - three cheeses, bacon... all on one little pizza. See, enough said.
Actually, I'll say one more random thing - when spied this recipe in my Food Network magazine, it sparked my interest immediately. You see, there is a small gourmet pizza place right down the street from us called Pesto's. I have mentioned this pizza hang out before, but it's been awhile. We don't really venture far from our favorite pizza, which is there pesto pizza. It's amazing. How we make it different is we either order it with pepperoni or, when we are really feeling frisky, we order it with bacon! I like the bacon better than pepperoni, but I'm sure that doesn't surprise most of you. You could easily turn this pizza into that by drizzling some pesto over the pizza when it comes out of the oven. Heck, if I had had some on hand, I would have used it to dip this pizza in, actually. Oh goodness would that have been wonderful!!! Mmmmmmmm!!!
On a side note - for those of you that are fans of The Walking Dead - I am writing this early on Sunday morning, so I can't say anything about the new episode... BUT.. if you want to chat about it.. email me (jennsfoodjourney@gmail.com) - I always love a good WD conversation!!
Three Cheese Bacon Pizza
Slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
1 cup perfect pizza sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pound prepared pizza dough, at room temperature
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring, until just starting to crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
Roll out the pizza dough and place on slightly greased baking sheet. Place in oven and allow to bake for 8 minutes. Carefully remove from oven. Spread the pizza sauce over the top, top with cheeses and bacon and place back in the oven 8-10 minutes longer, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted (if the bacon is already pretty crispy, put it on in the last 4-5 minutes of cook time, that way it doesn't get too well done). Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit before slicing. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Potato Crusted Tilapia
Two Years Ago: Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
Three Years Ago: Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Ok, with the pomegranate balsamic dressing, it may not be the prettiest salad I have ever made, but man, oh man, did it taste goooooood!!! So, what do you do if you don't have pomegranate balsamic vinegar? Easy.. either just stick with some good old balsamic, OR, add a little pomegranate juice to the mix and you should be good. Don't let a tiny little thing like that stop you from making this.... you'll be highly disappointed if you do :)
Pomegranate Grilled Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tablespoons pomegranate balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 cups green leave lettuce, chopped or shredded by hand
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 English cucumber, sliced
2-3 oz goat cheese crumbles
1/4 cup dried pomegranate cranberries
Tortilla strips (optional)
For the dressing -
2 Tablespoons pomegranate balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Directions:
Mix together the vinegar, oil, sugar and garlic until well combined. Place the chicken in a resealable bag and pour the mixture over it. Seal and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil grill grates. Place chicken over direct heat and grill for 8-10 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and allow to cool before slicing thinly or into bite size chunks.
Meanwhile, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing; set aside.
To build the salad - place lettuce on a large plate or bowl, top with chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado slices, goat cheese and cranberries. Drizzle with dressing and top with tortilla strips or croutons. Serve and enjoy!
One Year Ago: Spicy Soy Chili Chicken Stir Fry
Two Years Ago: Mac and Cheese Soup
Three Years Ago: Hamburger Buddy
This delicious little sandwich is perfect for those busy weeknights we all talk so much about. You can marinate the chicken while you are at work - leaving you a meal which can be ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish! As I've been known to say before... Who doesn't have time for that?
Louisiana Hot Sauce Chicken Sandwich w/Cajun Mayo
Adapted from Jeff Mauro, The Food Network
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-3 strips each
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 Tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the Cajun mayo -
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon blackening seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the sandwich -
2-3 Hoagie or Steak Rolls
4 slices jalapeno cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber slices
Directions:
Mix together the buttermilk, 3 Tablespoons hot sauce, honey, cumin and sugar until well combined. Place the chicken in a resealable bag and pour the marinade over it. Seal and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
To make the mayo, simply mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made up to 4 days in advance.
Preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Place chicken over direct heat and grill each strip 3-4 minutes per side or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before serving. Toast the rolls/buns while you wait - place a layer of cheese on the bun as soon as it comes off the grill. Top with chicken, lettuce, tomato and/or cucumber. Slather the mayo on the top bun and serve. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Simple Steak Sandwich with Garlic Parmesan Mayonnaise
Two Years Ago: Baked Tilapia Scampi
Three Years Ago: Snickerdoodles
I'm so excited - today, I do NOT have to go to work!! Yep, that's right... Our office is closed in honor of President's day... and I feel quite lucky. I know that not everyone is as fortunate as I am to have the day off, so I won't go on and on... BUT, let me just say.. I need this day off. It will be nice to take care of things I've been putting off and ... well... to really just have an extra day to do what I need to do for me :)
I know that I have posted a recipe for white bbq sauce before, but, trust me, this one is different enough to warrant a sort of re-post - I think both are absolutely delicious - but I like how this one is used... for some reason, dipping dredging the chicken in it before it goes on the plate, makes it seem... I don't know.. sort of naughty!!
Baptized Chicken
Adapted from Chris, Nibble Me This
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon horseradish
1/4 teaspoon creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon turbinado sugar
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Directions:
Rinse
chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Place on a plate or in a
shallow dish. In a bowl or jar with a lid, add all the ingredients
except the chicken, and stir (or shake) to combine. Remove 3
Tablespoons of the mixture and spread/rub evenly over each piece of
chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Cover remaining sauce and
place in refrigerator.
Remove sauce from refrigerator and pour into a shallow dish/bowl. Preheat grill to 375 degrees; clean and oil grill grates. Place chicken over direct heat and grill 8-10 minutes per side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove and allow to rest for 2 minutes. Dip the chicken (both sides) into the sauce and allow to rest another 2 minutes before serving. If there is any sauce left over, pour it on there... and enjoy!
One Year Ago: Latin Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Two Years Ago: Pecan Lime Chicken
Three Years Ago: Baked Asian Style Pork Chops
Have I mentioned how much I love Friday? It's my third favorite day of the week... I mean, sure, you gotta go to work (or at least I do), but it's the only day of the work week when you can look forward to the next day of NO WORK!! Saturday is truly the best because not only do you not have to work that day, BUT, you don't have to worry about working the next day either!!! Life is so simple sometimes!!!
And speaking of simple.... this pasta was not only simple, but delicious and comforting to boot - three things that should be at the top of everyone's favorite pasta dishes! And, to make things even easier, I went with a store bought pesto. Oh, I know there will be people out there that say "why? when you can make your own so easily"... and you truly can, but for this dish, I would recommend the store bought because of the ease and the fact that it's not the star of the show anyway. Whichever way you go, though, prepare yourself for a good, hearty pasta dish that will have your family asking for more!
Shells with Pesto Meat Sauce
Adapted from Food & Wine
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
8oz shell pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lbs ground beef
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, partially drained
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
3 Tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought is fine)
1 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and increase heat to medium - medium high. Cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 5-8 minutes. Drain off any excess grease. Stir in the tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 8 minutes. Add the pesto and parmesan cheese and let simmer another 5-8 minutes. Toss in the cooked pasta and serve with warm crusty bread. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Korean Grilled Chicken
Two Years Ago: Mustard Roasted Potatoes
Three Years Ago: Honey Mustard Chicken
Now, I know this might not be the prettiest fish dish I've ever posted, (trust me, one of two that I posted, I wonder what I was thinking!!) but it is one of the easiest and could easily become a favorite. At first, I thought leaving the sunflower kernels whole would be a bad idea. I thought, yikes, what if they get too baked and they become hard and gross? lol No worries though.. they worked perfectly as was and has actually given me great ideas on how to use them in other breading recipes. So see, sometimes it's good to go out on a limb and try something you aren't too sure about... you might just find a hidden gem :)
Sunflower Seed Crusted Tilapia
Fish recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Sauce recipe created by Jenn's Food Journey
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
2 tilapia fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
3 Tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
For the sauce -
2 Tablespoons Ranch dressing
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared pesto
1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Place in prepared baking dish. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice evenly over both pieces of fish.
In a small bowl, mix together the sunflower seeds, panko, salt and pepper. Evenly top each piece of fish with the mixture. Place baking dish in preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the fish flakes evenly with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the sauce and stir until well combined. Place in refrigerator until ready to use. Serve with fish and enjoy!
One Year Ago: Stir Fried Chicken with Bacon, Chili and Mint
Two Years Ago: Chicken Capellini Capricciosi
Three Years Ago: Spicy Mac and Cheese with Chorizo
I promise I will not say anything about The Walking Dead... but only out of respect for those of you that might watch it but have recorded it so you can watch it later.... but I will say this.... I'm SOOOOOOOO glad it's back on!!!! The third season is going to be over before we all know it, but while it's here, I plan on enjoying every single moment of it!! WHOOHOO!!!
Ok, no with the food.... this is such an easy recipe.. and I simplified it from what the original recipe called for. And the flavors... oh yea, the flavors are so incredibly good! Why is it I forget how wonderful the salty, briny flavor olives bring to a dish until I have one with it? It's always just "V8" moment for me, you know?
Easy Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
Adapted from Cook's Country
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup olive brine
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons minced fresh oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
salt and pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup white rice
4 oz cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon minced fresh oregano
Directions:
Combine olive brine, olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons oregano, garlic, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a zipper-lock bag. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and place in bag. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, turning occasionally.
In a saucepan with a lid, bring the chicken broth to a boil and add the rice. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil grill grates. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Place the chicken directly over the fire 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 for 5 minutes. (Psst... if you don't want to grill the chicken, you can pan sear it or bake it.)
Remove cover from rice and stir in olives, tomatoes, parsley and remaining oregano. Spoon rice onto plates, top with chicken and serve. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Double Trouble
Two Years Ago: Parmesan Garlic Tilapia
Three Years Ago: Stuffed Chicken Breasts
I know I've talked about the extended hours I work from time to time, but what's great about where I work... we may work hard, but we get to play hard too. For example - two years ago, a couple of the ladies there decided to do a Spring Break Luau. A lot of the people I work with are fresh out of college and it only seemed natural. So these wonderful ladies put a little luau lunch together for us. There were all kinds of decorations, we got to wear our Hawaiian gear, and let's not forget all the luau style food they had. The most memorable of that food was this Hawaiian pulled pork that one of my co-workers, Carol, made. It was AMAZING!! Since I'm always trying to find new recipes, I of course, asked her for this one. She told me and it sounded really simple and I thought, I should probably write this down, but like most things, by the time I got to my desk, I had already forgotten about it.
Flash forward to a few weeks ago... Carol shows up at work with her crock pot full of some uncooked pork. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she informed me that she was making her Hawaiian pulled pork as a way of saying sorry to some of her fellow co-workers who she felt she had wronged (don't worry, it wasn't anything serious, she just showed up for kitchen cleaning duty late). As soon as I heard her say Hawaiian, my mouth started watering and my stomach started growling... oh yes, we remember the pulled pork very, very well, don't we precious???? Lucky for me, there was a TON of it and Carol ended up offering it to everyone. Well, having it once before, I was not going to pass it up!! While we were eating, I asked Carol.. "so tell me what's in this again..... sugar? pineapple juice?" LOL Carol was like.. "WHAT? No there is nothing sweet in this!!" And what's crazy.. I don't know why I thought there was something sweet.. it doesn't even taste sweet. ANYWAY.. Long story shortened, I text Carol that evening, begged for the recipe and the next night I was making my own!! WOOT WOOT!! Thank you Carol, this is now my all time favorite dish!!!
I needed something to go along side the pork (besides the necessary rice and sweet roll that is) so I decided to make a traditional Hawaiian macaroni salad. Well, traditional mac salads are just pasta, grated onion and carrot, mayo, milk, sugar and salt and pepper... so I sort of stuck with it, but of course, had to jazz it up just a bit.
This is a MUST try for sure........ did I mention it's a MUST try??? :)
Hawaiian Pulled Pork with Macaroni Salad
Pork recipe courtesy Carol K.
Macaroni Salad recipe created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
For the Pork -
1 Pork Shoulder Roast (or pork picnic cut) -sorry, can't remember how much mine weighed, but it was the smallest of the ones in the grocery store
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt (I used kosher salt-but according to Carol, any salt will do)
1-2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Additional items to serve with pork -
1-2 cups cooked white rice
King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
For the Macaroni Salad -
8oz elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions, drained and thoroughly cooled
1/3 cup finely grated carrot (about 1 regular sized carrot)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles
1 hard boiled egg, roughly chopped
Directions:
For the Pork - Place the pork (I had to cut mine into three pieces to fit properly) in a crock pot. In a measuring cup add the water, salt and liquid smoke; stirring until the salt has pretty much dissolved. Pour mixture over pork, cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours .... OR.. until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove from crock pot and allow to cool a little before shredding. **Carol will skim the fat off the remaining water in the crock pot, add some flour to thicken it and serve. I just skimmed the fat and drizzled a little of it over the pork, but Chris left his dry - the pork is so good, you can seriously eat it with no sauce!**
For the macaroni salad - Place the cooled cooked pasta in a large serving bowl. Add the carrot, mayo, milk, sugar, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Fold in the pickles and egg. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make your mixed plate - start with some cooked rice and top with pork. Serve with macaroni salad and rolls.... and enjoy!! (and you will... TRUST me!!!)
One Year Ago: Sriracha Glazed Fish
Two Years Ago: Spicy Caramel Chicken
Three Years Ago: Snickers Pie
I know I have talked of this briefly before... BUT... I've GOT to talk about it again! For those of you that don't watch The Walking Dead, you might want to skip to the next paragraph... for those of you that DO watch The Walking Dead..... are you as excited as I am about the new episode next Sunday? OMG... what's going to happen to Daryl? Yikes!! I read the comic, but Daryl is a character that is not in the comic, so I really have no clue how they are going to handle things with him..... and I adore him!! He is absolutely, hands down, my favorite character! I saw an extended preview of the rest of the season and they show Daryl once! I'm sure it's just to make us wonder and speculate, but geeeeez, Oooohhh... I so can't wait for Sunday!!
Ok...ok.... on to the recipe! This dish is comfort in a bowl... not much else needs to be said about it really. Although it may taste as if the sauce cooks all day, this can be thrown together even on a busy weeknight!
Mostaccioli with Tomato Pork Sauce
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 small sweet onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped
6 mini sweet peppers, stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped
10 oz Mostaccioli pasta
1/2 lbs Mexican chorizo
1/2 lbs ground pork
1 28oz can Cento Tomato Puree
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 small zucchini squash, sliced lengthwise then sliced
Directions:
Place the onion, jalapeno and mini peppers in a food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped.
Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain and set aside.
In a deep non-stick skillet, over medium heat, add the chorizo; breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Allow to cook for about 3 minutes. Add the ground pork; breaking that up with a wooden spoon also. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the veggies and cook until the meat is no longer pink and cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Pour off any excess grease and add the tomato puree, wine, sugar, salt and pepper; stirring to combine. Bring to a low simmer and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Add the thyme and zucchini and cook another 5-10 minutes or until the zucchini is cooked to your liking. Serve over mostaccioli and enjoy!
One Year Ago: A Belated Birthday Wish
Two Years Ago: Midnight Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
Three Years Ago: Snickers Cookies
Although Chris' birthday is actually tomorrow (shhhhhhh, he's turning the big 40!!!!), over the weekend we celebrated by going out to dinner at this amazing restaurant called Roy's. Roy's is an Hawaiian fusion restaurant that has been on my list of "I soooo want to try" places for a while now. I have heard nothing but good things about it....And now I know why. We had one of the best meals we'd had in a very long time. I wish I had pictures, but our table was really dark and well... sometimes I like to go out without having to document everything I eat :) If you ever get a chance to go there, I highly recommend the Misoyaki Butterfish. I have never had butterfish before and now... now I would gladly eat it daily. The fish literately tasted as if it had been poached in butter... but it wasn't.. it is just the natural flavors of the fish coming out. I don't even know how to describe it other than it was the best fish I had ever had. EVER! Everything about the experience was wonderful. From the wine that was sent to our table (secretly ordered by a friend from across the country as his way of wishing Chris a happy birthday) to the attentiveness of our waiter (and the rest of the staff at that) to the amazing food...... it was quite the perfect evening!
Although this tilapia recipe has nothing to do with our dinner from Saturday, I thought it was still a good recipe to follow a story about fish :) Simple... light... and delicious. Might not be Roy's but it will do in a pinch!!!
Baked Lemon Tilapia with Herb Butter
Created by Jenn's Food Journey
- Serves 2 -
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Lemon, sliced in half
2 Tilapia fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
Directions:
Thinly slice one half of the lemon into 4 slices. Zest and juice the remaining half of lemon. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper and paprika; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small
bowl, mix together the butter and remaining lemon juice. Stir in the
chopped herbs and lemon zest. Season with a pinch of salt. Cover and
refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and place the lemon slices on the bottom. Rinse fillets and pat dry with a paper towel. Place on top of the lemon slices. Drizzle half of the lemon juice and sprinkle the seasoning mix evenly over each piece of fish. Place in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Top with a dollop of butter and serve immediately. Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Shrimp and Red Pepper Pesto Pizza
Two Years Ago: Spicy Potato Soup
Three Years Ago: Leek Potato Soup
